What Foods Attract Cellar Spiders Indoors?

Cellar spiders, often known as “daddy longlegs,” are common inhabitants of indoor spaces such as basements, crawl spaces, and cellars. Although they are generally harmless to humans, many people find their presence unsettling or undesirable. Understanding what attracts these spiders indoors can help homeowners manage and minimize their populations effectively.

In this article, we will explore the dietary habits of cellar spiders, the types of food sources that lure them inside homes, and practical ways to reduce these attractants to keep your living spaces spider-free.

Understanding Cellar Spiders

Before diving into what foods attract cellar spiders indoors, it’s important to understand a bit about their behavior and ecology.

Cellar spiders belong to the family Pholcidae and are characterized by their small bodies and extremely long, thin legs. They are known for their messy, irregular webs often found in corners of basements or in dark, undisturbed areas. Unlike some other spider species that actively hunt, cellar spiders tend to build webs and wait for prey to get trapped.

What Do Cellar Spiders Eat?

Cellar spiders primarily feed on small insects and other arthropods. Their diet includes:

• Mosquitoes
• Flies
• Ants
• Small moths
• Other smaller spiders (including sometimes their own kind)

Because of this diet, cellar spiders are often considered beneficial as natural pest controllers inside homes.

What Foods Attract Cellar Spiders Indoors?

Cellar spiders themselves do not eat human food or household items. Instead, the foods that attract them indoors are essentially the insects and small arthropods they prey upon. Therefore, the presence of certain food sources indirectly lures cellar spiders into your home.

Here are some key factors and food sources that attract cellar spiders indoors:

1. Presence of Flying Insects

Flying insects such as flies, mosquitoes, gnats, and moths are major prey items for cellar spiders. These insects are naturally attracted indoors by:

• Stagnant water sources (which breed mosquitoes)
• Outdoor lights attracting moths and flies near windows or doors
• Food scraps or garbage containing residues that attract flies

Where there is an abundance of these flying insects inside a home, cellar spiders will follow to take advantage of the readily available food supply.

2. Damp and Humid Environments Supporting Other Insects

Basements, cellars, laundry rooms, and bathrooms tend to be more humid and damp than other parts of a house. These conditions encourage the growth of mold and mildew which attracts various small insects including:

• Fungus gnats
• Springtails
• Silverfish
• Booklice

These small creatures serve as food for cellar spiders. Therefore, areas with higher moisture levels can indirectly invite cellar spiders by supporting the presence of these insects.

3. Stored Food Residues Attracting Ants and Other Crawling Insects

Crumbs or spills from stored pantry items or pet food can attract ants and other crawling insects indoors. Cellar spiders prey on ants and similar pests when they get trapped in webs or wander into spider web zones.

Hence, poor housekeeping practices around food storage can create favorable conditions for insect prey species which in turn attract cellar spiders.

4. Infestation of Other Indoor Pests

Sometimes a bigger indoor pest problem involving cockroaches, silverfish, or even other spider species can bring cellar spiders inside as they hunt these smaller pests or compete in overlapping habitats.

Since cellar spiders feed on many kinds of small arthropods—including rival spider species—an infestation can increase their numbers indoors.

How to Reduce Food Sources That Attract Cellar Spiders

Since cellar spiders come inside mainly due to the availability of prey insects rather than direct attraction to human foods themselves, controlling those pests is key to reducing cellar spider populations.

Here are effective strategies for minimizing insect populations indoors:

Eliminate Standing Water

Mosquitoes require stagnant water to breed; removing sources like clogged drains, plant saucers with water accumulation, and leaks helps cut down mosquito numbers which reduces one major food source for cellar spiders.

Control Indoor Humidity

Use dehumidifiers in damp areas such as basements to lower humidity levels below 50%. This discourages mold growth and reduces fungus gnat populations along with other humidity-loving insects.

Maintain Cleanliness in Food Storage Areas

Keep kitchen counters clean from crumbs or spills and store dry goods in airtight containers. Properly seal pet food bags as well. This limits ants and flies attracted by food residues.

Use Insect Screens on Doors and Windows

Prevent flying insects like moths and flies from entering by installing tight-fitting screens on windows and doors especially near light sources where they gather at night.

Regularly Inspect and Treat Pest Infestations

If you have cockroach or silverfish infestations, treat them promptly with appropriate pest control methods. Reducing these pest populations lowers prey availability for cellar spiders.

Clear Cluttered Dark Corners

Cellar spiders thrive in undisturbed cluttered areas where their webs go unnoticed. Cleaning out storage boxes or piles in basements reduces hiding places not only for the spiders but also for their prey insects.

Additional Tips on Managing Cellar Spiders Indoors

While reducing insect prey availability is effective at deterring cellar spiders long-term, consider these immediate measures if you notice spider webs forming:

• Vacuum regularly to physically remove spider webs along with trapped insects.
• Seal cracks and gaps around foundation walls or windows where both insects and spiders may enter.
• Use sticky traps targeted for flying insects near light fixtures to intercept prey before they travel deeper inside.
• If necessary, use natural repellents such as essential oils (peppermint oil) around entry points; though these may only have limited effects on preventing spider entry.

Remember that cellar spiders pose minimal threat compared to other pests—they are not aggressive toward humans nor do they cause damage like termites or cockroaches—so tolerance combined with good housekeeping is often the best solution.

Conclusion

Cellar spiders come indoors primarily in search of their preferred diet: small insects like flies, mosquitoes, ants, moths, and other tiny arthropods. Therefore, the “foods” that attract them are effectively those same insect populations living inside homes due to moisture problems, poor sanitation around food storage areas, outdoor lighting attracting bugs near entrances, or existing pest infestations.

Reducing these insect food sources by controlling humidity levels, eliminating standing water, maintaining cleanliness around food items, sealing entry points for bugs, and managing other pest problems will help limit the presence of cellar spiders indoors naturally.

By understanding the indirect relationship between certain household conditions that promote insect prey for cellar spiders—and addressing those conditions—you can create an environment that is less hospitable for both pests and the cellar spiders that feed on them.