Cellar Spiders in Atlanta, GA
Cellar spiders, often mistaken for daddy longlegs (though unrelated), are delicate and harmless arachnids characterized by their long, thin legs. They commonly inhabit homes, particularly garages, basements, and cellars, which is where they get their common name. These spiders tend to hang belly-up in corners and ceilings. Notably, they serve as natural predators to larger house spiders found indoors, while also preying on bees, wasps, flies, and even other cellar spiders in times of scarcity.
Cellar Spider Habitat
In their natural habitat, cellar spiders typically reside within cave openings, crevices along cliffs, and similar protected environments. However, if they sneak indoors, these arachnids commonly inhabit damp areas like cellars and basements – pretty much any area where it’s dark, secluded, and full of moisture. They build messy webs which they use as a hunting ground. Since cellar spiders are very sensitive to vibrations, they’ll quickly close in on any insect that wanders into their nest. In climate-controlled indoor spaces, these spiders can live year-round.
Cellar Spider Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers
While cellar spiders do have venom, they aren’t a threat to your health or safety. They are not aggressive and are not known to bite people; on the contrary, they can even be beneficial by helping control the population of unwanted insects like wasps. That said, cellar spiders are considered a nuisance pest due to their habit of building and abandoning lots of webs. Unlike other types of spiders, this species does not recycle their webbing, so an infestation could lead to an unsightly amount of cobwebs around your property. If you have cellar spiders around your home or business, seek assistance from your local spider exterminators to have them quickly removed.
