There’s an old naturalist’s saying that you’re never more than 5 feet from a spider. It’s probably true, as spiders can be found nearly everywhere, indoors and out. Despite their creepy reputation, spiders are largely beneficial and help keep pests and plant-feeding insects under control. With few exceptions, spiders rarely bite and are not generally dangerous to people,” according to AgriLife Extension entomologists Michael Merchant and Wizzie Brown in their article titled “Spiders.”
Spiders have been on Earth for millions of years. Scientists know this fact because fossils of spiders have been found in amber.
Since spiders aren’t going anywhere soon, it is best to learn to understand them and appreciate their presence.
Spiders come in various sizes and colors, but all have eight legs, whereas insects have six, and they have fangs that are used to inject venom in their victims, usually insects or insect larvae.
They do not eat plants, even if you have found them on shrubs, they are just looking for lunch. In the meantime, they are helping you out by keeping those beastly insects from eating your favorite houseplant or those wonderful vegetables you have been so looking forward to cooking for your family. Spiders are indeed, nature’s pesticide.
As you are reading this article, you are probably thinking, yeah, but what about the black widow and brown recluse spiders. They are predators that also have poisonous venom and should be avoided.
They like to lurk in dark places, overturned flower pots and such, so always look inside before you try to pick up the item. Avoid both of them.
Although there are many spiders, the focus of his article is four common spiders found in Texas.
The first one is the largest spider found in Texas — the Texas brown tarantula. It is quite shy and lives in its burrow or between rocks. Tarantulas do not stray far from their home, instead, they wait for their prey to come to them. A fully grown tarantula can have a leg span of 3 inches.
Surprisingly, some people have made this tarantula a pet. Did you know this tarantula can live up to 30 years?
The next spider is the wolf spider. It is very common in fields and backyards. Besides the eight legs, this spider has eight eyes. It is a drab color, and can range from 1/2 inch to 3 inches long. These spiders are active at night, so shining a flashlight across a lawn might bring on a show of tiny lights — the lights being the eyes of the spiders. They feed on insects and small organisms in the grass.
Crab spiders are very recognizable because they look like their seaside counterpart — they even move sideways. They can be found on leaves and flowers, waiting to ambush unsuspecting insects for their next meal.
If one has a favorite spider, the Argiope, or common garden spider, is mine. They can become quite large, about 3 inches across. Because their eyesight is not as good as other spiders, they must build a beautiful web in gardens to catch their prey. When an insect does become entangled in the web, the spider will quickly cover it with its silky web.
While these four spiders will help you in your landscape by curtailing unwanted pests, they are something you don’t necessarily want in your home. Take measures to remove anything near windows and doors that would attract insects, thereby removing a food source.
Hopefully, now you will look upon the next spider you see on a plant as your friendly garden helper.
The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.
Victoria County Master Gardener Association
