[NSFL]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

They are pretty resilient buggers, that spider unless it landed in snow probably survived although he would be sluggish. Look at it this way, if you throw it outside it has a chance, if you squish it then it's game over. Anything from the freezing mark up should be ok but if your still in doubt and you want to make sure it lives just let it go in the basement, if the basement is finished you can always go with the attic. Either way you are assured you are not ever going to see it again. I guess in actuality it really doesn't matter because garden spiders, orb weavers, ect only live a year and in nature die in the winter. They leave behind their egg sacs which hatch in the spring and the next generation mature fast, breed, create more egg sacs, rinse and repeat.

Ok, so I feel better about throwing it outside. It's actually never occurred to me to take it into the basement. I'll do that next time.