Do spiders eat pepper plants?

[Kalak]

My pepper plants are now about 14 inches high and don't have actual peppers yet. Some got hit by slugs but others were very healthy-looking. But for the past few days the healthy ones have developed holes on the leaves. I was thinking slugs, but I've been noticing there have been the odd spider on them. Not the kind of spider you see in the house -- tiny body and very long legs. Wonder if they are the culprits. Sorry -- no pictures -- need a new camera.

[rainbowgardener]

Do you mean the daddy long legs spider:


https://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/image ... ture_5.JPG


Like most spiders, they are completely harmless and beneficial in the garden. They cannot eat your pepper plants. They have a very broad diet that includes spiders and insects, including plant pests such as aphids. Daddy-longlegs also scavenge for dead insects and will eat bird droppings.

If your pepper plants are looking like this:


https://www.greenhousesensation.co.uk/m ... aeb624.jpg

that is your slugs. If nothing is done about them, the damage will keep progressing until the leaves look lacy as they eat all the tender leaf tissue and leave the tough veins behind.

[Kalak]

Do you mean the daddy long legs spider:


https://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/image ... ture_5.JPG


Like most spiders, they are completely harmless and beneficial in the garden. They cannot eat your pepper plants. They have a very broad diet that includes spiders and insects, including plant pests such as aphids. Daddy-longlegs also scavenge for dead insects and will eat bird droppings.

If your pepper plants are looking like this:


https://www.greenhousesensation.co.uk/m ... aeb624.jpg

that is your slugs. If nothing is done about them, the damage will keep progressing until the leaves look lacy as they eat all the tender leaf tissue and leave the tough veins behind.

Yes -- that's them. Must be the slugs then. Thank you so much. Trying everything to stop the slugs, but not working so far.

[rainbowgardener]

Type slugs or slug control into the search box at top left and you will find tons written here about them. They are a common garden pest. I use diatomaceous earth to control them. Works pretty well, except has to be re-applied after the rain. This summer we've had nothing but rain, so I gave up on the DE. There's lots of other slug control methods out there, that the search will show you.

[HoneyBerry]

There happens to be a very large house spider stuck in my sink. So I asked him/her if he/she likes pepper plants and his/her reply was: NO
Straight talk directly from the critter itself.

Very large house spider

[MichaelC]

Yes -- that's them. Must be the slugs then. Thank you so much. Trying everything to stop the slugs, but not working so far.

I've had great luck with Sluggo, as well as Sluggo Plus , which also kills pests like sow bugs and earwigs. Sluggo Plus is rather expensive, but regular Sluggo is pretty reasonable.

Any and all spiders that show up in my house are promptly shown the way to the veggie garden!

[applestar]

That looks more like a Wolf Spider @BirdLover -- it prefers to hunt for meat to eating vegetables

[HoneyBerry]

The ID of that drain is 3-1/8". That spider is big. It looks bigger in real life that ihow it looks n the photo. I escorted it outside.

[applestar]

Haha you got me curious and I had to go look it up --

So, is it this "Giant House Spider" then? I don't think we have that around here. ... 4" ...

https://www.spiders.us/species/filter/washington/

Male Adult Male
Male Eratigena atrica spider
Female Adult Female
Female Eratigena atrica spider
Eratigena atrica
(Giant House Spider)

Summary
The leg span of this large funnel weaver can reach 4 inches or more! Native to Europe, the “Giant House Spider” is now well-established in the Pacific Northwest. The webs can be found in dark corners of rooms, garages, sheds, under rocks and logs, etc. May be mistaken for a Hobo Spider on occasion.

...I think it's the "Cellar Spider" on that page or something like it that I call a "House Spider"

[HoneyBerry]

I'm pretty sure it's a Giant House Spider. I hope there aren't any more of them inside my house. I suppose they are trying to get revenge because I disturbed them when I cleaned the dead needles out of my arborvitaes. The spiders love those trees.