
The spider hangs upside down within the tangle of threads and may vibrate rapidly if disturbed. Cellar spiders are usually found in dark corners of cellars, crawl spaces, and garages.
The spiders are gray and relatively small bodied with very long, very thin legs. They construct a loose tangle of threads that may become coated with dust forming messy cobwebbing in corners, often near the ceiling. The cellar spiders are true spiders, so you can see this is confusing! Cellar spiders are common inside buildings, particularly in basements, closets, cellars, and other less disturbed areas. There are actually 11 different orders of arachnids in North America. The Opiliones are arachnids, but like scorpions, are “cousins” of true spiders. They are not actually spiders, they are in a related group called Opiliones. Harvestmen are found outdoors and are also very common in Ohio.
may vibrate or “spin” in their web if disturbedĬellar spiders or daddylongleg spiders are sometimes confused with the harvestmen or true daddy-long-legs. hang from tangle space-filling webs sometimes called cobwebs. very long thin legs (this accounts for the other common name “daddylongleg spiders”). pale gray colored spiders (juveniles may look white). This represents less than 1% of our spider species but one of these ( Pholcus phalangioides) is extremely common. Our home pest control programs and commercial pest solutions target the pests common to our region and will work with you to get rid of cellar spiders.There are 3 species of cellar spiders known from Ohio. Reduce the humid conditions in your home by installing dehumidifiers and making sure that your home is well ventilated.įor effective spider control and elimination, contact Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators. Pholcidae, or cellar spiders, include the daddy long legs and carpenter spiders and are found throughout the United States. Repair or replace any broken window or door screens.įix leaky pipes or fixtures in your home, and make sure that gutters are working properly to direct water away from your home. Seal all possible entry points around windows, doors, and the foundation. The following steps can help to prevent cellar spiders from taking up residence in or near your home: DIY black cellar spider prevention and control tips What do cellar spiders eat?Ĭellar spiders are predatory and feed on a variety of insects including venomous spiders like brown recluse and black widows. Cellar spiders create irregular webs, and because they are not solitary spiders, property owners in the Quad Cities are likely to encounter unsightly clusters of webs in areas where cellar spiders infest. Barns, sheds, garages, basements, crawlspaces, root cellars, and underneath sinks are a few places you might encounter these arachnids. Where are cellar spiders found?Ĭellar spiders live in damp, dark environments. Cellar spiders are pale yellow, gray, or light brown and have a small body that grows to between 1/4 and 3/8 of an inch in length. It is important to note, however, that they are not daddy long legs. As their common name suggests, these predatory spiders are found in dark, dimly-lit corners of homes like cellars, attics, garages, or the corners of ceilings. However, their leg span is five or six times this size, measuring up to 2.75 (70 mm).
Due to 8 extremely skinny, long legs, cellar spiders are often confused with daddy long legs. Long-bodied cellar spiders grow up to 0.8 (20 mm) long.