Are Garden Spiders to be Feared?

Garden spiders may seem ominous and scary, but they are actually harmless to humans. Among other spiders you may come across, they are not the garden pests you need to worry about. Learning about such a creature after seeing them in gardens makes you wonder what purpose they have for being at all. They eat other potential pests, such as flying insects, that become trapped in their giant, orb web.

You will spot the female spider while gardening when you stumble upon the circular creation that is eaten and then rebuilt by the spiders every night. The females are very large, one inch long with a large stomach filled with eggs. Gardeners will at first be alarmed to see the giant, colorful spider poised peacefully in the middle of her creation.; Relax. It is harmless to humans. Gardeners may miss the spider if she senses a disturbance because she will drop down and hide. Her home can never be destroyed for long.

If you see it as a pest, you may feel compassion for the spider after learning the life plan it can look forward to: after laying her eggs, she dies. The eggs are hatched in the fall, then the young spiders grow and develop over the winter while still in the sac and attached to the web. In the Spring, the spiders disperse.

What is a Gardener to do with Pests?

These spiders prefer the sun in your garden around the house. They will weave their large web attached between trees, around the greenhouse or garden shed, linking to the window and the closest garden plants ore trees. The female spiders make webs up to two feet across. As long as the spiders do not get into the shed or greenhouse, it would be best for a gardener to rely on weather to control the spiders.

Rain and wind destroy their set ups and force them to move. By clearing areas where they could nest, you will control spiders inside. If you must, use the everyday pesticides, such as diazinon or Dursban for long lasting effects, or pyrethrins for a quick elimination.

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