“Everything everyone thinks they know about spiders is false,” With Spider Myths, Rod Crawford debunks common myths.
Myth: Someone bought a cactus at a local plant nursery. Later, it exploded and scattered baby tarantulas everywhere!
Fact: That is an official urban legend, one of the most well-known ones, and it has traveled around the globe multiple times due to the lengthy time it has been spread by word of mouth. Strangely enough, people who tell this tale frequently (and incorrectly) claim that someone they know personally experienced it.
The story’s origin is unknown, however the incident it describes never took place. The egg sacs of hatching tarantulas do not explode, and newborn tarantulas are often relatively harmless. Tarantulas do not inject their eggs into cactus plants.
Are spiders attracted to cacti?
Succulents provide a wide range of lovely gardening opportunities, but they are also a haven for a lot of bugs. There are several things you can do to keep these bugs out, but even so, they will continue to try to return. There’s a good possibility that gnats, flies, and beetles were there if you’ve ever seen a succulent in the wild.
Spiders are drawn to succulents because they provide cover from predators, moisture, and a location to build a nest. Spiders of many different species build webs around the bases of succulent plants since they don’t care about them. Use natural pesticides to treat the problem.
You’ll discover the following information regarding succulents and spiders within this article:
- There are many reasons why spiders may be present in your plants.
- Whether or not spiders hurt succulent plants
- approaches to treating spider infestations
Which spiders are found in the desert?
The desert tarantula, Aphonopelma chalcodes, is an unusual spider that may be found not only in the Sonoran Desert but also in the Mojave and Chihuahuan deserts. They are among the most misunderstood desert dwellers in North America, having been demonized in countless spooky Hollywood productions. These big desert spiders are essentially peaceful, solitary creatures that are mostly harmless when they come into contact with people, despite their fairly intimidating look.
Where do tarantulas tend to live?
Large, long-lived arachnids called tarantulas have grown to be common pets. A tarantula puts its weight on its hind legs and flashes its fangs when it feels threatened. If that doesn’t dissuade a predator, the spider may spray irritating hairs at them using its legs. Small barbed hairs like this can kill small creatures but only slightly irritate humans.
Average adult tarantula length is five inches (13 cm). Their spread-out leg breadth can reach 11 inches (28 centimeters). The Goliath bird-eating spider might be the biggest spider in the world by weight (it weighs more than 6 ounces).
Only the Southwest of the country is home to wild tarantulas. In Mexico, Central America, and South America, they are more prevalent. Tarantula populations can also be found in Australia, Southern Asia, and Africa (with the exception of the Sahara Desert).
The tarantula is a kind of burrower. The majority of people only encounter them when males roam the area hunting for females to mate with.
They are strong bug predators, posing minor risks to people, and some South American species even hunt small mammals and birds. Tarantulas seize their victim and inject it with paralyzing venom when they are ready to eat. The spider then uses its fangs to kill the animal and releases digesting enzymes so they can suck up their meal. Even though tarantula venom can render an insect paralyzed, it is not nearly deadly enough to endanger people.
Tarantula males spin webs to attract females. The female spins the web into a cocoon with her eggs after the men deposit their sperm there. The female might consume the male if he hangs out in the web for too long. The parasitic pepsis wasp, which treats tarantulas cruelly, is one of the few animals that prey on tarantulas. A pregnant wasp would lay her eggs on the body of an unaware tarantula when she comes across one. The wasp larvae consume the tarantula alive after the eggs hatch. Tarantulas in the wild have a 30-year lifespan. Male tarantulas live a far shorter life than female tarantulas do.
Habitat loss or the pet trade have an impact on some animals. There are laws in place to stop tarantula imports into the United States, but there aren’t many that forbid overcollecting them.
Are spiders bad for cacti?
Spider mites harm succulents and cacti alike by draining the juices from the plants. Webbing and tiny brown dots on the new growth of succulent plants are the first indicators that you have spider mites. These small “insects” are more closely linked to spiders than to actual insects. When seen with the naked eye, they resemble dust.
In reality, red spider mites are reddish-brown in color, and they like hot, dry environments. Misting and above watering might lessen their occurrence since they don’t like dampness. The innocuous, much larger red mite, which is a harmless predator mite, should not be mistaken with these red spider mites. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using a miticide to completely get rid of these mites from the plant. Phytoseiulus persimilis is another predator that can be utilized as a biological control. In addition to needing temperatures above 70 F (21 C), this predator finds it challenging to keep a balance between prey and predator.
