Beneficial Spiders in The Landscape You Should Know

Many people will scream out of control, run wildly, or hastily find a broom or even a bat at the mere sight of a spider. But did you know that spiders are actually a blessing in disguise? Most spiders are harmless to humans and rarely engage a human actively. Very few spiders can deliver a lethal bite to humans, but the rest will just cause a rush or an itch that will heal after a short time.

Spiders benefit the ecosystem by keeping the population of insects in control. They are natural pest controllers that eat the small insects that damage your flowers and crops. They predate on pest insects that destroy plants through foraging or transferring bacteria and fungi. Some species also feed on mosquitoes, thus reducing their number. Generally, spiders help you to keep your garden in good health. So, the next time you see a spider, give it a high five for its good work rather than squashing it.

How to Attract Spiders into your Landscape?

We now know that spiders are actually beneficial for your landscape. Therefore, it is wise as a gardener to find ways to increase their number to reduce the pests in your area. Luckily, there are several ways in which you can attract spiders into the landscape.

One way is to add layers of mulch between plants. The mulch creates a nice hideout for several species of spiders. You can also create places that are ideal for spiders to build their webs. For example, you can leave some packets of tall plants or lush bushes, or place crates and bundles of hay in several spots in the garden. Grass clippings also attract some species such as the wolf spider.

Types of Beneficial Spiders

Several types of spiders are common in the typical backyard garden while others prefer to stay in the wild with minimal human disturbance. The typical garden spiders help keep the garden healthy by controlling the number of harmful insects that destroy the flowers and other plants.

Here are a few species that are beneficial to the landscape.

The Wolf Spiders

The wolf spider does not have the black and yellow coloring that many garden spiders have. However, they are equally beneficial to the garden. They are one of the few species that actively hunt for insects. Wolf spiders roam around the garden searching for insect pests to feed on. Glass clippings provide the ideal hunting ground for this type of spider. These are also good for eating out all the unnecessary pests that annoy you like ants, termites, roaches, etc. However, for a proper and durable solution to the issue of pests, here’s How to get rid of small black ants.

The Banded Garden Spider

Banded garden spiders are mostly found at ground levels, between tall grass or shrubs. They are brown with white stripes but turn black as they age. They build webs that are shaped like an orb where they hide and wait for their prey. They feed on insects that get trapped on the webs. Banded garden spiders are beneficial during the mid-summer when they are most active.

Black and Yellow Garden Spider

The black and yellow garden spiders prefer to stay in undisturbed sunny spots in the garden. They are easy to spot with their distinctive black and yellow coloring on their bodies. They are also known as the yellow garden spiders or the common garden spiders.

They are active insect hunters, and if in great numbers, they can control insect pests in your garden effectively. They are not aggressive on humans and flee at the slightest provocation.

European Cross Spiders

This type of spiders is a great biological pest controller in the garden. They prey on many species of insects that are destructive to the plants. They have a rather provocative look, and many people are scared of them. They are, however, harmless to humans.

They have cross markings on their abdomen, which are used to identify them. They stay in several habitats, including yards and grass lawns.

Goldenrod Crab Spider

These are spiders that will keep harmful insects away from your flowers. They mostly stay put and wait for insects that land on the flowers.

There are other several species of spiders that thrive in different habitats with similar benefits such as cross orb weaver, grass spiders, western lynx spider, woodlouse hunter, slender crab spider, among others.

Spiders such as the banana spiders may strike fear into the hearts of many people, but the majority of them are just natural pest controllers that are harmless to humans. You can also save some few dollars that you mostly spend on chemical insecticides by letting the spiders do the work for you.