You might have encountered large spiders with black and yellow markings in your yard. For most people, this can mean suspension of their outdoor evening relaxation for the fear of being attacked. This brings us to a question, are garden spiders poisonous?
No, garden spiders aren’t considered poisonous, but venomous. They bite and release venom that immobilize their prey. Garden spiders can bite humans when threatened or disturbed without causing serious health complications.
What do garden spiders eat?
Many types of spiders nest in the yard and you will spot them in the grass, on the tree branches and twigs or on the walls. The black and yellow garden spiders are carnivorous and they feed on various insects such as grasshoppers, mosquitoes, flies, wasps, aphids and bees.
In most cases, arachnids are helpful in controlling insect population in the garden but they can be a nuisance around your home. Dreaded species like wolf spiders, Brown Recluse spiders, Yellow spiders and the Black Widow spider can make it very uncomfortable to enjoy outdoor moments.
Are Garden Spiders Poisonous?
Garden spiders are not considered poisonous, but they possess venom that help them to immobilize their prey. Although they can bite humans or pets when disturbed or threatened, their venom is not strong enough to cause serious health complications.
Black and yellow garden spider bite usually result to a mild swelling, redness and discomfort around the bite site. Without anything done, this discomfort last a few days. If bitten by a spider, you are advised to wash the wound with soapy water. Although rare, bites that lead to severe symptoms should be treated at a nearby heath facility.
It is possible to coexist peacefully with garden spiders in your yard as long as you are not provoking them. These spiders are usually not aggressive to humans and will even run and hide at the sight of people. When gardening, working gloves and long sleeved shirts and pants can prevent spider bites.
What do Garden Spiders Look Like?
Garden spiders are usually large in size with striking yellow and black marking on their body. Few species have white or orange markings. These spiders usually spin their webs in sunny places outside where there are flying insects. These orb-weaver spider hardly get indoors unless they are accidentally carried there.
Plant branches or twigs usually help garden spiders to anchor their web which can go up to two feet wide. Yellow garden spiders usually relax in their webs head-down waiting for an insect to be trapped in its silk web. It will them bite its prey to inject some venom that will paralyze it before enjoying the feast.
During the reproduction season, female garden spiders will create large egg sacs that looks like brownish or yellow wrinkled paper pouch. The sac will be secured in their web and somehow hidden from the view under leaves. Once hatched from the eggs, the spiderlings will remain in the porch through winter until warm spring.
As a way of protecting the eggs or young ones, a female black and yellow spider can bite you or any animal trying to get nearby the nest. The best thing to do about garden spiders is to leave them alone. But if there is a concern of them getting in your home you can contact nearby pest control agencies for an appropriate solution.
How to Get Rid of Spiders Outside
Spiders can easily get inside you house during winter to seek for warmth. Usually, they find their way in through cracks or small openings around windows and doors. Controlling the population of spiders outside can help in preventing them from infesting your home.
Before you call a pest control agency, I have a number of ways that can help in cutting down the population of spiders in your yard.
1. Clean up your yard
Spiders and other bugs prefer unkempt areas in the yard. You will find them in tall grasses, on overgrown tree branches or shrubs. Unkempt areas will also attract a great number of flying insects like mosquitoes, gnats and grasshoppers which are not only a nuisance but also attractive to arachnids.
Cleaning up your yard should involve trimming your overgrown landscape vegetation, removal of standing water in the yard and disposal of debris such as open cans, old tires, twigs and leaves. This will also go along way keeping away deadly mosquitoes out of your yard.
2. Use natural repellent spray
Essential oils are good at repelling arachnids. You can make your spray out of the oils to use outdoors for repelling garden spiders. One advantage of this methods is its friendliness to the environment. Citronella, peppermint or tea tree oil have strong scents hated by arachnids.
Mix few drops of your essential oil with water in a spray bottle and spray around the targeted area. Do it periodically and all the spiders, grasshoppers, flies and even mosquitoes will disappear from your yard.
3. Keep away pet food leftovers
Although spiders will not be much interested in food leftovers, they will come around your home as a result of other insects which serve as delicacy to them. Uncovered trash cans and pet food remains will attract a good population of roaches, flies and antis among other.
4. Contact pest control professionals
Pest control professionals will safely remove spider webs, capture the spiders and remove anything else that attract arachnids in your yard. Large infestation may necessitate a chemical control but is always not a good idea since it also affect non-target insects that are beneficial in nature.
Final Though
Black and yellow garden spiders are usually not dangerous to humans and pets. Their venom bite helps them paralyze their prey. In rare occasions, garden spiders will bite humans for self-defense or protection of their young ones.