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Spiders, Spiders everywhere (long)
We purchased out house last summer at the very end of July, so I don't have any gardening experience or really yard experience.
What I do know is that we have spiders EVERYWHERE. We have 2 large trees that shade the majority of our backyard, including patio and much of our roof. We also have a lot of stray cats. My logic (although I don't know if this is accurate) is that the cats have been eating the birds, so there are no birds to eat the spiders.
I am not -very- afraid of spiders, but it is a pain in the ass that I will sweep my patio furniture and in (no exaggeration) less than an hour, it is covered in cob webs again. Plus, they are all over my charcoal grill, in the house, just.. everywhere. Even in the dead of winter when the high is 5 degrees outside, I usually kill 1 spider a day. These aren't daddy long legs, these are like small, nickel size spiders with short legs.
Last fall I purchased 6 hedge balls (spiderballs, osage balls, monkey balls [hehe] apple..etc) and placed them around my house. I think they actually worked for a couple of months. I am thinking of doing it again this year.
Ok.. enough background. Will spiders kill my plants? What plants will attract birds/kill spiders? Do you have this issue?
Re: Spiders, Spiders everywhere (long)
Spiders will not hurt your plants. In fact, spider webs will catch some of the insects that will feed on your plants.
I wouldn't attract birds to my yard if it's full of stray cats (because you're correct; they will kill the birds). Can you call Animal Control in your area and have them trapped and removed before you plant bird-friendly things?
I had a spider-infested house once, so I know how frustrating it is. I just kept killing them until they were gone.