Daddy long-legs

No, this is not a post about my dad. This is a post about something commonly found in homes or indoor places. They look like a spider but all you see is a creature's body with eight very, very long legs. What exactly are they?

They are actually called cellar spiders, and one particular one is called Daddy Long-legs. They are shy creatures and like to hide in dark and secluded corners, rooms or even behind shelves. You may see them walking around during the day to try to relocate to better spot in your house.

While Daddy Long-legs are not found in Singapore, we have other kinds of cellar spiders. And they have the same characteristics - visible bodies with long, wired like legs sticking out.

Pests or useful?

Not to be mistaken for the recluse spider or black widow in some countries, these spiders are totally harmless to humans and are not venomous to humans. In fact, they hunt mainly mosquitoes and flies, which make them good pest control creatures to have around. Apart from their diet, these spiders do spin webs in corners though, so they may leave clues of their presence in your house.

How to keep them away?

Keeping them out of your house is simple and will be your parent's dream. Since they like corners, all we need to do is to keep our house clutter-free. That means putting our toys, books or even clothes at their appropriate places. The other bit is constantly cleaning up the hard-to-reach places in our rooms like below our bed or behind drawers.

Looks like these Daddies are here to stay. Some people even recommend having them in your house as nature's pest police. The next time you see one, let them go about their day, they might just save you from some nasty mosquito bites!