What a cellar spider looks like in Portland OR and Vancouver WA - Interstate Pest Management

Cellar Spider

Cellar spiders have a unique appearance characterized by their extremely long and thin legs. Though they are often referred to as daddy longlegs, cellar spiders are actually quite different and not related to those insects. That said, cellar spiders are an extremely common household pest in North America. These arachnids are often found hiding in garages, basements, and cellars – hence their common name. Cellar spiders typically feed on flies, bees, wasps, and even other spiders. Though these spiders are not aggressive and rarely successfully bite humans, they can become a nuisance if they leave behind large amounts of webbing for you to clean up.

Category:

Description

 

 Size ¼” not including long thin legs
Characteristics Pale yellow to light brown or gray in color; known for their very long and thin legs.
Legs 8
Habitat A common household pest that is often found in dark and quiet spaces such as basements, cellars, and crawlspaces.
 Habits
  • Unlike other species, cellar spiders do not consume their old webs.
  • Often confused with daddy longlegs or harvestmen, which are actually unrelated.
  • Constructs messy and irregularly shaped webs in corners and ceilings.
Cellar Spiders in the Pacific North West Cellar spiders are a common household pest throughout the Pacific Northwest. Known for infesting dark and quiet areas such as cellars, these spiders are found year-round in spaces such as garages and basements. They usually construct their messy and irregularly shaped nests in corners and ceilings where they will typically hang belly-up waiting for prey. Most cellar spiders consume insects like flies or bees, or even other spiders.
Cellar Spider Habitat Cellar spiders are drawn to dark, damp, and quiet spaces. When outdoors, cave openings or crevices in rocks are the perfect locations for these spiders. However, cellar spiders are also notorious household pests that regularly invade basements, garages, cellars, and other similar areas. Whatever location they choose, though, cellar spiders will build large and irregular-shaped webs to use for catching prey. Since these spiders do not consume their old webs before spinning new ones, they generally leave behind large silken messes that can be a nuisance for homeowners.
Cellar Spiders Behavior, Threats, and Dangers Though cellar spiders do have venom, they are not known to bite humans and do not pose a health risk. That said, they do spin large amounts of webbing. Unlike other species of arachnids, cellar spiders do not eat their old web before building a new one. So, over time, a cellar spider infestation can lead to large amounts of webbing all throughout the house. These webs can become a nuisance to remove and an eyesore for home and property owners. If you are dealing with an outbreak of cellar spiders, contact your local spider exterminators for quick and easy removal.

Related Pests