Why Spiders Are the Best Natural Pest Patrol

Spiders are often referred to as insects, but this is incorrect. Although spiders and insects belong to the same massive group of invertebrates with jointed legs and exoskeletons (arthropods), spiders have distinct features that set them apart from insects. Spiders have two main body segments, while insects typically have three. Insects have only six legs, but spiders have eight. So, if spiders are not insects, what role do they play in the garden, and why might you want to keep them there?

Agents of Pest Control

You can think of spiders as gardeners with fangs. When spring arrives and bugs start swarming, spiders silently get to work. Spiders are what scientists call biocontrol agents. Biocontrol agents are organisms that naturally reduce pest pressure.

The main advantage of using biocontrol agents is that they are a healthy, sustainable, and eco-friendly way to reduce pests, unlike pesticides. In green spaces, many pests can proliferate easily when unchecked. For example, aphids can give birth to live pregnant females, and develop wings once they overcrowd a plant to find another source. With examples like these, it’s no wonder spiders are a necessary means of control. These biocontrol agents hunt down aphids, moths, flies, and mosquitoes without any need for human intervention. By hunting pests, spiders help keep the ecosystem in balance, especially in areas such as gardens, fields, and forests where insects multiply rapidly.

Some Beneficial Spiders (And What They Hunt)

Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans)

Method of Attack: Instead of using a web, these spiders are active hunters. They ambush their prey and immobilize them using their venom.

Diet: The diet of the green lynx spider consists of caterpillars, moths, flies, grasshoppers, and other common garden pests.

Habitat: Green lynx spiders like to hide in shrubs, flowering plants, and crops such as cotton.

Interesting Fact: These bright green spiders can spit venom up to two inches when threatened. Fortunately, this venom is mostly harmless to humans.

Yellow Garden Spider – Orb Weaver (Argiope aurantia)

Method of Attack: Orb-weavers build intricate orb-shaped webs to trap flying insects.

Diet: The diet of an orb weaver consists of many flying insects, but they also consume beetles.

Habitat: These spiders are commonly found in areas where there are structures for web building. This can be gardens, in between trees, and even in sheds.

Interesting Fact: The webs of orb-weavers feature a characteristic zig-zag pattern.

Jumping spider (Phidippus audax)

Method of Attack: Like their name, they literally take leaps to snag their next meal.

Diet: Aphids, mosquitoes, caterpillars, and other small insects make up the majority of a jumping spider’s diet.

Habitat: Jumping spiders thrive in forests, urban areas, gardens, and leaf litter.

Interesting Fact: These curious creatures have excellent vision and may even turn to “watch” you, like in the picture above.

Wolf Spider (Hogna carolinensis)

Method of Attack: These spiders are hunters at ground level, using ambush-style tactics to capture prey.

Diet: The wolf spider’s diet consists of crickets, beetles, ants, and caterpillars.

Habitat: Wolf spiders can be found in open woodlands, grasslands, gardens, indoors, and sometimes near water.

Interesting Fact: Female wolf spiders are maternal. They carry their eggs on their back, and when the spiderlings hatch, they carry them for another two weeks.

Funnel-web Grass Spider (Agelenopsis spp.)

Method of Attack: These spiders build a sheet web with a funnel that they use to retreat.

Diet: The funnel-web grass spider’s diet consists mostly of crawling insects like ants and beetles.

Habitat: Their habitats are lawns, shrubs, tall grasses, and forest edges. 

Interesting Fact: These spiders are often confused with the Australian funnel-web spider, but they are harmless and helpful predators.

Spitting Spider (Scytodes thoracica)

Method of Attack: These spitting creatures hunt by spitting sticky silk at prey to trap them and then move in for the kill. An interesting behavior of these spiders is that they use their two front limbs to tap on and around their prey before consuming it. Since they have poor eyesight, this behavior ensures they are in the perfect position to strike.

Diet: Silverfish, ants, and small bugs make up most of a spitting spider’s diet.

Habitat: This spider can live both indoors and outdoors.

Interesting Fact: This is one of the few eight-legged creatures that hunt prey in this way.

A Spider’s Dilemma

Studies estimate that about 3–15% of people worldwide suffer from arachnophobia (fear of spiders). Unfortunately, despite how fascinating and helpful they are, many people react with instinctual panic. Here is the thing, though: most spiders do not want to bother you. Many of them only react defensively rather than being the aggressor. So, before you think about swatting the next spider you see, here are a few fascinating facts to reconsider.

Spider Facts

They say fear comes from the unknown; perhaps developing an interest in these creatures can help. Check out these interesting facts about our eight-legged friends.

• Red widows are so devoted to reproduction that males force-feed themselves to females.
• Many spiders eat their silk to recycle materials since making webs is a costly process.
• Peacock spiders perform elaborate mating dances using their colorful flaps to attract a female. Check out the dance here.
• Wolf spiders have some of the sweetest maternal instincts. They carry both the eggs then their babies on their backs for about two weeks. Talk about commitment.
• Spider silk, by its weight, is stronger than steel.
• Some spiders mimic ants for protection when hunting.
• Harvestman spiders can shed their legs in times of stress. They eventually adapt to their new way of walking and can recover most of their speed.

Why Spiders Matter

Spiders are not only effective agents of pest control, but they also play a major role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem. Since they are generalist predators, they control many different types of insects. Even if their prey is occasionally a bee or butterfly, their impact is still overwhelmingly positive.

Not to mention, unlike pesticides, they do not contaminate the soil and water. In addition, they are not harming pollinators in the long run. With over 1 billion pounds of pesticides used annually in the U.S. (often in excess), these creatures offer a sustainable, natural alternative.

How to Encourage Spiders in Your Garden

• Try to avoid pesticides.
  • Chemical sprays do not just kill pests, they also kill the spiders that feed on them
• Grow lush, dense vegetation (gives spiders a place to hide)
  • Spiders love places to hide, hunt, and rebuild webs
  • Some examples of diverse vegetation are:
    • Flowering shrubs and perennials (lavender, marigolds)
    • Groundcovers and mulch
    • Native plants and ornamental grasses
• Install vertical structures in your garden spaces (this can encourage web builders to thrive)

More Than Just Creepy Crawlies

It’s about time to shift the narrative around spiders. Spiders are not a nuisance or a pest; they are natural pest controllers. In most cases, they are not dangerous, just misunderstood. So maybe next time, before you squish the spider “invading” your garden, try to remember that they are an ally.