Daddy long legs (harvestmen) or cellar spiders don't fly towards you with intent; they often fly/move erratically because they're startled, seeking shelter in dark corners, attracted to lights (if they are crane flies), or just disoriented, making them seem to head your way as they bounce or flit around in defense or escape, especially when disturbed. They are harmless, prefer quiet spots, and their "flying" is usually just uncontrolled movement or a threat display.
They seek out quiet spaces where they can build their webs, away from direct light. If your home has an abundance of food sources like other insects and bugs, this will also attract daddy long legs, as they feed on smaller pests like ants, termites, and flies.
The myth that daddy longlegs spiders crawl into your mouth during sleep is false. These arachnids are harmless, non-aggressive, and do not seek human contact. They lack venom harmful to humans and prefer dark, undisturbed areas away from people. Understanding their behavior helps reduce anxiety.
A Common Cranefly, or Daddy Longlegs, Tipula paludosa, in full flight. Often appearing in large numbers this time of the year they are attracted to light and as a result often enter houses.
Daddy longlegs are more scared of you than you are of them! TRUE: Their mouths aren't big enough to bite humans. This is correct.
The Sydney funnel-web spider (Atrax robustus) is widely considered the world's most dangerous spider due to its highly toxic venom, large fangs that pierce skin easily, and aggressive nature, with the male's venom capable of causing death in humans before antivenom (introduced in 1981). While other spiders like Brazilian wandering spiders also have potent venom, the Sydney funnel-web's combination of toxicity and propensity for biting humans, particularly in populated areas, earns it the top spot for danger.
The daddy longlegs is actually a large type of cranefly, of which there are 94 species in the UK. It is familiar to us in its adult form as the gangly insect that flits around our homes in summer. As a larva, it is a grey grub (also known as a 'leatherjacket') that lives underground, feeding on plants stems and roots.
The Top 5 Most Feared Bugs
Daddy Longlegs Life Cycle
Northern daddy longlegs have a life expectancy of only a year, whereas daddy longlegs found in South Carolina and other southeastern states can survive up to two years. Many daddy longlegs mate to reproduce. However, females from some species can produce young without their male counterparts.
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.
They're also incredibly sensitive to vibrations, and while you probably aren't moving much while you're sleeping, you're still breathing and snoring. They're likely even to sense your heartbeat, meaning they're going to steer clear even if you happen to be unconscious.
The ear canal is usually about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) long, and it's curved, not a straight tunnel. That curve helps protect the eardrum from outside objects, including bugs. So, even if a bug crawls inside, it will stop at or near the eardrum.
Daddy long legs often hang out around water sources. They like dark, damp places which is why you'll sometimes find them in your basement, garage or crawl space. Female daddy long legs lay eggs in moist soil in the fall, and the eggs hatch in the spring.
Spiders hate strong, pungent smells, especially essential oils like peppermint, tea tree, and lavender, as well as scents from citrus (lemon, orange), cinnamon, eucalyptus, and cedar, which disrupt their senses. You can deter them with DIY sprays using these oils mixed with water, or use plants like basil and marigolds, or even vinegar, though vinegar's effect is temporary.
Harvestmen are arachnids but not spiders. They are more closely related to scorpions. Harvestmen, also known as daddy longlegs, are ubiquitous.
Keep Them out of Your House
While daddy long legs are beneficial in the garden, it can be annoying (or even creepy) when you encounter them in your house. To keep harvestmen out of your home, trim plants away from your house and clean up the wood, trash and other debris around the perimeter of your house.
The next time you come across ants, cockroaches, spiders, houseflies, or other insects, don't swat them—remember they feel pain, and treat them humanely instead.
You might think that daddy longlegs are spiders, but they are actually crane flies. The early crop of daddy longlegs begin to emerge around mid-August in the UK, and reach their peak in September as the weather begins to cool. This is when they seek refuge in the warmth of our homes.
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.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are responsible for more human deaths than any other insect, making them the deadliest insect in the world. They transmit diseases like malaria, dengue fever and Zika virus by feeding on human blood.
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is one of the longest words in the dictionary — and, in an ironic twist, is the name for a fear of long words. Sesquipedalophobia is another term for the phobia. The American Psychiatric Association doesn't officially recognize this phobia.
After surveying research into the neuroscience and behavior of insects, the authors wrote that insects were unlikely to feel pain, noting that their nervous systems are different from those of vertebrates.
So, what I have been thinking was a daddy-longlegs is, in fact a spider known as the cellar spider, Pholcidae. It also turns out that they are beneficial to the garden. The cellar spiders feed on flies, mosquitoes, brown recluses, cockroaches, and even black widows. Oh, and they are not venomous to humans!
They are an important source of food for creatures that eat insects, including birds and spiders, says ecology professor Guy Poppy, from the University of Southampton. "Insect eaters will be feasting on all the daddy longlegs at this time of year, a spider web will be full of them."