Beneficial Organisms in Your Backyard Garden

Thursday, June 4, 2020

It is of the human condition to think negatively about insects, but this week let’s “flip the script” and highlight the beneficial organisms in your backyard garden. These are the organisms, both micro and macro that are contributing to your garden through numerous biological processes.

To start, one of the most hated (or maybe feared) beneficial organisms in your backyard garden is the spider. Spiders are essential to the Earth’s ecosystems and all of the spiders in Elmore County are predatory on insects and or mites. Spiders are non-selective predators and have several life strategies for hunting and web-building. Common spiders you may see around your backyard include: crab spiders, funnel-web weaver spiders, trapdoor spiders, wolf spiders, jumping spiders, ground spiders, cellar spiders and orb-weaver spiders. These are all non-poisonous and considered very beneficial to your backyard garden. Under the eaves of your siding, basements or backyard sheds may house black widow spiders, they are poisonous to humans but if they are left alone, they are not prone to biting.

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