The Garden Community for Garden Lovers

Getting rid of Spiders

United Kingdom

I have a patch of garden which is just made of pebbles which harbours so many spiders that when the sun shines the pebbles look alive. How can I get rid of the spiders?




Answers

 

Maybe if you find out what is attracting the spiders and get rid of whatever that is, the spiders will move on. Are there a lot of insects in the pepples or ants? I would treat the source rather than the spiders.
You could also just try hoseing the pepples down everyday. The spiders may get tired of being washed out and move somewhere else.

14 Mar, 2009

 

Thanks for replying. There are just spiders - and lots of them. Would flies attract spiders - or even vice versa. I haven't a clue on gardening but there are two large shrubs which when I moved in last Summer seemed to be attracting lots of flies - I don't even know what the shrubs are and loads of searching the internet havent help identify them either, but there seems to be some kind of fruit on them - purple berries clumped together in a long strip, the flowers were small and pink in long clumbs and a berry seemed to form after a flower dropped off. I'm going to get rid of them as I don't want the flies so close to the house but would like them to come into flower so I can take photos and put them on the site to see if someone can identity them for me.

Its a rented property that I'm in and maybe for only a couple of years so don't want to spend too much on the garden but I want to sit out in the Summer and don't want it to be like going on safari!!!!!

14 Mar, 2009

 

I wouldn't be too keen to get rid of the natural predator in your garden, they will eat all of the aphids and bugs that eat the plants and they will do no harm to the garden whatsoever. If they are really bothering you, then hose the pebbles down, I doubt they will crawl over you and are more scared of you than you are of them! The spiders like the heat given off by the pebbles and the flies are just a source of food. If you get rid of the spiders, you may still have the flies to contend with and your natural predator will be gone.
The plant you are talking about with the purple berries in a long clump sounds like 'Callicarpa Americana'. Copy and paste this into google and click on images and it will show you pictures of the plant. It doesn't say that it attracts flies.

14 Mar, 2009

 

What area of the US are you in? Also what type of fly are you seeing? If this is a standard house type fly then there is some sort of food for it nearby....maybe someone has been dumping their cats box or cleaning up after the dog and dumping it nearby. If this is some sort of fruit type fly the rotted berries falling amongst the stones will attract them which in turn attracts the spiders. There are very few spiders in N Am that are dangerous and those are unlikely to be found in the garden. As members have said they are a natural predator and to get rid of them you need to get rid of the prey!

14 Mar, 2009

 

I'm actually in the UK. They seem to be standard fruit flies so it sounds as if it is the shrub that needs to go as the berries could be causing the problem, although the shrub is dormant at the moment as its Spring here yet the spiders are still there. I will try hosing the down and maybe also getting rid of the pebbles. I know the spiders aren't dangerous but its not a pretty sight. Thanks for your help folks.

15 Mar, 2009

 

http://www.habitas.org.uk/flora/photo.asp?item=4335a

I think I have found the plant - the link above will take you to a photo but it seems to be called Leycesteria Formosa or Himalyan Honeysuckle, does anyone know anything about it. Its supposed to have a homeopathic use apparently but I can't find out what.

15 Mar, 2009

 

I don't know anything about the plant Marketlou but instead of getting rid of the plants could you just pick off the berries before they ripen and throw them out....that way the fermenting fruit won't attract the flies and perhaps the spiders will move on without the flies to feed on.
Try the hosing too....I'm sure that will do an awful lot to get rid of the spiders.

15 Mar, 2009

 

Hmm. Strange! Sorry about that Marketlou, but somehow your handle and avatar show up on my laptop with a US flag. ?? don't know why?? Oh well!

15 Mar, 2009

 

Me too, that is definitely the 'Stars and Stripes', you may want to amend your profile to show you are in the UK otherwise you will continue to get some puzzling answers to your questions!!

15 Mar, 2009

 

I've updated my profile - new to this so I'm having teething problems. I've also managed to find a photo of the shrub that's causing me some problems, its very pretty but does attract flies. On researching the shrub it seems that in New Zealand it is considered a weed.

15 Mar, 2009

How do I say thanks?

Answer question

 


Not found an answer?