UK Gardeners Urged Not To Touch These Cobwebs

Funnel web on grassThough gardeners may be enjoying a bumper strawberry yield this year, backyard bounties such as these rarely go uncontested. Slugs, birds, and more all seem to be out to undo your green-fingered hard work. But what about spiders?Though arachnids generally don’t cause damage to your beautiful Buddleias or lush lettuce leaves, their appearance in your garden can sometimes be a little disconcerting – especially if their webs, usually extra-visible on dewy mornings, span across your lawn like a spindly mattress. But according to Chris Bonnett, garden expert and owner of GardeningExpress.co.uk, you should leave one type of cobweb well alone (though another similar-looking infestation does need to be tackled). Often, it’s the work of grass funnel-web spiders Funnel-style webs are made by spiders which live low down among grass and heather. Their webs form a “large sheet of closely woven silk” which can cover patches of grass and other greenery. In the UK, the species responsible for these webs include the labyrinth spider and the house spider (which, despite its name, can be found in hedges and rabbit burrows as well as our homes). Bonnett told HuffPost UK that the UK’s funnel-web-weaving spiders are “harmless to humans, unlike the Australian species” named funnel-web spiders.He added that we should leave house and labyrinth spiders’ webs alone, as “spiders are fantastic natural pest controllers and will help keep unwanted insects out of your garden”. In fact, the expert explained, their webs help gardeners by providing a helpful trap: “These webs have a distinctive funnel shape where the spider hides and waits for prey. They tend to appear in dense vegetation and won’t harm your lawn.”Don’t confuse snow mould with spider webs Sometimes, a fusarium patch, also called snow mould, causes what the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) calls a “white or pinkish, cottony fungal growth” on grass, which can look a little like tiny cobwebs. Bonnett said they can look quite different, though, with funnel webs often appearing “in grass or hedges, especially early in the morning when dew makes them more visible”.He added: “Snow mould is a fungal disease that creates discoloured, fuzzy white or grey patches across a large area of the lawn. Cobwebs tend to be much more fine and wispy and will be woven in a web-like pattern.” If you suspect snow mould, the RHS recommends improving the airflow of your lawn through processes like scarifying, so your garden dries out faster.Related...UK Gardeners Encouraged To Place Carpet Tile On Their LawnsUK Gardeners Warned To Keep Dogs Away From Part Of Their LawnUK Gardeners Told To Place Sticks In Their Garden This Summer

Comments

Breaking news

What we know about the attack against a group of demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado

Independent

Comments

Similar News

Exact date Spanish scorcher sends UK mercury soaring to 31C as maps turn dark red

The Albanian mafia fuelling Britain's drug-driving epidemic: How Eastern European Narcos are flooding the UK with £4bn of cocaine - and the heartbreaking consequences

We live in the cheapest seaside town in the UK - it's in the middle of nowhere and it rains all the time - but we love it

The Papers: 'UK sends warning to Putin' and 'wish you were beer'

At least one in four children in poverty in two-thirds of UK areas - see full list

Holidaymakers to enjoy quicker flights and fewer delays after major UK airspace change

From submarines to Trident: The UK’s nuclear capability explained

UK twice as likely to have glorious summer of sun this year with soaring temperatures and heatwaves, says Met Office

UK gears up to combat Russian threat - but questions remain about funding for new spending

Keir Starmer to announce huge nuclear submarine expansion as UK told to be ready for war

UK to build up to 12 new attack submarines

UK latest country to back Morocco's plan in disputed Western Sahara

UK set for hotter than usual summer and heatwaves, Met Office predicts

Reform UK Chairman Accused Of 'Fantasy Economics' Over Plan To Cut Public Spending By £400 Billion

Inquiry into UK's role in 1984 Golden Temple massacre 'under consideration'

Surge in parents turning to baby banks as UK’s child poverty crisis laid bare

Beloved Ford hot hatch officially goes off sale in the UK after 23 years and four generations as orders dry up

JoJo Siwa reveals the moment she realised she had feelings for Chris Hughes and hints she may relocate to the UK for him - as he shares steamy bedroom snap

American woman living in the UK shares the one shocking difference nobody warned her about

Where you can spot Northern Lights in the UK tonight

Breaking news

What we know about the attack against a group of demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado

Dozens of Russian warplanes destroyed in Ukrainian drone attack, claims Kyiv

PHOTO COLLECTION: Best of French Open Tennis Fourth Round

Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland's presidential election

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Kyiv’s drones hit Putin’s bombers and cruise missile carriers deep inside Russian territory

What do we know about the suspect and victims of the Boulder ‘terror attack’ that left six people injured?

