Generated: 9 July, 2010, 10:45
Most people reach for a can of bug spray at the sight of a spider, or like Garfield, flatten the spider with one stamp. But spiders are common enough in agricultural fields that they seriously reduce the numbers of insect pests. The financial benefit of spiders to pest control is estimated at over one million dollars per year in New York State alone. Spiders eat insects–they’re not looking for humans to bite. Dangerously venomous spiders are rare in New York State; few of us will ever even see one.