To ask how to get rid of cellar spiders?

[Stressedafff]

I think my home is infested.
For reference I have a HA flat with a wet room, very small and I suspect the wet room is causing damp. I have spoken to the HA about removing it but they are not budging.

My flat is absolutely infested with cellar spiders. They’re everywhere, in cupboards, in pans, in my bags and shoes it’s becoming a complete nightmare. I’ve hoovered up at least 20 since Sunday and I’m truly sick of them, they just come back every single time. My flat is clean, not cluttered and with minimal furniture, hoovered twice a day and deep cleaned twice a week. I’ve tried conkers, peppermint spray and NOTHING is getting rid of them. They’re even marking all my walls.

Does anyone know what causes them and how to get rid for good? I know they eat the big house spiders but I’d honestly rather see 2 of them a month than have these 24/7.

I don't know but try and keep a few as funnily enough they eat all the really big house spiders. You wouldn't believe it because of the size but it's true!

The extra humidity caused by the damp from the wet room could well be an issue. Try a dehumidifier or two. If this is the issue though you could well see more for a while as they move around looking for somewhere better.

BUT, them being in your bags, shoes, cupboards and pans...eek.

I keep cellar spiders when they appear because I'm ridiculously afraid of the huge buggers they eat, but have the red Raid spray for emergency spiders and have also heard people say Indorex gets rid of them all. But be careful with both if you have pets, and around your food prep areas.

We've always had a few of these (I didn't know what they were called til I googled the other day) and I'd leave them be as they usually just hang in the bathroom and there would only be one or two. But honestly they are EVERYWHERE the past month! I go round with the hoover every night and get at least 10! Most of them are tiny but a couple are the big ones, and they've started walking along kitchen tops and down walls and breaking their deal of just hanging in the corner 😱

Then the next day there more are, it's ridiculous. It's probably my fault as I do get everywhere damp from excessive handwashing and we had a lot of woodlouse in this year so that may be why. They've definitely reduced woodlouse numbers. I feel your pain though, I'm not sure what to do other than get rid of them every day. I would rather the normal ones too, they never appear in these crazy numbers.

We've had a lot of false widows!!!!! They are good at catching flies though, so I let them stay in the conservatory. The only spiders I allow in the house are the cellar spiders, as others have said, they eat the other big buggers, which is a good thing.

@KnittedCardi I had to google them and omg I feel stupid for moaning about cellar spiders. WTF those are terrifying! 😱Are you in Australia?!

I hoovered up 12 yesterday out of one room! They like the damp, I can tell which corners they will be in and check them every day and hoovering them up. As pp said maybe a dehumidifier would help

Daddy Long Legs! (Ive never heard them referred to as cellar spiders before)

Daddy long legs aren’t the same as cellar spiders

Daddy Long Legs is a type of crane fly.

I hate, hate, hate spiders but, after reading on here a few years back, I keep one per room to eat the big fuckers (although, I'm not convinced they do, because I still get those as well!).

That's not nice to be infested with them, though. Bleurgh!

As PP has suggested, apparently Indorex will leave your home like a spider massacre. It's supposed to last six months. I'm going to get some next month to ward off the BF (big fuckers).

I was going to say YABU because they eat the big ones but getting them in your pans etc sounds extreme. I echo pp and say try a dehumidifier.

The Wildlife Trust disagrees with you.......
Cellar spider | The Wildlife Trusts

Daddy long legs crane fly............ and Daddy long legs spider - too different creatures.

Its the Daddy long legs spider that is apparently more properly known as a cellar spider - but always and only ever known to me as a Daddy long legs. Never heard them called a cellar spider before.

Bloody hell those tidy bodies (granted long legs) eat the big spiders?! That’s deffo something new I’ve learned today!

I tolerate the cellar spiders as long as they’re not in my face - don’t like the thought of them inside pans or running across surfaces.

There is one who has taken up residence above my shower. I’ve warned him he’s probably going to get splashed with water and/or horribly killed but he’s not listening.

I have a conker tree in my garden and can assure you putting conkers around the house makes not a shred of difference to the number of spiders in my home. Indorex flea killer does deter those horrible big house spiders though ime.

Are the pans kept under the kitchen sink? It might be worth checking that the drain isn't dripping slightly or anything. And do you squeegee the floor dry after using the wet room? That would help keep the moisture down (assuming that the wet room floor is sound).

Other than that I've no suggestions.

Daddy Long Legs spiders - leave them be, they’re useful. They won’t do you any harm and they get rid of other spiders and bugs.

(There are three things called Daddy Long Legs - harvestmen, crane flies and these spiders)

This year is particularly bad for them. I hate hate hate spiders, but have developed a sort if truce with these guys but this year is really pushing that. Every time I turn around they're there. I said the same to my mom and she's said it's the same for them. Obviously the conditions have suited them. Not helpful, sorry.

I nearly started a thread about cellar spiders OP. I don’t really want to google as I can only imagine the images it will bring up. We’ve got cellar spiders in a lot of corners now, there are more than we’ve ever had before and I’m not sure why. If they like damp maybe because of all the rain we’ve had?? I don’t think our house is damp though. I dont really mind them too much as they eat the big black ones but don’t want too many!

I like them but so hoover them if they start trying to hang over my head in bed or something ridiculous.

If you wanted to reduce the number just hoover all corners and across ceilings, they have invisible webs that are often stretched across our ceiling. They also make webs in the top half of the kickboard under the kitchen cupboards where you can't see unless you're lying down.

I don't mind a couple of them hanging around but we seem to have had loads this year too. Not quite as many as you by the ssounds of it though. The only effective way I have found of dealing with large numbers of spiders is to keep hoovering them up. Eventually, the numbers go down.

I'd never heard of them being called Daddy Long Legs until a work colleague called one that name. I'd only ever known of the crane fly Daddy Long Legs.
In my house, we refer to spiders as big fat (fuckers), or spindly spiders! Can't stand any of them!

Don't mind a daddy long legs or a money spider.. I think because their bodies are small.

Not heard of crane flies being called daddy long legs but they aren't too bothersome.

Please don't kill the poor things 😢 they are completely harmless to humans and do a great job controlling pests for us. Hoovering them up is just evil! If you don't want them, gently scoop them up with a feather duster and shake out the window. At least they have a chance of finding a new home. We have such a delicate eco system that is being destroyed by clueless people with their overly sanitised lives and horrible toxic sprays, it will be the undoing of us all.

Honestly, wouldn't got nuclear with the indorex etc as that's strong stuff. It's designed for flea infestation etc. conkers etc don't have much effect on those spiders but they do put off your standard house type spider.

They're harmless, and eat other spiders so if get yourself a dehumidifier (amazing things, dry the washing SO fast) and have that on to dry the dampness out and see if that helps.

It's been a damp year so spiders have done well and everyone who garden knows it's been a slug massacre of their plants too.