We have quite a few spiders in our garden since I don’t use pesticides on my plants. They are natural preditors keeping the pest population down. Even when they get into the house, I’m very tolerant of these creepy critters. When they get underfoot, however, I gently return them to the garden where they can munch on flying and crawling insects to their heart’s content.
Certain times of year the webs are covered with pine pollen and can be clearly seen in the morning light. I love looking at the designs each spider variety creates. In the spring, they show off their new abodes. I’m going to start carrying my camera with me when I go out in the morning to see what patterns I can find.
Spiders here along the coast are really quite harmless to humans. The only ones that will bite are the black widow spider. I find them in woodpiles and water valve boxes. I alway wear gloves when I reach into these a damp, dark, widow territories. Their bite is more like a “sting” than a bite, but still to be avoided.
Should you let spiders live and occupy your garden? Yes, yes, yes. They are your friends and allies. The more spiders you have in your garden, the healthier it will be.
