It’s the little things

Recently, as I headed out into the backyard, something caught my eye. A beautifully spun spider web stretched nearly four feet from porch to tree. In its center was a large and quite busy banana spider. Its beautiful web glistened in the sun. It reminded me that sometimes it is the little things that are special.

Living in Florida has made me much more tolerant of things like spiders, snakes, lizards, and skinks. We have a resident black snake that likes to sun himself on the back patio. He raises his head and looks curiously at us before slithering off. He is a good snake. We know what the dangerous snakes look like and what to avoid. Snakes are actually good for gardens because they eat common pests.

My banana spider is actually a golden silk orb-weaver, famous for the striking golden color of its webs. It is typically black and yellow, with long, striped legs. The golden silk orb-weaver is one of Florida’s largest and most recognizable spiders. And here is a fact that sounds like something out of a horror movie: female spiders sometimes eat the male after mating. Not very romantic.

There is always something going on in our backyard. In a sunny corner, bright orange and yellow milkweed flowers bloom, attracting monarch butterflies. Monarchs are among the most widely recognized of all American butterflies, with their distinctive orange, black, and white wings.

The monarch will lay its eggs on milkweed, and during their larval stage, the caterpillars feed almost exclusively on milkweed. As adults, they get their nutrients from the nectar of flowers. Milkweed contains toxic compounds that the caterpillars accumulate, making monarchs distasteful to many predators.

The appetite of the caterpillars is amazing. They can strip the leaves from the plants in no time, leaving nothing but naked stalks. The plant is remarkably resilient and, once cut back, emerges again to feed another round of monarchs.

Not all little things are welcome. Count among them no-see-ums, mosquitoes, fire ants and ticks. Fire ants can ruin a good day working in the garden. By the time you realize you have uncovered a fire ant mound, you are jumping around with burning bites on your hands, arms, or legs. These devilish little ants originated in South America and were introduced into the United States in the early 20th century. They have been spreading ever since.

Another tiny pest that can be a nuisance is the tick. They are known carriers of disease, so you don't want to let these devilish little critters take hold. Pet owners need to be especially diligent about checking their cats and dogs for ticks.

So, thank you, banana spider, for reminding me to take time to appreciate the little things that are all around us.