Spiders

[The Chosen One]

Okay, so I'm used to seeing posts on the usual suspects in the pests dept. However, it seems I've come along something new and wanted a little input.

Spiders.

I have 5 phals that are indoors and positioned above a humidity tray. I started noticing a couple of the plants getting webs on them. At first I was a little wary of spider mites since they seem to do the web thing to. However, after a watering I very clearly detected 2 or 3 small spiders, about a 1/16th of an inch in diameter. Nothing you needed a lens to see.

My initial reaction was ick spider. Then I realized, a spider camping out in my plants could be a good thing since spiders typically like to eat other bugs. It always seems I'm battling fungus flies, why not a little back-up?

So, my questions is, is this a safe course of action for my plants?

[BillC]

Hi, O Chosen One, They will protect you plants from anything they can catch and that means even bugs which are bigger than their miniscule size. Just good luck for you.

Bill

[tom499]

i often find webs and spiders hiding out on my orchids. spiders will not cause your plants any trouble except cover them in webs if you dont move them much, but then web does no damage anyway

as BillC said, they make great natural pest removers, being far more effective and less costly than repellants.

I've started growing some carnivorous plants near my orchids which will help especially in the summer.

Last year my Dad's sarreacenia (spelt wrong im sure ) which grew 50cm high pitchers was eating insects by the bucket load, the buzzing from the plant could be heard all over the garden

Nepenthes are good to grow with orchids because they are tropical and like similiar temperatures, light, humidity and soils to orchids. They also look great when they get big. Nepenthes Rajah will get rid of any rat problems for you

[The Chosen One]

Thanks, both of you. Its funny you should mention the carnivorous plants last summer about this time I bought a mix of Venus Fly Trap, Cobra Lily, and Sundew in a mini terrarium and kept them quite close to my orchids. Since my Phals are inside growers not too much bug life for them to feed on, but they sure are neat. All I have left are the Sundews but maybe I'll reintroduce them nearby as well. My only real battle is with fungus gnats, so I hope the spiders stay away from them.

[Ellen]

Spiders are certainly not a substitute for properly quarantining new plants, treating pest infestations immediately, and generally being procative about keeping bad bugs off your plants, but they certainly don't hurt anything, and do catch the odd bug or two, including some that might be coming to pollinate your flowers. I like spiders and leave them alone if I see them.

[vanda]

They won't harm the plant, if you are sure they are spiders and not mites!! (Spider mites look like tiny spiders, thus the name). Probably there was a spider egg sack in the roots of your orchid that hatched out.

[The Chosen One]

Yeah, fairly certain that we are dealing with a few spiders and not mites. If I see a mite that big I'm leaving planet Earth.