Big, ugly, harmless

The weather is getting cooler, the leaves are changing colour and there is lots of chatter in the Okanagan about a big, ugly spider.

And that brings us to todays Bug of the Week.

The cat face spider is one of the largest arachnids in Canada.

With its bulbous abdomen and large hairy legs, for those with arachnophobia it is an intimidating critter to see.

But despite it's girth, a cat face spider is as harmless as a baby duck.

They do not bite, they are not venomous and other than their looks, they are completely harmless to the humans on the planet.

They are most commonly spotted in late summer and into the fall.

And as the temperature drops, they often seek a warm refuge, like your house as they can overwinter to roam once again come springtime.

They are called cat face spiders because of the two bumps on their abdomen atop colour patterns that someone decided look like cat face with ears, hence the name.

Another large, yet completely harmless spider that is getting attention lately is an orb weaver, also known as a garden spider.

Like its feline-named cousin, orb weavers are intimidating in size, but gentle in nature.

Orb weavers are also not venomous and both are considered beneficial to have in a garden and around a home as they feast on other pesky insects.

Have you had a close encounter of the insect kind? Email us a picture and we may feature it as our Bug of the Week.