What to Stream: Nintendo's Switch 2, Addison Rae album, 'Presence' and Ariana Madix returns to Fiji

Russell Grant's horoscopes as Taurus can’t ignore financial issues any longer

Douglas Ross snubs Holyrood summit to attend 'seminar' near the Bahamas

Ex-Scots marine quit Mount Everest climb near summit after passing five dead climbers

Former Scots footie star accused of deliberately getting booked in gambling scam

Nigel Farage set to arrive in Scotland as John Swinney brands Reform leader 'political con man'

Brother of murdered Glasgow taxi boss vows to get justice 23 years on

Nigel Farage hates the very idea of Scotland having its own Parliament

Hamilton and Larkhall voters urged to 'call time' on 20 years of SNP 'failures'

Essex Boys killer Michael Steele released from jail 29 years after notorious gangland execution

Exact date Spanish scorcher sends UK mercury soaring to 31C as maps turn dark red

Today's horoscope for June 2nd as Gemini ups their productivity

Chinook families to launch legal action against MoD

Watch: Eyewitness captures video of Colorado attack scene

U.S. Dependence on China for Rare Earth Magnets Is Causing Shortages

AP PHOTOS: 6 injured in a Colorado attack the FBI is investigating as terrorism

Harvey Weinstein doesn't plan to testify at sex crimes retrial

In Uganda, an affordable alternative to dirt floors is a big boost to human health

AP PHOTOS: Romanian children celebrate International Children’s Day at the Palace of Parliament

FBI names suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman in Colorado ‘terror attack’ that left six injured

Disabled schoolboy 'lost his dignity' after Ryanair staff refused wheelchair on flight

Liz Truss plugs whiskey in bizarre new video with bare-knuckle fighter who attacked OAP

ANDREW NEIL: Starmer is shifting Leftwards to save his own skin. And that means one thing: yet more tax rises are coming our way...

SHANE WATSON: Wear these trousers and you might as well hold a sign saying: 'I'm 60'. Try these anti-ageing chinos instead...

Yes, Monty Python lampooned it and it smells like cheap cat food... but Mrs T loved it and even my son's a fan! No wonder Spam is back on the menu: TOM PARKER BOWLES

Witnesses recount terrifying aftermath of Boulder terror attack as victims' devastating injuries are revealed

Transgender athlete sends defiant message to critics after dominating girls' high school track meet

Colorado terror attack - live: Immigrant suspect 'overstayed visa' before firebombing Israel rally

Last year, at 73, I was so fat I couldn't walk round my kitchen island. But now I've lost three stone and cycle five hours a day - here's how. By TV chef ROSEMARY SHRAGER

Have the baby. Travel alone. Never waste love - and don't forget this one life lesson... the 50 things I've learnt at 50: CLOVER STROUD

INGE VAN LOTRINGEN: I'm a 55-year-old beauty expert, here are my 7 anti-ageing fake tan rules and the £44 James Reed product every woman needs for a streak-free finish

CNN accused of playing down terror attack in Boulder as hosts slam Kash Patel's statement

Trump Aides Insist That Tariffs Will Remain, Even After Court Ruling

Even Fox News isn’t impressed with Musk dodging question over alleged drug use

What do we know about the suspect and victims of the Boulder ‘terror attack’ that left multiple people injured?

Moment Colorado terror suspect is captured by police after attack at pro-Israel event

Zelensky: drone strike on Russian planes was organised next to Russian secret police HQ

Ben Affleck ROASTS longtime BFF Matt Damon over his burly gray beard

Terrifying moment golf star Jordan Spieth nearly strikes a fan at close range after huge blunder

Minister's confusion on funding betrays the disarray at the heart of the MoD, by former British Army colonel PHILIP INGRAM

ANDREW PIERCE: Oh Kemi, you're getting too blue for the Commons

Poland presidential election on a knife-edge as race between liberal pro-EU candidate and right-wing 'hooligan' rival is too close to call after exit polls

Maya Jama looks sensational in a glamorous floral gown as she steps out in Mallorca ahead of new Love Island series

Blake Lively's former director details her behavior during first acting job amid Justin Baldoni legal war

I've fixed thousands of brains and seen proof we have a soul... just look at conjoined twins, even trees

The Albanian mafia fuelling Britain's drug-driving epidemic: How Eastern European Narcos are flooding the UK with £4bn of cocaine - and the heartbreaking consequences

The moment star witness in Diddy trial fell for a classic defense team trap... but everyone missed it: revealed by prosecutor DAVID GELMAN

Debt-ridden wedding firm took nearly £50,000 from couples despite already having gone BUST

Love Island fans emotional after one-off 10 year anniversary special sees Caroline Flack briefly back on screens - but slam ITV for failing to include a tribute to late host

We moved to Australia to work down the mines! British women reveal how they're raking in £4,400 for two weeks of work - and still find time for sunbathing

Wealthy neighbours go to war with £100m tech tycoon over his plans for 'vanity' 7760 sq ft Chelsea mega-basement that'll take two years to build