Daddy Long Legs are inoffensive spiders, which occur in all countries of the world with the exception of Antarctica. Harmless as they are, some people pay to exterminate them using toxic sprays. This is a waste of time for 2 reasons.
The book is a mine of information. For example, did you know that a Daddy Long Legs favoured food is other spiders?
They will kill much larger spiders by keeping them at a distance and wrapping them up with silk using their long legs. For example see the wrapped Huntsman spider below. They can also approach prey spider webs and tug on them like a trapped insect before nabbing the unsuspecting inhabitant.
- The chemical used is toxic, but very short lived, and within a few days, spiderlings drift in on threads of silk to recolonise vacated areas.
- The sprays kill everything, including predators and beneficial insects that maintain a natural balance and may increase the incidence of nastier spiders like Redbacks
The book is a mine of information. For example, did you know that a Daddy Long Legs favoured food is other spiders?
They will kill much larger spiders by keeping them at a distance and wrapping them up with silk using their long legs. For example see the wrapped Huntsman spider below. They can also approach prey spider webs and tug on them like a trapped insect before nabbing the unsuspecting inhabitant.
Male holding female above at bay while mating Have you noticed that when disturbed, a Daddy Long Legs vibrates madly to make it harder for any potential predator to grab it. Vibration also makes any prey more enmeshed in the web.
Daddy Long Legs can have compound webs that contain many spiders but they have defined territories that they don’t cross without causing a fight. The ones shown are Smeringopus species - south African immigrants.
I recently watched a male spider very carefully approach a female when he quickly slipped under her and kept her fangs away as he transferred sperm to her genital opening with bulbous pedipalps.
Daddy Long Legs can have compound webs that contain many spiders but they have defined territories that they don’t cross without causing a fight. The ones shown are Smeringopus species - south African immigrants.
I recently watched a male spider very carefully approach a female when he quickly slipped under her and kept her fangs away as he transferred sperm to her genital opening with bulbous pedipalps.
The Sawkins residence is spider friendly, although I draw the line with Redbacks (poisonous), and White-Tail spiders in the house (can go to bed with you and nip, but do not have flesh eating venom - a myth).
I have a theory that leaving our Daddy Long Legs reduce Redback numbers. With this in mind I decided to pit a Redback against Daddy Long Legs and eventually found one after half a day looking and disturbing about a thousand resident Daddy Long Legs
I dropped the Redback in such a web complex and returning later, found a female Daddy Long Legs wrapping it up. Others moved in and there was an almighty fight before they all managed to feed together out of each other’s’ sight.
Entrenched adult Redbacks and Black House Spiders can repel Daddy Long Legs but juveniles would be vulnerable.
So withhold the spray and be grateful for the good old Daddy Long Legs!
More info https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pholcidae
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I have a theory that leaving our Daddy Long Legs reduce Redback numbers. With this in mind I decided to pit a Redback against Daddy Long Legs and eventually found one after half a day looking and disturbing about a thousand resident Daddy Long Legs
I dropped the Redback in such a web complex and returning later, found a female Daddy Long Legs wrapping it up. Others moved in and there was an almighty fight before they all managed to feed together out of each other’s’ sight.
Entrenched adult Redbacks and Black House Spiders can repel Daddy Long Legs but juveniles would be vulnerable.
So withhold the spray and be grateful for the good old Daddy Long Legs!
More info https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pholcidae
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 male wrapping up a huntsman spider |  females guard their egg sacs in their jaws |
 Intruder approaching |  Fight for the prize |  Compromise |