Are Daddy Long Legs Poisonous?
The term “daddy long legs” can refer to three different creatures:
Harvestmen (Opiliones) – These are the most common creatures people call “daddy long legs.” They have a small round body and extremely long, thin legs. Harvestmen are not spiders and they are not venomous or poisonous. They don’t have fangs, venom glands, or any mechanism to bite or harm humans.
Cellar Spiders (Pholcidae) – These are true spiders often found in basements or corners of rooms. They do have venom, which they use to subdue tiny insect prey, but their venom is very mild and harmless to humans. Their fangs are too small and weak to pierce human skin effectively, so they pose no danger at all.
Crane Flies (Tipulidae) – These long-legged flying insects are sometimes also called daddy long legs. They are completely harmless, do not bite, and have no venom or toxins of any kind.
No type of daddy long legs is poisonous or dangerous to humans. The old myth that they have the “most potent venom but can’t bite humans” is just that—a myth, with no scientific basis.