Although most garden pests spread diseases and spoil plants, there are beneficial insects that defend plants from pests that eat and damage them. For example, ladybug preys on aphids and whiteflies that make holes in plant leaves. If you have noticed spiders in your garden or greenhouse, they can actually be beneficial for pest control.
There are different types of spiders you can find in your yard. You might want to find out with which one you are dealing with before you decide to get rid of spiders in greenhouse. The webs that you see between plants most of the time belong to the common garden spider.
Although you shouldn’t get rid of spiders in greenhouse because they feed on plant-attacking insects, if infestations are too bug, just open vents and doors more often so they can find a way out. Spiders in a greenhouse signal that you have problem with pest control.
If the webs are on the way, just take a thin bamboo cane stick and wind them up the web that gets on the way. Removal of webs will encourage spiders to make them in another place. Generally, if you do stay out of their way, spiders will do the same.
What does a garden spider look like?
It is very easy to recognize a garden spider. A female spider usually sits in the center of the web. Take a magnifying glass and have a look. The body color is either grey-brown or reddish-brown and garden spider has a white cross on the abdomen. Female spiders are two times larger than male.
What spiders are found in gardens?
The most common types of spiders that you can find in your garden or greenhouse are garden spiders, wolf spiders and money spiders. Garden spiders make webs to catch flies between plants. Their bodies are grey or reddish brown with white cross on a tummy.
Wolf spiders are about half an inch across with dull brown bodies. They don’t spin webs to catch prey in them. Most of the time you will see them on the plant leaves. They are hunters and chase the prey, then suck them dry and leave the husks lying around.
Money spiders are very small and you will see their infestation in the garden or greenhouse in summer months. Their usual spots are between the stones in the rock garden and in the lawn. Money spiders feed on greenfly, killing thousands of them every year.
Are spiders good in a greenhouse?
It is very good to have garden spiders in a greenhouse. They string webs between tomato plants and catch whiteflies, aphids, armyworms, leafhoppers, flea-hoppers, leafminers and spider mites. That is why they are beneficial for a greenhouse. By letting spiders in, you don’t need to use pesticides.
What do spiders eat in the garden?
Garden spiders eat whiteflies, aphids, armyworms, leafhoppers, flea-hoppers, leafminers and spider mites. Wolf spiders primarily eat small insects, including crickets, grasshoppers, earwigs, ants and flies. Money spiders also eat aphids as well as tiny insects called springtails.
Are spiders harmful for plants?
Although spiders drive away or in some cases feed on useful flower pollinators like bees, they also protect flowering plants from insects that attack them. Indeed, flowers give the flower scent that attract spiders when plant is attacked and plant-eating insects and its larvae that feed on the flowers.
Rather than chasing spiders you need to inspect the greenhouse on presence of other pests. For example, if you have ants, you need to get rid of them because they farm aphids that suck on the plants juices. Also, there are natural ways of deterring ants from greenhouse.
Apart from ants, you need to deal with the bugs that feed on tomato plants. Find out how to get rid of tomato worms, aphids and stink bugs in this post. You might also be dealing with animals trying to steal tomato fruits from a greenhouse. To deter them you need to use an animal repellent.
If you have any questions about spiders in your greenhouse or you need help with identifying them, please do not hesitate to drop me a line by using Contact Us form.
