Need pest help? Save $50 on your first recurring service today with code GET50

Daddy Longlegs (Harvestmen) Spider Identification

Protect your home or business from daddy longlegs by learning techniques for identification and control.

Daddy longleg illustration
Family Phalangiidae
5/16 inch
Brown or grayish
1-segmented body

Treatment

How do I get rid of daddy longlegs?

What You Can Do

Since harvestmen are beneficial predators, control measures are usually unnecessary. Should they be found inside your home, remove them with a vacuum or broom. If control is necessary, seek the assistance of your pest management professional.

What Orkin Does

Your local Orkin Pro is trained to help manage daddy longlegs and similar pests. Since every building or home is different, your Orkin Pro will design a unique spider treatment program for your situation.

Orkin can provide the right solution to keep daddy longlegs in their place and out of your home or business.

Call us877-819-5061
Get Your Quote

Frequently Asked Questions

Behavior, Diet & Habits

Understanding Daddy Longlegs

Appearance

  • Size: They measure 5/16 of an inch in length

  • Color: They are usually brown or grayish in color.

  • Body: Harvestmen have one body segment, two eyes, and eight legs. Their second pair of legs are longer than the others and function as their smell and taste sense organs.

Behavior & Diet

They have many names such as harvest spiders, shepherd spiders, and grandfather graybeards. Their proper common names are daddy longlegs, harvestmen, or opilionids. These organisms are called harvestmen because they are often seen in large numbers in the fall around harvest time. During the fall, their populations may briefly cluster together. Unlike spiders, they do not create silk webs.

Harvestmen primarily search for food at night. They use their mouthparts to hold their prey while they feed on them. In fact, these mouthparts are very similar to crabs. You may also find tiny brown spots where they feed which can be fecal deposits. They produce a strong odor that repels most predators to use as protection.

Habitat

Outdoors, harvestmen prefer to live in damp, shaded areas such as on trees, under eaves, and underneath logs and rocks. It is rare to see harvestmen in home living spaces. If they make their way indoors, they hide in areas including:

  • Basements

  • Crawlspaces

  • Garages

  • Sheds

Lifespan

In northern portions of their range, harvestmen live for only one year, while in the south they may live up to two years.

Connect with Us

Our customer care team is available for you 24 hours a day.

877-819-5061

Find a Branch

Our local Pros are the pest experts in your area.

Get a Personalized Quote

We will help you find the right treatment plan for your home.

THE BEST IN PESTS.™

SERVICES

Pest ControlTermite ControlPrevent and Protect

PEST LIBRARY

Browse All Pests

© 2024 Orkin LLC

Terms of UsePrivacyAccessibility StatementCareers

Your Branch  

Call Now