Some of you just read that title and shuddered a little bit. If you are afraid of little critters, spiders are probably at the top of your fear list. Bugs don’t really bother me. I am officially the person who has to rid the house of unwanted critters. Fortunately, Abby does a good job as backup when I’m not there. It is a good thing I’m not afraid of bugs, because as I sat out in my garden enjoying a little shade on a hot afternoon, I looked down at my notebook and saw the photo above.

I managed to snap a picture, but it wasn’t easy. This little guy is a Twin-Flagged Jumping Spider and he lived up to his name jumping and zipping across the pages of my notebook. He hung around long enough for he and I to have a little chat, for me to snap a few pictures and then watch him jump off into other adventures in the world.

But my spider encounters were not over. About fifteen minutes later, I look down at my sleeve and I see this:

This guy is possibly a Magnolia Green Jumper (apparently my yard is filled with jumping spiders. That seems like the start of a horror movie . . .). And he similarly obliged me with a picture. As these two little spiders scurried quickly in and quickly out of my space, it reminded me how important it is to take care of the good bugs in our yards, too. We may need to spray occasionally to treat bad bugs, but the more cautious we are, the better the ecosystem of our gardens will be. Our Teaching Thursday on Good Bugs highlights some of the common beneficial insects in Florida. Many bugs, like spiders, aren’t all bad. Sure, there are some that are pests like aphids, mealybugs, and mosquitos. But the beneficial insects, including spiders, help to keep the bad-bug populations down.

So, the next time you are out in the garden, look for some of the good bugs and thank them for helping to keep your garden happy.