Daddy Long Legs Spider Fact Sheet
Type: Spiders
Key Facts: Daddy Long Legs Spiders
- ‘Daddy long legs’ includes several spider species, including the cellar spider, skull spider, and vibrating spider.
- Their bodies tend to be ¼” to ⅜” long, with legs up to 2 inches long.
- These spiders like to live in dark, damp areas, like basements, cellars, garages, and crawl spaces.
- Some daddy long leg spiders are venomous, but not dangerous since they rarely bite.
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What You Need to Know About Daddy Long Legs Spiders in the Southeast U.S.
Living in the Southeast U.S. means dealing with warm, humid weather for much of the year. These conditions create the perfect environment for daddy long leg spiders to thrive inside and outside your home.
How Worried Should You Be About Daddy Long Legs Spiders (on a 1-10 Scale)?
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About a 2 out of 10. Daddy long leg spiders are one of the least dangerous spiders you could encounter. Here’s the truth about them:
- Daddy long leg spiders do have venom, but it’s relatively weak.
- Their fangs can penetrate human skin, though they rarely bite.
- Their venom has never been shown to cause significant harm to humans.
- There are no documented cases of serious medical problems from their bites.
Even though daddy long legs spiders aren’t dangerous, there are legitimate reasons why homeowners want them removed:
- Unsightly Webs: These spiders create messy, irregular webs that accumulate dust and make your home look unkempt.
- Large Populations: One or two spiders are manageable, but infestations can mean dozens of spiders and webs throughout your home.
- General Discomfort: Many people simply don’t like sharing their living space with spiders, regardless of how harmless they are.
- Sign of Other Pest Problems: A large number of daddy long legs spiders usually indicates you have other insects they’re feeding on.
- Professional Appearance: For business owners, spider webs can give customers a negative impression.
How to Identify Daddy Long Legs Spiders
Here’s how to tell if you’re dealing with daddy long leg spiders:
Body:
- Small, oval-shaped body (about the size of a pea)
- Pale yellow, light brown, or grayish color
- Two distinct body segments (cephalothorax and abdomen)
- May have a darker marking on the back
Legs:
- Eight extremely long, thin legs
- Legs can be 5-6 times longer than the body
- Legs have a slightly darker color at the joints
- Very flexible and bendy
Eyes:
- Eight eyes arranged in two groups of three, with two eyes in the middle
- Eyes clustered together on a raised area
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How to Get Rid of Daddy Long Leg Spiders
If daddy long leg spiders have become a nuisance in your home, there are several approaches to elimination:- DIY Methods: For small numbers of spiders, you can try handling the problem yourself with a few different strategies. Physical removal is often the first step, which involves using a vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment to remove spiders and their webs. You can also wipe down areas with a damp cloth to remove egg sacs, and use a broom or duster for hard-to-reach corners near the ceiling.
- Professional Intervention: Professional spider control treatments offer advantages that DIY methods simply can’t match. Trained technicians conduct thorough inspections to identify all spider hotspots and entry points in your home. They can accurately identify spider species to ensure proper treatment methods are used.
Can You Prevent Daddy Long Legs Spiders?
Yes! And here’s how to make your home less attractive to daddy long leg spiders:
- Seal entry points with caulk or door sweeps.
- Reduce outdoor habitats by clearing debris, moving firewood, and trimming bushes.
- Switch to yellow or sodium vapor lights outside (they attract fewer insects).
- Control moisture by using dehumidifiers, fixing plumbing issues, and using exhaust fans.
- Clean regularly by dusting, vacuuming, decluttering, and removing webs.
- Address other pest problems that serve as food sources for spiders.
Call Rocket Pest Control for Daddy Long Legs Spider Control You Can Trust
At Rocket Pest Control, we understand that finding spiders in your home (even harmless ones like daddy long longs) can be stressful. That’s why we’ve developed a comprehensive spider control process designed to eliminate current infestations and prevent future ones.
Get started with a free service quote today! Contact us to find out how we can help you say goodbye to unwanted eight-legged guests.
Daddy Long Legs Spider FAQs
Why do I have so many daddy long legs spiders in my house?
Large numbers of daddy long legs spiders usually indicate two things: you have conditions they like (moisture, warmth, dark spaces) and you have plenty of insects for them to eat.
Do daddy long legs spiders bite?
Daddy long legs spiders can bite, but they very rarely do. They are not aggressive toward humans and will usually try to escape rather than bite.
Why do daddy long legs spiders vibrate?
When a daddy long legs spider feels threatened, it will rapidly vibrate or shake its body while hanging in its web. This behavior is called “whirling” and it makes the spider appear as a blur, which can confuse predators and make it harder to see or catch.
How long do daddy long legs spiders live?
Daddy long legs spiders have a relatively long lifespan for spiders, living approximately 2-3 years under good conditions. Females live longer than males.
Do daddy long legs spiders eat other spiders?
Yes! Daddy long legs spiders are known to prey on other spiders, including larger and more dangerous species like black widows and brown recluses.
What attracts daddy long legs spiders to my home?
Daddy long legs spiders are attracted to moisture, warmth, darkness, and food sources (insects).
