Hello. I’m the Mud Dauber. Sorry about the "ugly" dirt tubes I’m building on your siding.
I know it looks like I’m starting a colony, but I’m a solitary architect. I don't have a hive to defend, which means I’m almost never aggressive. You could walk right past me, and I wouldn't care. I’m busy hunting.
I stuff each one of these mud tubes with 20-30 paralyzed spiders.
My favorite prey? Black Widows and Brown Recluses. I am a specialist at finding the dangerous spiders that hide in your woodpiles and eaves. I paralyze them, put them in my mud "pantry," and lay an egg.
What to do:
If the nest is in a spot where it won't be bumped, just leave it. I’m providing free, 24/7 spider control for your patio. Once the holes appear in the mud, I’m gone for the season. You can scrape the dry mud off then.
I’m sorry, I look intimidating.
But your porch is a Black Widow-free zone because of me.