Seeing the little buggers- the spiders in your lawn is not only scary but also annoying and worrisome. The commonly found species of the spider in the yard is Agelenopsis or the grass spider. Other tramp spiders can also dwell on the lawn.
They are indeed a bit scary but why should I worry?
There is a varied opinion of the expert gardeners about the lawn spiders.
Are these spiders poisonous? Do they nibble?
If yes, then this is worrisome but do not misinterpret. It is a real challenge to control or end the spiders from your lawn as they are the species found all around the globe and in every nook of the world. If you remove them from your lawn, they will peep up a good morning from your kitchen or washroom’s spout.
So the land owners shout out loud, “How to get rid of this menace, the grass spider leaving them no choice but to end?”
They are quite abundant, so one cannot close eye on their first appearance. If you neglect it, its delicate web will prove to be a noose around your garden charm. So if you want to enjoy a pristine and prestigious look of your lawn nip the evil in the bud, kill the spider. If you do not do so, be ready for an inhospitable guest in your lounge this fall, as spiders look for a cozy winter.
Identification of a harmful breed:
Table of Contents
1. Agelenopsis:
Any of the 45000 diverse species can dwell in your lawn out of them you need to tell apart the grass spider (Agelenopsis). Agelenopsis , also called the funnel webbed spider, is a distinctive breed that weave orb-shaped webs that dwell from early spring to summer. They are not harmful to humans so there is no need to fright them away. They die themselves with the severity of the weather.
2. Wolf Spider:
As the wolf spider has the same stripes on its body like that of grass sider, so they both are often mixed to identify. The wolf spider is often mistaken for the grass spider because of the similarity in the thoracic stripes. Those of wolf spiders are thick and more but the stripes of wolf spider are thick and are more distinctive as are darker. Then how to differentiate?
The main difference between the two is that wolf spiders do not weave webs!
So where do they live?
They live in the burrows they dig out. They live there waiting for their victim. So they do not need a web to entangle the prey. The wolf spider is the most agile predator of the yard the gardener must be well aware of.
3. Hobo Spider
They are from the funnel-web spiders. They can be found all around the house, in back yard or the orchids.
Identifying a hobo is a real headache. It has taken after the common spider having long legs and grayish abdomen. One cannot even tell apart their brown bodies easily. The only difference is the yellow marking on a hobo’s body. Keep an eye on your yard. If you notice small webs there, you are under the risk of hobos.
Draw a distinctive line between poisonous vs. non-poisonous spiders by knowing their characteristics.
Following are the characteristics that can help the gardener know what he is dealing with.
Type |
Appearance |
Type |
Bite |
Behavior |
Dwelling |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Good |
Yellow brown body with long legs |
Jumping spider |
Do not bite |
Timid |
Book shelves, curtains, hardwood floor, ledges |
Bad |
Red and orange hourglass on belly |
Black widow, brown recluses, hobo |
Grass spider- expected to bite hobo- do not bite wolf- bite |
Are sometime calm like black widow, left alone like recluses |
Hobo-damp dark places Black widow- under eaves, in wood Recluses- debris heaps or wood |
How to kill the antagonist from the yard:
Following can be the main things a greens keeper can do to get the unwelcoming spiders out of the lawn.
1. Trim over growing shrubs and flora- cut vegetation:
Trim any undergrowth or vegetation that has a threat to prove to be a home to spiders. The vegetation is the favorite place for spiders to breed, spin their webs and dwell peacefully. Crop all the unwanted vegetation to kill spiders and maintain the shape of your lawn.
2. Mow often
Mowing lawn every now and then reduces the chances of spider breeding and lodging to a minimum. Mowing the lawn not only removes the webs of the spider but also ends the hosting agents for them. The debris and food particles will also end giving a minimum chance for spider growth.
3. Rake regularly
Rake the lawn regularly to end the spider webs. The fallen leaves and debris are the host to most of the insects including spiders. So raking often leads to a manicured and insect free lawn.
4. Take away webs with hands or brush
Taking away the spider webs with your hands also helps a lot. This practice destroys their home and chances to dwell. The webs can also be removed with an adjustable brush.
5. Remove food particles
The spiders are always looking for food crumbs. So where there are food particles there are spiders. First thing in this regard is to clean the lawn off all the food particles and crumbs to reduce the chances of their roaming in the lawn.
6. Clean debris or piles of things
If you have debris or heap of random things in your lawn, you are hosting the spider yourself. So the most important step is to clean up the piles and remove the debris to end the habitat of the spiders.
7. Clean the dark and damp corners
Cleaning up the dark and damp nooks are the key to anti-spider campaign. Corners provide a 3D support to spiders to spin their wins. And if they are damp and dusty you are done with. Keep the corners clean and dry so that they cannot provide a hospitable dwelling to spiders.
8. Spray with chemicals- insecticide
If you have the problem of the lawn spider that does not end with the aforementioned ways, then the horticulturist can opt to using insecticide. He can use both organic or can buy from the mart. Choose the one which does not affect the grass and the plants around. Smartly opt for insecticides that are not only effective for spiders but for other pests as well. Infest the spiders with the best and broad use insecticide so that you are able to kill two birds with one stone.
James, the D.I.Y Expert, graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture from Colorado State University. Love writing blog posts and guides to help others learn how to garden!