Cellar Spider
(Pholcidae family)
Delicate, long-legged spiders that build messy webs in corners of basements and cellars.
Overview
Cellar spiders, commonly called daddy long-legs spiders, are among the most frequently seen spiders inside Bowling Green homes. They build loose, irregular webs in ceiling corners, basements, garages, and crawl spaces. While completely harmless to humans, their messy webs can accumulate and become unsightly. They are actually beneficial house guests that prey on other spiders — including brown recluses — and various insects.
Appearance
Cellar spiders have a very small, oval body (1/4 to 3/8 inch) with extremely long, thin legs that can span 2 to 3 inches. They are pale yellow-brown to light gray and appear very delicate. Their bodies are somewhat translucent. They should not be confused with harvestmen (also called daddy long-legs), which are a different type of arachnid entirely.
Habitat
True to their name, cellar spiders prefer cool, dark, undisturbed areas with higher humidity. They are extremely common in basements, cellars, crawl spaces, garages, and utility rooms. They also build webs in upper corners of rooms, closets, and stairwells. Outdoors, they can be found under overhangs, in culverts, and in other sheltered locations.
Diet
Cellar spiders are web-building predators that feed on small insects, other spiders, and even other cellar spiders. They are known to invade other spiders' webs to prey on them. This includes brown recluse spiders, making cellar spiders a natural biological control agent in homes.
Lifecycle
Females carry their egg sacs in their jaws rather than attaching them to the web. Each sac contains 20 to 60 eggs held together by a thin layer of silk. Spiderlings stay near the mother's web after hatching. Cellar spiders can live for about 2 years and continuously add to their existing webs rather than rebuilding them, which is why their webs become messy over time.
Signs of Infestation
- !Messy, irregular cobwebs accumulating in ceiling corners and basement areas
- !Thin, delicate spiders hanging upside down in their webs
- !When disturbed, the spider vibrates rapidly in its web (a defensive behavior)
- !Buildup of old, dusty webs in undisturbed areas
Prevention Tips
- ✓Reduce humidity in basements and crawl spaces with dehumidifiers
- ✓Regularly remove webs with a broom, duster, or vacuum
- ✓Seal cracks and gaps around windows and foundations
- ✓Reduce clutter in basements and storage areas
Professional Treatment
Cellar spiders are easily controlled through regular web removal and perimeter treatments. Residual sprays applied to baseboards and corners in basements and garages reduce populations. Because cellar spiders prey on brown recluses and other pests, some homeowners choose to tolerate them in low-traffic areas like crawl spaces.
Did You Know?
- •The myth that cellar spiders have the most toxic venom but cannot bite humans is completely false.
- •When threatened, they vibrate rapidly in their web to blur their outline and confuse predators.
- •They are one of the few spiders known to actively hunt and kill brown recluse spiders.
- •Unlike most spiders, they continuously add to old webs instead of starting fresh.
1/4 to 3/8 inch body
Pale yellow-brown to gray
8
Very small body with extremely long, thin legs
Daddy long-legs spider, Skull spider
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Other Spiders in Our Library
Brown Recluse Spider
A venomous spider identified by the violin-shaped marking on its back, common in Kentucky homes.
Wolf Spider
Large, fast, hairy spiders that hunt on the ground rather than building webs.
Black Widow Spider
A venomous spider recognized by its shiny black body and distinctive red hourglass marking.
Orb-Weaver Spider
Colorful garden spiders known for building large, circular webs in yards and around porches.