There are other pests besides spider mites that harm succulent plants. Eriophyid mites are those that feed on aloe and also affect other species including Haworthia and Gasteri. These mites have two pairs of legs as opposed to the four sets of legs found on spider mites.
The poison that this mite injects into the tissue causes galling or other aberrant development as it eats. Aloe succulent mite damage is irreparable in aloe plants, and the plant needs to be thrown out. To avoid contaminating other plants, put sick plants in a garbage bag or burn them. Use a miticide on the plant as directed by the manufacturer if the infestation is not severe. Aloes that can withstand freezing temperatures can be exposed to them to kill the mites.
The two-spotted mite, another type of mite, prefers to eat yucca. This mite appears pink, yellow-green, or red under a microscope, with two dark dots on its body. They lack wings and antennae but have eight legs. Tan or gray stippling of foliage is a surefire marker of the two-spotted mite’s existence.
A fine webbing can once more be observed on the undersides of leaves as the infestation gets worse. The plant will perish if the infestation is bad. Mite population growth can be slowed down by using insecticidal soap and spraying the plant area to maintain a high humidity level. Also helpful will be chemical control using items referred to as acaricides.
Check the succulents periodically so you can take action before the infestation gets out of control if you want to really get a handle on the mites. Use the right amount of water, fertilizer, and sunshine to keep the plants healthy. Remove any succulent sections that are dead or dying, and discard of seriously ill plants right away.
Identifying Features
A female tarantula is larger than a male and has lighter brown or tan hair covering its body (thus it is sometimes called the Arizona Blond Tarantula). The male has reddish hair on its abdomen and is thinner and “lankier,” with black hair covering the majority of its body. Two pedipalps, which are used for touching and moving prey, eight walking legs, and two cephalothorax and abdominal body components make up a tarantula.
Adaptations
The vibrations in the ground that can signal the presence of prey or danger can be felt quite strongly by tarantulas. They have urticating hairs on their belly, which can be released by kicking with the back legs and irritate potential assailants’ eyes and noses.
Habitat
In the desert and grasslands, tarantulas like dry, well-drained soils in open settings. Although some other species live in trees, rocks, caverns, or crops like bananas and pineapples, all tarantulas in North America are ground dwellers.
Range
There are tarantulas everywhere. Many other species are found in Mexico, Central America, and South America to the south of those in North America, which are found in the southern and southwestern states.
Wild Status
Due to habitat loss and overharvesting for the pet trade, some tarantula species are in danger of going extinct. Our native species is widespread and not in danger right now.
Diet
Tarantulas hunt during the night. They mostly eat small spiders, arthropods, grasshoppers, beetles, and other insects, though they will occasionally devour small lizards. They will make an effort to defeat anything that moves within their range and of the appropriate size. Most tarantulas only possess mild venom.
Home
The deep hole that the desert tarantula lives in is coated with silk webbing to keep it from collapsing. As the spider becomes bigger, the hole gets bigger. An odd individual may conceal itself in cracks or logs if adequate soil is not present.
Quick Facts
A sizable spider wasp called the Tarantula Hawk hunts out tarantulas and tries to sting them. The spider becomes paralyzed if the sting is effective. The wasp will then lay an egg on it and burrow a burrow around it to protect it. After emerging from the egg, the wasp grub consumes “fresh meat” in the form of the immobilized spider.
The majority of spiders lack teeth, so they must liquefy their prey using their venom instead of their teeth. The food is subsequently drawn in or “sucked” up using their sucking stomachs.
Where can I find tarantulas?
There is a way to make Tarantulas spawn if you visit a Mystery Island that isn’t covered in them.
You must purge the island of everything. After eating fruit, dig up all the trees, pluck all the flowers, shatter all the rocks, and do anything else that might attract additional insects.
Tarantulas will spawn in this desolate area since it appears to be the perfect home for them to begin emerging. (We appreciate Voxels on Twitter for suggesting this technique.)
Nevertheless, there are some restrictions. The Giant Water Bug, which arrived in April (for those in the Northern Hemisphere), has made it more possible for them to appear on a deserted island than a Tarantula will, as reports indicate that it is a similar form of spawn that cannot be scared away. Although tarantulas can spawn, you might need to first capture the giant water bugs, making an already arduous task even more challenging.
