A grey Cellar Spider isolated on a white background. Learn more about Cellar Spiders from Arrow Environmental.

Cellar Spider

Category Spiders

Actual Size: ¼” (not including legs)

Characteristics: Pale yellow, light brown, or gray with extremely long, thin legs.

Legs: 8

Antennae: No

Wings: No

Habitat: Often found in damp, dark areas like cellars, basements, crawl spaces, garages, and corners of ceilings.

Habits:

  • Commonly mistaken for daddy longlegs or harvestmen.
  • Natural predators of large house spiders, flies, and wasps.
  • Constructs irregular webs, often seen hanging belly-up.

Pest Overview:

Cellar Spiders in Florida

Cellar spiders are fragile, harmless creatures that are easily recognized by their long, thin legs. Often referred to as daddy longlegs spiders, they are unrelated to the true daddy longlegs. Commonly found in Florida homes, cellar spiders thrive in quiet, damp spaces like basements, garages, and crawl spaces. These spiders are beneficial in that they prey on house spiders, flies, and other insects, but their excessive webbing can quickly become a nuisance.

Cellar Spider Habitat

In nature, cellar spiders prefer caves, crevices, and other protected areas. Inside homes, they gravitate toward damp, dark environments such as basements, crawl spaces, and corners of ceilings. These spiders construct messy, irregular webs and are highly sensitive to vibrations, allowing them to catch prey like flies and other insects quickly. Both male and female cellar spiders are active year-round in Florida’s climate-controlled spaces.

Cellar Spider Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

While cellar spiders do produce venom, they are not a threat to humans and are unlikely to bite. However, they are considered nuisance pests due to their excessive webbing. Unlike other spiders that consume old webs, cellar spiders continuously add to theirs, creating large and unsightly cobwebs in homes and commercial buildings. Managing these webs can become a frustrating task for property owners.

If cellar spiders are taking over your space, Arrow Environmental Services is here to help. Contact our local pest control experts to safely and effectively eliminate spiders and their webs from your home.