What the heck is going on with Daddy Long Leg Spiders around here

[Romak]

My kids like to tear some legs off of them and watch them walk around in circles. They are completely harmless, although I saw one the other day attempting to crawl into a drink my wife was enjoying. I think they have a thing for twisted tea.

[Kat Kanning]

You would have liked this Rainey....there was a daddy long legs on my daughter's chair today, so she picked it up by one leg and set it free elsewhere. 

[Pat K]

I don't like spiders and snakes and that ain't what it takes to
love me.....


http://youtube.com/watch?v=wWsfLszNcxM

[Raineyrocks]

You would have liked this Rainey....there was a daddy long legs on my daughter's chair today, so she picked it up by one leg and set it free elsewhere. 

Oh gosh Kat all I can say is better her than me!   I'm glad she set it free, that's what my kids do too.

[Fragilityh14]

I've always heard that they were really poisonous but didnt have big enough mouths to bite, which seemed kind of ridiculous. I have also always known they weren't spiders (though never known what prevented them from being considered spiders)...they look a hell of a lot like a spider.

The only type of spider I actively kill are hobo spiders. Which incidentally I was just reading about: the reason being that I don't remember seeing them before 7-10 years ago and since then they are EVERYWHERE...but it appears they moved to this area from Europe a long time ago. Also, apparently that is the only outdoors spider which "wanders into houses". Hobo spiders are not particularly dangerous, but you do not want one to bite you and generally dont want them crawling around your house.

The more I know about spiders, the more ridiculous societies general fear of spiders seems. Especially being as a lot of what people think are spider bites are from other insects (which spiders probably eat). I generally don't even take spiders outside: I just don't worry about them (unless its a hobo spider, which as I've said I have no problem with just killing)

[Friday]

I've got them all over every door, window,and siding, it's like they are waiting for a weak spot to get into the house!  They remind me of the raptors in Jurrasic Park!

I had one loitering around my front door yesterday, too.  I wonder what it is about building entrances that appeals to them?  Maybe a temperature differential?

I also have a lifelong repulsion to spiders; I used to have recurring nightmares about them as a child.  Huge, mutant spiders that would kill my family and stuff.     But I also hate to kill things unnecessarily, so I would spend ridiculous amounts of time trying to usher wayward spiders into a glass and then dump them outside, the whole time terrified that they might leap out and touch me. 

Now I just let my cats eat them and consider it nature at work. 

[J’raxis 270145]

I've always heard that they were really poisonous but didnt have big enough mouths to bite, which seemed kind of ridiculous. I have also always known they weren't spiders (though never known what prevented them from being considered spiders)...they look a hell of a lot like a spider.

There are three different bugs known as daddy longlegs, apparently:—
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daddy_longlegs

I've always used the term to mean the second pic there (the harvestmen). Those are arachnids but not spiders, but the third bug there is a geniune spider.

[dalebert]

There are three different bugs known as daddy longlegs, apparently:—
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daddy_longlegs

None of those look like the things we called "Grand-daddy longlegs" back in Atlanta. I think they may be insects. They have a small body and eight really skinny legs but two were longer than the other six. I think they may actually be a kind of insect and the extra-long legs may be antennae.

EDIT: I was just reading up on Harvestmen and apparently there are a lot of different types so maybe that's what they were after all. The one pictured is probably just a different type.

[Raineyrocks]

I don't like spiders and snakes and that ain't what it takes to
love me.....


http://youtube.com/watch?v=wWsfLszNcxM

Aww, that was so cute!   I liked the 2 puppies the best.

[Raineyrocks]

I've always heard that they were really poisonous but didnt have big enough mouths to bite, which seemed kind of ridiculous. I have also always known they weren't spiders (though never known what prevented them from being considered spiders)...they look a hell of a lot like a spider.

The only type of spider I actively kill are hobo spiders. Which incidentally I was just reading about: the reason being that I don't remember seeing them before 7-10 years ago and since then they are EVERYWHERE...but it appears they moved to this area from Europe a long time ago. Also, apparently that is the only outdoors spider which "wanders into houses". Hobo spiders are not particularly dangerous, but you do not want one to bite you and generally dont want them crawling around your house.

The more I know about spiders, the more ridiculous societies general fear of spiders seems. Especially being as a lot of what people think are spider bites are from other insects (which spiders probably eat). I generally don't even take spiders outside: I just don't worry about them (unless its a hobo spider, which as I've said I have no problem with just killing)

I'll have to look up hobo spiders, I never heard of them.  What about brown recluse spiders?  When we first moved in here I found a few small spiders and they had bright markings on their backs so I killed them.  I felt bad but I never saw spiders like these before and I didn't know if they were poisonous or not.

[J’raxis 270145]

Here's the specific critter that I'm used to calling a "daddy longlegs." Looks like a species of harvestmen.

[From http://www.wide-eyed.org/images/articles/daddylonglegcloseup.jpg]

[attachment deleted by admin]

[DagnyTaggart]

The same thing happens at our house.  I have had no fewer than 10 spiders (technically Daddy Long Legs are not spiders) walk or drop in as I was opening the door to let the dog out. 

Does anyone know the name of this gem that was hanging out our back door?

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Raineyrocks]

I've got them all over every door, window,and siding, it's like they are waiting for a weak spot to get into the house!  They remind me of the raptors in Jurrasic Park!

I had one loitering around my front door yesterday, too.  I wonder what it is about building entrances that appeals to them?  Maybe a temperature differential?

I also have a lifelong repulsion to spiders; I used to have recurring nightmares about them as a child.  Huge, mutant spiders that would kill my family and stuff.     But I also hate to kill things unnecessarily, so I would spend ridiculous amounts of time trying to usher wayward spiders into a glass and then dump them outside, the whole time terrified that they might leap out and touch me. 

Now I just let my cats eat them and consider it nature at work. 

They are all over my front door today, I guess because of the rain.    I have always had this picture of bees with huge fangs biting into my skin.  We have a plastic "bug" cup that we use to put beetles outside.   That's exactly the way I viewed the cats eating the spiders in our old house but now the cats are in the basement here because they have a nasty habit of pissing wherever they want.

[Raineyrocks]

I've always heard that they were really poisonous but didnt have big enough mouths to bite, which seemed kind of ridiculous. I have also always known they weren't spiders (though never known what prevented them from being considered spiders)...they look a hell of a lot like a spider.

There are three different bugs known as daddy longlegs, apparently:—
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daddy_longlegs

I've always used the term to mean the second pic there (the harvestmen). Those are arachnids but not spiders, but the third bug there is a geniune spider.

Yuk those pictures are so nasty looking when I made them larger!  I guess the second picture is the closest to what I've been seeing even though I haven't got up that close.

[Raineyrocks]

The same thing happens at our house.  I have had no fewer than 10 spiders (technically Daddy Long Legs are not spiders) walk or drop in as I was opening the door to let the dog out. 

Does anyone know the name of this gem that was hanging out our back door?

Yeah, ugly!   Geesh it almost looks like a baby black widow, I don't know how to identify them but I'm curious what that one is too.  I like the cute little non-furry spiders without the pinchers that hang out up in the corners of the ceilings, minding their own business and killing bugs.