Daddy long legs

[Nowyouknow]

With having moved up here recently I find there is a very lot of daddy long legs is this normal for this time of year

[SteveandLois]

Seems to happen around the same time every year,and lasts about a fortnight,they don't seem to live that long,especially in our house..

[jamyramy]

Seems to happen around the same time every year,and lasts about a fortnight,they don't seem to live that long,especially in our house..

yep your right ,that time of year,but their not that savvy!bit short of a shilling ,they always gravitate to the sink /bath ,even after rescueing them and aquick blast wth the hair drier to get en up an going ,there they arestuck to the dishes again,but hey their such quaint weee bu...rs.

[silver fox]

yep your right ,that time of year,but their not that savvy!bit short of a shilling ,they always gravitate to the sink /bath ,even after rescueing them and aquick blast wth the hair drier to get en up an going ,there they arestuck to the dishes again,but hey their such quaint weee bu...rs.

Daddy Long Legs or more correctly Crane flies may be quaint, but their larvae (leather jackets) are anything but, those little sods can do an amazing amount of damage to lawns and small plants from Spring through to Summer.

This time of the year the adults are busily laying eggs in the ground, a wet mild Autumn is ideal for these pests, then next year you wonder why there are brown dead patches in your lawn, your young fresh bedding plants just give up and die, lift those bedding plants and find something has been chomping on the new roots, that's very often leather jackets at work.

[Toodles McGinty]

Not noticed any Crane Flies yet, but got a ruck of garden spiders. That probably isn't what they're called - those with a tiny body and huge long skinny legs. We call them 'bouncers'. Inside and outside.

I usually employ a cup and card defence, but I was told that we shouldn't put them back outside or they'll die. So now I'm split between natural revulsion and not wanting to be a spider-killer.

[silver fox]

Not noticed any Crane Flies yet, but got a ruck of garden spiders. That probably isn't what they're called - those with a tiny body and huge long skinny legs. We call them 'bouncers'. Inside and outside.

I usually employ a cup and card defence, but I was told that we shouldn't put them back outside or they'll die. So now I'm split between natural revulsion and not wanting to be a spider-killer.

Wouldn't worry too much, most if not all the adults are going to die anyway, just to cheer you up the breeding cycle of many spiders is that the adult finds a good spot, then spins themselves into a cocoon along with their eggs, when the eggs hatch, the spiderlings first food source is the body of the adult, then they start on their brothers and sisters until big enough to break out of their cocoon.

You may have noticed in spring some balls of spider web which seem to grow unaided, break one open and huge numbers of spiderlings pour out, the natural life cycle for most spiders is coming to an end at this time of the year, those coming into our homes are just looking for somewhere warm and dry.

If you want to set up a spider rescue centre in your home, will gladly donate some spiders

[MICK/GILLY]

I remember being an infant in Bury rd school and on our milk and toast break we used to catch them and pull thier legs off, nowerdays I just do the same as I do with flies that's just open the window and make flapping gestures and sort of force / guide them out. There are all sorts of bug traps and sprays, electric whackers and gimmicks to kill them and flies but the easiest way to get rid of em is to just open the window as they go towards the window anyway.
Some years ago I brought an aluminium ladder into my house to be able to reach the ceiling as I was decorating, little did I know little spiders take to the air in thier hundreds on a sheet of web and a ' web of spiders ' must of caught around the ladders, I must not have noticed as they are so small and the web sheet so fine, anyway I could see them clearly all over my new white paint and all over the hall stairs and landing .... Nightmare.

[The PNP]

Yes, seen a few d.l.l.'s outside recently. But had only one inside - so set it free outside.

Don't mind a spider or two in corner of a window. Consider them to be natures flypaper-makers, who help to keep the mozzies, midges etc down.

Don't like the big-uns though. These nasties emerge from underfloor after dark, stalking the lounge carpet looking for crumbs....They rapidly run for cover if light is switched on in the early hours - that's if I don't get to them first!

[MICK/GILLY]

Conkers are supposed to repel spiders, just be careful where you pick em.

[Toodles McGinty]

If you want to set up a spider rescue centre in your home, will gladly donate some spiders

I'll pass thanks.

Had some spider balls (!) outside the bedroom window for a while. Neighbour explained what they were, so I watched them for ages, waiting for hundreds of tiny spiders to come tumbling out. Fortunately the window cleaner wasn't as squeamish as me about killing things, because I woke up to clean windows and no balls.

Got a corker of a web outside one of the kitchen windows. Massive spider in it. Nothing moves it, wind, rain, cats. It's very 'zen'. Sadly, that window cleaner is due. I'll miss it when it's gone.

Not to the point of adopting more, though.

edited: he's just moved and made a liar of me. Caught a fly then back to 'zen spider' again.

[Toodles McGinty]

Conkers are supposed to repel spiders, just be careful where you pick em.

Tried that once. Got some odd looks shoving dozens of conkers into my shopping trolley, outside Christ Church.

The spiders just laughed and crawled all over them.

[gazaprop]

'I woke up to clean windows and no balls'.

Remind me not to use that window cleaner! Boom boom!

[SteveandLois]

'I woke up to clean windows and no balls'.

Remind me not to use that window cleaner! Boom boom!

Damn.you beat me on replying to that gazaprop comment...

[KissThis]

Conkers are supposed to repel spiders, just be careful where you pick em.

You'd need to be a darned good shot!