As if this summer hasn’t already shown us some huge hatches of insects, good and bad, we’re seeing an amazing showing of orb-weaver spiders, along with the related garden spiders.

I’ve never seen so many.

These spiders are most easily recognized by the huge, scream-worthy webs they weave. Accidentally walking face-first into one of those webs – some over three-feet across – can send even a hardened arachnologist into a girly, run/scream fit. “Get it off! Get it off!”