How to Keep Daddy Longlegs Away

Despite their appearance, daddy longlegs are not spiders at all. Daddy longlegs, also known as harvestmen, have only two eyes versus a spider's eight eyes. It is a common misconception that daddy longlegs have the deadliest venom in the entire animal kingdom, but because their mouthparts are small, they can't bite. Truthfully, daddy longlegs are nothing to fear because they have no venom at all. Even though they aren't poisonous, many homeowners want these long-legged creatures out of their home because they find them unsightly.

Instructions

• 1

  Keep their food sources out of your home. Daddy longlegs usually eat mites, flies, spiders and even their own kind. They can also thrive on bread, butter and meat if their regular food sources aren't available. Keeping your home clean will force harvestmen to find food elsewhere.

• 2

  Purchase insect spray and use it at least once a week to kill daddy longlegs. The majority of insect sprays do a great job killing harvestmen. Buy insect spray that is also effective on creatures like cockroaches and spiders. One major source of food for daddy longlegs is other small insects and spiders.

• 3

  Make sure you keep your home dry. Daddy longlegs are attracted to moist areas because those environments are usually where their prey roams. Keeping your home dry will prevent other organisms from choosing your home to serve as their breeding ground.

• 4

  Catch and eliminate harvestmen using sticky traps. Put one sticky trap in each room of your home. These sticky traps will likely catch other organisms, not just daddy longlegs. Replace these sticky traps regularly.

• 5

  Call a pest control service if you have large numbers of harvestmen in your home. They will use their special equipment to get rid of these pests. Ask why you had so many daddy longlegs in your home and how to keep them from coming back.