Another caution is that not all Mystery Islands operate in the same manner. There is a three-tiered island kind that doesn’t generate any insects, thus even if you empty it out, no Tarantulas will spawn there:
What happens if you get bitten by a tarantula?
Many people fear tarantulas and scorpions while others find them to be fascinating. These desert nomads are well-known in Hollywood films and YouTube videos. They also play prominent parts in Zuni Native American and Greek legends. Internet mythology has given both tarantulas and scorpions a significant amount of bad press, which has led to inflated and false worries about their threat to people.
There are many different species of tarantula in the arid western states of the US, but they can be found all throughout the country. While scorpions can be found all over the world in warm climes, in the US they are most common in the Southwest desert regions. Arachnids include common spiders, tarantulas, and scorpions. They have segmented bodies rather than an internal skeleton, four pairs of legs, and an external shell. Tarantulas are big, hairy creatures with eight eyes and fangs. Scorpions feature a pair of front pinchers, venom sacs, and a curving barb on their tail (think stinger). Scorpions sting; tarantulas bite.
Tarantulas are occasionally kept as pets, despite the fact that many people are scared of spiders. Tarantulas are relatively safe to handle when handled gently. The spider can bite and spit out a cloud of itchy hairs when it feels threatened. The bites frequently hurt and typically leave fang marks. It is said that the agony throbs and that it might persist for hours. Vomiting, nausea, and fever are uncommon. The symptoms of tarantula bites are typically minimal. Contact with the spider’s hairs poses a bigger threat to one’s health. Numerous inflammatory reactions, including discomfort, redness, itching, and swelling that can continue for weeks, are brought on when hairs come into contact with the skin. The hairs have the potential to irritate the eyes, resulting in discomfort, redness, light sensitivity, and other issues. It has been said that the irritation in the eyes feels like fiberglass particles are in the eyes. Long-lasting hair impingement in the eye is possible.
There is no cure for tarantula bites, although the discomfort can be controlled with cold packs and over-the-counter painkillers (such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen). All bites need to be thoroughly cleaned with soap and water. Using a sticky tape like duct tape, you can get rid of hairs embedded in the skin. Topical corticosteroids (like hydrocortisone cream) and oral antihistamines can be used to treat inflammatory skin responses (such as diphenhydramine). The skin irritation normally responds well to over-the-counter remedies, although prescription medications like prednisone or other corticosteroids may occasionally be needed. Surgery may be required to remove hairs that have been lodged in the eyes, however occasionally the hairs are too minute to be easily removed. Corticosteroid eye drops can be used to treat inflammatory eye responses.
Scorpions can be found in a wide range of hues, forms, and sizes. During the day, they frequently blend in with their surroundings, but at night, they sparkle. Depending on the type of scorpion involved, the toxicity of a sting varies. In some parts of the world, scorpion stings can be extremely toxic. Thankfully, the majority of scorpions found in the US are considerably less deadly, but they are still capable of giving unpleasant stings. The pain starts right away and is frequently characterized as stinging or burning, however occasionally a tingling or numb feeling also occurs. Redness, swelling, and a scab are further potential side effects at the sting site. The Centruroides exilicauda, also known as the bark scorpion or Centruroides sculpturatus, is the most hazardous species to be found in the US. Although it can also be found in some locations in California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah, this species is most common in Arizona. The bark scorpion can occasionally produce abnormal muscle activity, such as muscle twitching, strange eye motions, slurred speech, or difficulties eating and breathing, in addition to giving a painful sting. It is possible to have agitation, hypertension, and variations in heart rate. These effects typically occur fast, can get worse over a short period of time, and can linger for a number of hours. Only very young children typically experience serious poisoning. Since roughly 50 years ago, there hasn’t been a single death in the US from a scorpion sting.
All scorpion stings require cleaning the area with soap and water as part of the treatment. You should never apply a tourniquet. Over-the-counter painkillers can typically be used to treat scorpion stings at home. Even if it is a bark scorpion, you should manage a scorpion sting at first at home. However, call Poison Control for assistance. Pain that is difficult to treat at home or that worsens or has effects on the entire body should be treated in an emergency department because it may require the use of prescription painkillers, muscle relaxants, or other drugs. In the US, antivenom is available to treat severe envenomation from Centruroides species, although it can have potentially fatal adverse effects, is highly expensive, and is not commonly kept by hospitals.
Wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water and then consult the webPOISONCONTROL online tool for advice or dial Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 if you believe someone has been bitten by a tarantula or stung by a scorpion.