How to get rid of daddy longlegs

The languishing summer months, with their balmy evenings and bright mornings, also bring daddy longlegs out in force. You might think that daddy longlegs are spiders, but they are actually crane flies.

The early crop of daddy longlegs begin to emerge around mid-August in the UK, and reach their peak in September as the weather begins to cool. This is when they seek refuge in the warmth of our homes.

As with much of our wildlife, there are lots of rumours about these flying insects but it pays to know the facts. So, whether you're just keen to learn more about one of your garden (and home) inhabitants or are looking for ways to get daddy longlegs out of your home, you can find all the information you need below.

What are daddy longlegs?

Though many people believe a daddy longlegs to be a type of spider — likely due to their eight legs — they actually lack two crucial features of the arachnid family: the ability to produce silk and venom. They are actually members of the crane fly family, of which there are 94 species in the UK.

As a larva, it is a grey grub (also known as a "leatherjacket") that lives underground, feeding on plants stems and roots. This habit makes the daddy longlegs rather unpopular with gardeners who can find their flying invasion leaves bare patches of grass.

Valter Jacinto

Are daddy longlegs dangerous?

You might have heard people saying that daddy longlegs are venomous, or — an even more popular rumour — that they are one of the most deadly insects on earth, they just haven't learned how to transmit their poison yet.

Luckily, this is just a myth. It's true that they cannot bite, but the venomous rumour is likely to have been due to its confusion with certain species of spiders.

What do daddy longlegs look like?

The adult daddy longlegs is a brown, long-bodied insect, with translucent wings and very long legs, which easily fall off if handled.

They can range in length from 3-7mm and the legs are typically several times as long as their body.

Where do daddy longlegs live?

Daddy longlegs prefer damp climates, and breed in the soil amongst grassy areas. This means they can often be found in garden lawns, though they prefer more sodden grassland.

The average lifespan for a daddy longlegs is between 10 and 15 days.

How do you get daddy longlegs out of the house?

You should avoid killing daddy longlegs, not only because there are alternative ways to move them along without harming them, but they also prey on smaller insects and so work to our advantage when it comes to insect control.

Here are three ways of making your indoor space less hospitable for daddy longlegs:

1. Clear the garden

As mentioned above, daddy longlegs look for a damp environment to mate and lay their larvae, so ensuring your garden is well-trimmed, consistently mowed and cleared of leaf debris is a good way of helping to keep the flying insects at bay.

Generally decluttering the exterior of your home so that there's nowhere for them to nestle down is also useful when trying to keep them away.

This is not good for improving the biodiversity of your outdoor space, however, and we should really be encouraging as many insects and animals into our gardens as possible and making them feel welcome.

2. Seal any cracks

Daddy long legs can live in cracks around your home, as well as get in through crevices around doors and windows – so ensuring these are sealed up can help reduce the number you find indoors.

Adding weather strips around doors and windows is an easy, inexpensive way to lessen cracks and cover over gaps.

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3. Decluttering

Just like your garden, when they're indoors, daddy longlegs look for snug resting places and so having a good declutter during their high season is useful for keeping them away and also allowing you to see where they might be hiding out.

We apologise in advance for the following bad news but we must be prepared in the face of adversity – and luckily we can help you with that.

This year we will see a greater than usual infestation of daddy-longlegs – the annoying, dangling crane flies that hover around us and sit on our walls waiting to take flight when our backs are turned.

Once again, in classic British style, the weather is to blame.

Normally, the flies lay their eggs in lawns during Winter but, due to our classic British freeze, most of the larvae do not survive.

However, because last Winter was a lot milder than we are used to, many more daddy-longlegs babies were able to survive and develop.

Entomologist Barry Warrington told The Metro, ‘It is definitely a bumper year this year, simply due to the nice weather.’

‘It has not been as cold, there is a lot more for them to prey on. Warmer conditions suit them more, and they are actually out earlier than usual this year.'

In conclusion, the warm weather we have all enjoyed so far this year has brought with it a flying shadow of insects and arachnids that are about to find warmth in our houses.

How to keep spiders out of your home

The experts at the GHI recommend closing your doors and windows when you can and, once any spiders are inside, using a vacuum or broom to remove them (making sure not to mark your walls or carpet).

You can also try placing conkers in the corners of your rooms. Although this old wives' tale might not have much scientific evidence behind it, people have relied on it for years with the theory being that they emit a noxious chemical that drives the spider away.

Spiders, of all varieties, also hate the smell of peppermint, so try spraying peppermint oil along your door frames to deter them.

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