What To Do If You See A Cluster Of Daddy Long Leg Spiders Around Your Home Or Yard

Daddy long legs spiders, also known as harvestmen or shepherd spiders, are members of the Opiliones family. Biologists will tell you they are arachnids, but not true spiders. The important thing from our point of view is that they are completely harmless to humans. They don't have fangs, and they don't produce venom, so if you see a cluster of daddy long legs in the yard, they can be left alone without issue. If you've got them in the house and you think they're a nuisance, try gently sweeping them up. Don't vacuum, as it will probably kill them.

Harvestmen are sometimes confused with cellar spiders, and some people use the term daddy long legs for both. The bad news is that cellar spiders do produce venom and can bite. Fortunately, the worst you should experience is a small sting, which is termed "medically insignificant." There's an easy way to tell them apart, although you might need to be quite close to see. A harvestman's body is a single, rounded lump. A cellar spider's body, like all real spiders, is divided into two distinct parts.

Regularly finding spiders (or arachnids) in your home could be a sign of a bigger problem. Daddy long legs like to gather in areas that are dark and moist. Finding them in a basement is common, but if you see a cluster in a kitchen or bathroom, it's worth checking to see if you have a leak.

It's understandable that you won't want to leave dozens of small spiders hanging around the home, but harvestmen are a beneficial spider you probably won't want to kill. They are ambush hunters and will happily pounce on spiders and insects. They will also scavenge dead insects, old rotting plant matter, and insect eggs, so you could argue they help clean the house. Out in the yard, they eat aphids and other pests.

You can clear clusters a few at a time using a clear glass or plastic cup and a piece of card to gently guide them inside. Hold it over the top and take them out in the garden. Given their small size, it's virtually impossible to stop one or two daddy long legs from coming indoors occasionally, but it's easy to avoid the common mistakes that could be attracting them to your home. Arachnids don't like strong smells, so you can spray natural deterrents like a mixture of white vinegar and water or diluted essential oils like eucalyptus and peppermint around entryways to help keep them out.

Daddy long legs do no harm to you, so why harm them? In fact, having clusters of them in the yard is a good thing. Interestingly, in the UK, harvestmen are just harvestmen. They do have daddy long legs, but it's what they call a crane fly or mosquito hawk.