Succulents make excellent houseplants for beginner and experienced plant owners alike. Their hardiness and low-maintenance personality make them a safe bet, while their unique shapes and colors make them incredibly attractive. However, succulents can accumulate pests due to their unique and hardy foliage. But, do succulents attract spiders?
While succulents themselves do not attract spiders or other pests, their foliage offers great advantages and a safe space for bugs and spiders to hide.
Spiders love succulents because these plants offer them protection from predators, water from their leaves, and a great place for them to nest. Many spiders will build nests and webs within the lower leaves of a succulent. But do not worry; read on to learn which succulents spiders like the most, how to protect your succulents from a spider visitor, and what to do about spider mites.
Which succulents attract spiders
Succulents do not attract spiders on their own. Spiders look for safe places to live and lay their eggs. Succulents offer all this and more thanks to their unique shapes and rigid leaves. Spiders love to nest under the thick leaves and drink water that collects between them. Succulents that have lots of leaves that are close together and those that are tall offer lots of points for spiders to spin their webs.
Are spiders good for succulents?
Spiders do not cause any damage to succulents and are generally harmless. They are drawn to succulents as the succulent offers great protection from the outside elements, easy access to water, and many anchor points for the spiders to weave their webs.
On the other hand, Spider mites are almost certainly a death sentence for succulents. While they are not spiders, they are a part of the arachnid family. You can tell a spider mite by tiny, intricate webs on your plants. Spider mites are incredibly tiny insects in either brown, yellow, or red and can be found near white spots under leaves of succulents.
Do spiders hurt succulents?
Spiders making homes in your succulents can be cause for concern. Most humans do not like spiders, and knowing that they are living in such close quarters with them can make anyone feel jumpy. But, what about your plants? Do spiders hurt succulents?
One or two little spiders enjoying the benefit of shelter from the outside world by living in your succulent will most likely not cause any damage to your succulent. They will hang out and drink some water from the plant but will often make a nest.
The issue is more when the spider has laid eggs and the eggs hatch. Your succulent can become overrun by spiders, and they may face the consequences. Many spiders drinking your plant’s water can cause your plant to dry out.
Spider mites eat chlorophyll. This is what gives leaves and plants their green color. This is also where the process of photosynthesis takes place. Photosynthesis is the process in which the plant turns the sun’s energy into sugar for energy within the plant. If you have an infestation of spider mites, they can eat at our succulent and cause it to rot or die off.
Do spiders lay eggs in succulent plants
Yes, spiders do lay eggs in succulent plants if they have decided to nest there. Unfortunately, you cannot see these spider eggs with a naked eye, mainly if they have laid their eggs within the soil. Once the eggs hatch, you will have a massive problem with hundreds of baby spiders. It is important to deal with spiders at first sight, to avoid having a larger infestation later on.
Change your soil frequently, especially if the plant has been outdoors or if other plants around it have had a spider infestation. If you notice spiders or spider mites, treat your plant with an alcohol solution and repot in fresh soil. Move your plant away from other plants to avoid infesting the plants.
Do cacti attract spiders
Cacti provide a great place for spiders to live and weave their webs. With lots of attachment points, pointy cacti are commonly found with spider webs strewn around them. Since cacti are rigid and do not move much if at all, they provide stable bases for spiders to make their homes.
Spiders are not generally bad for cacti on their own. The problem comes when they lay eggs in the soil and the eggs hatch. You could then have a spider infestation in your home, which is less than ideal for most people.
How do I get rid of spiders on my succulents
Spiders on your succulents do not pose too much of a threat to your plants. Other than being a fear of many people, spiders are generally harmless. If you notice a spider or two on your succulents, you can remove them and take them outside. If you notice an infestation, you can wash your plants well with running water. You can also use an alcohol and water solution or a more aggressive pesticide if the earlier does not work.
Are succulents susceptible to spider mites
Spider mites love succulents thanks to their abundance of chlorophyll. Since this green natural compound is something that spider mites feast on, succulents are a great food option for spider mites. Once you have a few, it can quickly turn into an infestation.
Sadly, these mites are hard to see with the naked eye. Meaning, that by the time you know you have a problem, a large amount of damage has been done to your succulent.
Chlorophyll is where the plant completes the process of turning sunlight into energy to be stored and used by the plant to grow and repair itself. If enough damage has been done, a plant will be unable to do so, and it will most likely die.
How do I know if my succulents have spider mites
You will know if your plant has spider mites if your plant begins to look sad, droopy, yellow, or bitten. To check for spider mites, look under leaves, as this is where these incredibly tiny insects like to hide.
You have spider mites if you notice small red, brown, or yellow bugs. It is important to check weekly to avoid having damage done by spider mites. Spider mites eat chlorophyll by puncturing the cell wall and sucking out the juice. In turn, this kills your plant and drains the chlorophyll from it.
The plant is left with small white patches when the spider mites eat the chlorophyll. You should treat your plants if you notice patches but do not see spider mites.
To get rid of spider mites is a big job. Removing all the spider mites is difficult as they are incredibly small. You can flush the entire plant with water or spray it down well with an alcohol solution. Repot your plant with fresh soil and keep it away from other plants to prevent spider mites from infesting another plant. You can also buy organic or inorganic pesticides to help rid of spider mites.
In Summary
Succulents are unique and interesting plants. Thanks to their interesting shapes and rigid leaves, they are a beacon to spiders and other insects looking for a place to call home.
Spiders love to nest in succulents because their rigid leaves provide great shelter, help hold water for the spiders to drink, and provide many anchor points for spiders to weave webs.
Spiders are generally harmless when it comes to your succulents; however, many humans are fearful of spiders and prefer them not to be nesting in their homes. To get rid of spiders, you can wash your plant under running water or use an alcohol spray or an insecticide.
Spider mites are not technically spiders but are a big menace to plants. These mites will eat the chlorophyll out of plant cells and slowly drain the plant of its ability to perform photosynthesis, effectively starving the plant until it dies. Spider mites are incredibly tiny insects and are often not seen until it is too late.
Check under your leaves for small red, brown, or yellow bugs. You can also check your leaves for small white spots. These spots are caused when the spider mites eat the chlorophyll out of the plant cells. To get rid of spider mites is a challenging task.
This is why prevention is key. Always isolate new plants for a few weeks to ensure that the plant does not have any spider mites from the nursery. This will help prevent an infestation of other plants in your home. Spiders and spider mites can easily be avoided or treated if the right steps are taken.
Hi there, my name is Allie and welcome to my blog; GareningWithAllie!
Much of what you see written here is just our personal experiences with gardening. Along with the content I write here, there is also a unique collection of gardening topics covered by some of our close friends. I hope you find everything you read here to be helpful, informative, and something that can make your gardening journey the most lovely experience ever! With that said, Happy Gardening!