How to kill grass spiders

How to kill grass spiders

Maybe you shouldn’t kill grass spiders in your lawn. Well, just like the itsy bitsy spider from the children’s rhymes, these spiders do not pose any threat to you. They feed on other insects and rarely bite humans.

Even though the grass spider webs bother you, surely a few do not count. However, if you spot a whole army of the grass spiders in your lawn, then it should cause an alarm.

How soon do you want them eliminated? This article will assist you in resolving on a suitable way to kill grass spiders infestation.

Identifying Grass Spiders

Grass spiders are Arachnids, belonging to the family of Agelenidae. A mature grass spider grows to a length of 1 inch. However, female ones are usually bigger measuring 10-20mm while the males measure 9-18mm.

Grass spiders are brown with a darker abdomen and a yellowish-brown hard top shell with two longitudinal stripes. With their extended spinnerets that look like a tail, the grass spiders spin funnel-shaped webs for capturing their prey. The webs hang low, close to the ground for quick access to their victims.

The very swift grass spider will feel the motion of an insect wandering on the web and flash to restrain its prey. In case of any danger, the grass spider will escape with the same high speed it uses to capture its meal.

Did you know, after mating, the male grass spiders die and the female also die after laying their egg sacs?

https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?identification=Grass-Spider#:~:text=Often%20mistaken%20for%20Wolf%20Spiders,to%20tell%20these%20arachnids%20apart.

Are Grass Spiders Poisonous?

Spiders are a fright to many people and for the right causes. There are incredibly poisonous and dangerous spiders not to mention big. But, the grass spiders are a shy lot and will hide when you get too close. Instead of running to subdue the wandering gardener, they rush to kill the insects in the lawn.

Just like all spiders, grass spiders are venomous as well. But the toxins are for their insect preys and not in any way harmful to humans. With their small fangs, they inject the venom into their trapped victims which causes paralysis to the insects.

The small fangs cannot puncture through human skin, hence stinging a human is very rare. However, for babies and those with delicate, thin skin, the bite might occur, but it’s not fatal. Nevertheless, keep your children away from grassy areas where grass spiders live.

Generally, slight danger, if any is present to humans.

Should You Get Rid Of Them?

Whether you should or should not get rid of grass spiders is a question with a mixed response. Most gardeners will agree that they are beneficial, but others can’t stand the sight of the sparkling webs in the morning. So how are they useful, you ask?

Before killing the grass spiders on your lawn, think through carefully. Well, as observed earlier, grass spiders feed on insects and are not harmful to humans in any way. In the real sense, these insects are pests harmful to your lawn. So if the spiders feed on them, then it’s quite a plus on your side. Grass spiders are predators for the insects that feed on plants. They are a natural way to control pests, unlike the chemicals and other harmful methods to your lawn.

Conversely, if the number is high, it does not only get creepy, but you also need to kill the grass spiders as they make the lawn look messy. However, you need to know what attracts the grass spiders to control them. Well, easy-peasy! Grass spiders follow or hunt for insects, so if your garden is full of pests and insects then rest assured a whole fleet of grass spiders dwells within as well.

Moreover, during the fall, grass spiders abandon their habitats and make their way indoors. The move is temporary until the temperatures outside are favourable again. When they do get inside your home, they will build their webs in dark places and corners. Let’s face it; nobody likes the sight of webs in their home. The reason is that the house looks unkempt, and these webs tend to collect dust and debris.

How to Get Rid Of Grass Spiders

As the proverbial saying goes ‘prevention is better than cure’. Inhibit the grass spiders from becoming an infestation on your lawn and probably even end up inside your home. As beneficial and harmless as they are, too much of something is always toxic, you know!

Killing grass spiders is not as complicated, but it does need your attention to be effective. There are two major ways of managing the grass spiders, such as;

Natural Control Means of Grass Spider

The term natural means, not chemicals used whatsoever. These are just the typical maintenance routines that will avert any grass spider infestation from thriving in your lawn.

  1. Tall grasses and bushes make the perfect habitat for grass spiders. Normalize mowing your lawn frequently not to give room for grass spiders building their webs.
  2. Always clean up food and beverages remains. While these will not attract grass spiders, they will attract ants that are food for grass spiders. If you love having barbeques outside during summer, make sure you clean up after each event.
  3. Clean your dirty utensils after each meal. This way, no insects and bugs will be present hence discouraging the grass spiders from entering your home.
  4. Remove brush piles and webs.
  5. Brush piles are a perfect spot for grass spiders to camp. Burn or dump the brush piles from your home or yard. Also, remove any webs you see. Destroying their homes will render them homeless hence vacate. Use a broom or pressure washer in the hard-to-reach areas.
  6. Use diatomaceous earth to kill grass spiders. It is a natural substance from the remains of aquatic life. It is not poisonous but repels and dangerous to insects and arachnids.
  7. Also, you can use natural essential oils like chestnuts and peppermint to ward off spiders from your home.

Chemical Control of Grass Spiders

Pesticides are the chemical methods of killing grass spiders. However, most of them are non-selective hence end up killing even the useful insects (pollinators). Again, they can also pose a threat to humans and pets around. That is why; pesticides should be your last resort in deciding on how to eradicate grass spiders.

Bifen LP Granules and EcoSmart Insect Killer or those with pyrethrin, diazinon, allethrin or resmethrin as active ingredients are the best in killing grass and lawn spiders in general. Read on.

Lastly, opt for a pest control team to do the job for you. Although the DIY strategies are as effective, the variance between the two is reliant on the skills. Pest control teams have skills and equipment for different pests’ extermination services.

They handle the job professionally, from accessing and inspection of the infested area, to the treatment process. Moreover, an expert takes the job after deciding on the best method of action. Though expensive, pest control services are the best in what they do. Search for their contacts in your local listings for a favourable quotation.

Parting Shot

Spiders are scary and harmful, well most of them, but grass spider are not. On the contrary, grass spiders are useful to gardeners in pests control tasks. However, coming across a grass spider infestation is not a satisfying experience.

This leads to gardeners wanting to take responsibility for their environment at large. But, to achieve killing grass spiders, get to the root source of their existence. Generally, a clean and well-maintained environment will have no grass spiders to live around.