Spider on Houseplants

Question:

Hello! I have a small black spider who has taken residence on my houseplants. Has a seriously impressive web, about the size of a dinner platter, spanning 3 plants. I don’t mind him, he’s not bothering me, he’s catching flies, etc. It’s all good.

I’m just worried, because 2 of the 3 plants get rotated frequently, and I hate to tear up his webs like that, but if I don’t rotate them, my coffee plant grows almost horizontal. The web is across my coffee plant, a cactus and a Christmas cactus, sharing the same table dancing bones plant and a starting apple tree seedling. Do I need to worry about him damaging my plants? I’m almost assuming he’ll be beneficial, as he’ll eat any pests that might invade my plants, but I figure I should probably ask.

Answer:

That is a busy spider! He certainty will not harm your plants and may help deter any plant pests. It is generally a good idea to rotate your plants so they don’t grow all in one direction. However, that is more about aesthetics than plant health. You will have to decide whether you care more about the spider or about keeping your plants straight. Otherwise, there are no issues here.