Cellar Spider

There are over 20 species of Cellar spiders in the U.S. and Canada. Although these spiders aren’t harmful, they can be irritating.
Below is everything you need to know about the long-bodied cellar spider.

Facts, Identification, and Control

Cellar spider facts include:

Facts about Cellar Spider

Cellar Spiders are evasive.

Where Do They Live?

Cellar spiders can be outdoors in climate-controlled structures. They can crawl indoors and settle in cellars, crawl spaces, and basements.

What Do They Eat?

The arachnids eat insects, spiders, flies, mosquitoes, and small moths. They lure and trap their prey within their webs.

How Did I Get Cellar Spider?

Cellar spiders find white outdoor lights attractive and use the door as an entry point. They can also get in through foundation cracks. After they get in, these pests move to protected spaces like attics or dark basements. The presence of other insects and pests in your home may also lure cellar spiders into your house.

How Serious are Cellar Spider Problems?

Cellar spiders may cause problems like:

Being a Nuisance

These spiders aren’t as aggressive, but they can become a nuisance, especially with the multiple webs they create. Also, the spiders live in groups, which means they can multiply in no time.

Bites

A cellar spider bite isn’t harmful, but it can cause a stinging sensation. The spider is not poisonous but may cause some irritation.

What Can I Do About Cellar Spider?

If you notice that you have cellar spiders, you need to reduce the food sources by cleaning around and sealing any stored food. Use dehumidifiers and ventilation to lower the humidity in your home. Remove the egg sacs, webs, and spiders using a vacuum or broom.

Signs of a Cellar Spider Infestation

Some signs of a cellar spider infestation include haphazard webs in corners and spotting adult spiders in damp corners of the house. Their webs are loose unlike those of other spiders.

Cellar Spider Prevention and Control Tips

You can practice cellar spider control by:

Limiting Food Sources

Improve sanitation, seal any cracks, and use insecticides to reduce any potential food sources. That will make the environment unfavorable for cellar spiders.

Clean and Vacuum

Clean and vacuum every corner in all rooms, including the attic and basement. Clear any webs and egg sacs.

Seal the Cracks and Gaps

Fill and caulk the gaps and cracks in your doors, windows, and walls to prevent access to your house,

Reduce Humidity

Use a dehumidifier in the basement and crawl spaces; this will create an unpleasant environment for these spiders.

Cellar Spider Professional Pest Control

Handling a severe cellar spider infestation may be challenging given their huge numbers.
You may need to get in touch with a professional pest control company to treat and eliminate any cellar spiders in your house. The company will take you through a process that may entail inspection, identification, prevention, sanitation, and chemical measures.
More information about cellar spiders
https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/insects-invertebrates/facts-about-pholcid-spider/
https://wiki.bugwood.org/NPIPM:Pholcidae
https://extension.psu.edu/longbodied-cellar-spider

FAQ’s:

Are cellar spiders harmful to humans?

Cellar spiders aren’t known to bite people or pets since their jaws are too small. That is why you have no reason to fear these spindly little creatures. The only thing that you should be wary of is their webs which might distract you and get you in accidents.

Do cellar spiders eat house spiders?

Yes. Cellar spiders will often wait for spiders to get trapped in their webs, but there are times when they would leave their territories to hunt for other spiders. They will mimic prey to catch other spiders in your home.

Why do cellar spiders vibrate?

Whenever cellar spiders, commonly found in the basement or cellars, start vibrating in their web violently, this means that they are trying to scare off and discourage their enemies. This usually happens when they are disturbed or when they are under a threat of attack.