What spider is this?

Question

These spiders have taken up residence on my porch for 12+ years. I am curious to know what kind they are potentially dangerous. We have a mutual understanding of ech other. They don't come down on us or in the house, so we let them stay. But now we are becoming overpopulated.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f191/princessalk/CalliesProm004.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f191/princessalk/CalliesProm007.jpg

Answer 1

I could be wrong because your picture is a little fuzzy and I can only see the underside of the spider accuratly but it looks like the thin-legged wolf spider. There are more than 100 species of this genus in the US and canada and only a speacialist can distinguish them reliably and  I am not a speacialist, just a bookworm. I hope you find this helpfull.

Answer 2

I have included a page of orb weavers that may be your spider.

http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&k...

Success breeds more success.  They have found a good site so they will produce more spiders.  As long as you leave one site alone you will get the benefit of spiders for the future.  How many spiders is up to you.  If they become bothersome, you could remove the eggs sac anytime one appears. Use care to distinguish the egg sac from their food neatly wound up. A hungry spider is not a happy spider.

Answer 3

That looks like a garden orb weaver.  They are not dangerous at all.  Typically any spider that builds large webs can't do much damage and won't bite unless you make it panic by doing something like grabbing it out of the web.  She is just trying to catch some moths drawn in by the light.