Yes, it is a myth. The daddy longlegs is not harmful to humans, but they can kill redback spiders (Australian black widows). Because redback venom can kill humans, people may have believed daddy longlegs could kill us, too.
On the first, research has shown that daddy long legs venom is actually not exceptionally potent, even to insects. On the second, if it chooses to inject its venom into human skin it has the capacity to do so, a result that was famously demonstrated on an episode of Mythbusters in 2004.
If this ever happens to your furry friends, you don't need to worry – since they aren't poisonous to any mammal, daddy long legs are very unlikely to cause any adverse reactions to your pets.
These arachnids are not known to bite humans and are not considered dangerous to either the health or structure of your home. Because harvestmen are considered beneficial pests, it's ok to leave them be if you find them lurking around your house.
The Opilionids are true daddy longlegs, but do not have a set of fangs or venom glands to go along. While they do secrete a liquid as a defense, they are only poisonous to their predators when ingested. However, they do not bite and are NOT poisonous to humans.
Brazilian wandering spider
The Guinness Book of World Records considers the Brazilian wandering spider the most venomous in the world. Hundreds of bites are reported annually, but a powerful anti-venom prevents deaths in most cases.
In the end, it's best to treat these creatures like any other harmless species: leave them be. If they're in your home, you could try trapping them under a glass and taking them outside. But playground legends aside, they're not a threat — no matter which daddy longlegs you're actually talking about.
If you sprinkle boric acid in places where daddy longlegs enter your home you should be able to repel or kill them. Boric acid has crystal-like microscopic particles which make tiny cuts on the insects.
Food sources: Daddy long legs feed on decaying plant matter and small invertebrates, so if you have a lot of dead leaves or other organic matter around your home, this can attract them. They may also be attracted to areas with a lot of insects, as these are a food source for many species.
Despite their relatively harmless appearance, Daddy-Long-Legs spiders are well known for attacking species of spiders that are dangerous to humans. As much, they are an excellent housemate – they leave us be while stopping other, more undesirable spiders from seeking shelter in our homes.
"They're not looking for shelter, they're out looking for a mate and then looking to lay eggs, they end up in houses because their favourite habitat is short grass and we have lawns." Daddy long legs lay eggs in the ground which can sit for a year. They grow, hatch out of the shell and pop out of your lawn.
How long do craneflies or daddy long legs live? The adult cranefly is only alive for around two weeks and its main purpose is to mate and lay eggs. Dr Erica McAlister, a fly expert at the Museum says, 'Most adults have a life span of 10-15 days but there is variation across the species.
The Australian funnel-web spiders (families Hexathelidae, Atracidae, Macrothelidae and Porrhothelidae), such as the Sydney funnel-web spider Atrax robustus (a mygalomorph spider not to be confused with the araneomorph funnel-weaver or grass spiders) are regarded as among the most venomous in the world.
The Daddy-long-legs Spider, Pholcus phalangioides, is found throughout Australia. It is a cosmopolitan species that originates from Europe and was introduced accidentally into Australia. Several other introduced species and about 60 described native pholcids also occur here, the latter usually in natural environments.
Sydney Funnel Web Spider
Found nearly exclusively in Sydney, this spider is often considered the most deadly in the world. With fangs that can pierce through fingernails, and one specimen reaching 10cm stretched out, this spider is serious business. A single bite can kill a human in 15 minutes.
Tip for preventing daddy long legs: Pour 1 cup white vinegar and 1/3 cup vanilla extract into a spray bottle and shake. Spray areas where the daddy long legs have been spotted indoors and out. The smell will repel the insects.
He went on: "The reason they come into the house is for warmth and they are attracted to light so if the lights are on in the house they come inside, and they hatch out in the darker hours to avoid being eaten by birds.
Daddy longlegs, or harvestmen, are familiar Missouri animals. They are not spiders, but opilionids. Unlike spiders, they have a fused body form and lack silk and venom glands. In harvestmen, the body is a simple oval, and it's usually hard to tell where the “head” ends and the segmented “abdomen” begins.
Daddy longlegs can secrete a glue-like substance they use to trap prey, similar to how a spider spins a web to catch unsuspecting critters. They are most dormant during the day but will come out at night to hunt small bugs and arthropods such as ants, aphids, worms, and beetles.
They are attracted to light, which means they enter homes at night when they see an open window, according to Wales Online.
According to an old French peasant legend, seeing a daddy longlegs in the evening is a good thing, foretelling good fortune, happiness, and hope.
"They're not looking for shelter, they're out looking for a mate and then looking to lay eggs, they end up in houses because their favourite habitat is short grass and we have lawns." Daddy long legs lay eggs in the ground which can sit for a year. They grow, hatch out of the shell and pop out of your lawn.
Yet despite their apparent harmlessness, Daddy-long-legs have little trouble catching, wrapping and killing much larger Huntsman spiders. They have even been known to catch Redback spiders and Funnel-web spiders, both of which are far larger and more toxic than the Daddy-long-legs. So, what's their secret?
It's all to do with the crane fly's short lifespan and their desperation to mate before their time is up. The flies only live for 10 to 15 days, and are constantly looking for a partner, and though they like to venture indoors for warmth, they actually lay their eggs outside.