Question
I seem to have a lot of spiders in my flower garden, webs everywhere....my question is, are they harmful to the plants since they are all webbed up or are they beneficial in eating aphids etc.......thanks, Jan

Answer
Dear Jan:

The generic answer to your question is: "spiders in most cases are useful for controlling aphids and other unwanted pests in your garden."  However, if you have an infestation of spiders, I can understand your concern and would carefully examine the situation and decide if increased control measures should be taken.  Listed below is a link to a paper written by the Agriculture Extension Service at Texas A&M University that will provide you some basic background on spiders:

  http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/bulletins/l-1787.html

Happy gardening.

Regards,

Mack Jean
AllExperts
Master Gardener
Tennessee