Leave beneficial spiders alone when possible

What to Do

When you encounter a spider that is not a brown recluse or black widow, consider leaving it alone or catching and releasing it outdoors rather than killing it. Common house spiders, cellar spiders (daddy longlegs), jumping spiders, and garden spiders are harmless and beneficial.

Why It Works

Spiders are highly effective predators that eat large numbers of pest insects — flies, mosquitoes, moths, ants, and cockroaches. University extension services (UMN, UC IPM, Oregon State) consistently emphasize that eradicating all spiders from a home is unnecessary and counterproductive. The few spiders you see are providing free, continuous pest control.

Tips

• Jumping spiders are curious and completely harmless — they eat flies, mosquitoes, and other pests
• Cellar spiders (long-legged spiders in basements) eat pest insects and other spiders, including brown recluse
• A glass and piece of cardboard is an easy catch-and-release method
• Focus control efforts on the two medically significant species, not all spiders