Do Spiders Live in Cactus?
WouterCactus plants are ideal for indoor and outdoor growing, but they can be subjected to occasional insect pests. These include fungus gnats, scale, and mealy bugs. Spider mites are also a threat to cactus, but their presence is not always noticeable.
In fact, spider mites are commonly found inside homes. These mites are tiny arachnids that look like dust to the naked eye. They feed on plant tissue by piercing the leaves and sucking the sap/juices. They can cause plants to wilt, wither, and die. They can also spread to other plants.
In addition to being harmful to cactus, spider mites can be a nuisance, especially when they invade your garden. They are known for causing small brown spots on young growth. They also cause webbing between the leaves.
If you have spider mites on your cactus, you will want to treat them to prevent the infestation from spreading. Using an insecticide can help, but you might want to consider biological controls, such as ladybugs.
A number of common myths about spiders and cactus have circulated in the past. In particular, the “Spider in the Cactus” story originated in Scandinavia and the UK during the 1970s. However, this urban legend has now spread across the world.
If you are a cactus owner, you might have experienced this myth firsthand. After bringing a cactus into the house, you may wake up to find hundreds of tarantulas crawling on your face. Unlike the swarms of baby tarantulas in the spider in the cactus myth, tarantulas rarely burrow into a plant.
