Spiders in the Garden

By Barbara Pleasant
Published on February 6, 2013
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Illustration By Keith Ward
There are more than 3,000 types of spiders in North America, including the crab spider, jumping spider, wolf spider and orb-web spider. These eight-legged predators will eat all kinds of insects in your garden.

This article is part of ourOrganic Pest Control Series, which includes articles on attracting beneficial insects, controlling specific garden pests, and using organic pesticides.  

Garden Spiders (Aranea

Unlike insects, spiders have eight legs rather than six, and they probably are the most abundant predators in home landscapes. Arachnologists estimate that at any given time 100 to 200 spiders live in an average house; about 10,000 spiders live in one acre of typical forest habitat; and between 1.5 and 2.5 million spiders can be found in an acre of grassland.

Any garden will be home to several dozen types of spiders, and the most common garden spiders do not spin webs. Wolf spiders are the brown spiders with dark stripes that gardeners often disturb when raking up mulch or renovating garden beds. Females often carry their egg sacs with them, scurrying to find cover when disturbed.  For two weeks after her eggs hatch, the mother spider carries her young on her back. Wolf spiders live in shallow underground burrows, and are very common beneath mulch.            

Also common in gardens, jumping spiders do not make webs, but do use a string of silk to tether themselves to vegetation in case they miss a jump. These energetic spiders hunt during the day by pouncing on prey, which often includes flies and other small winged insects. A recent study found that jumping spiders are able to learn colors associated with prey. If they accidentally jump on your shoulder, the color of your shirt may be perceived as a happy hunting ground. Blow them off if you don’t like their company.

Crab spiders have oversized front legs, giving them a crablike appearance. Often called flower spiders, crab spiders hunt during the day by ambushing small insects. Perhaps in response to reflected light, many crab spiders are able to change color to precisely match the flower they have chosen as a hunting perch. 

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