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It must be the end of the growing season, because I have toyed with the idea of writing an in-depth article on each of the insects that visit me in the garden. Well, Miles Klein, a retired optometrist from Dallas, TX, has done some of my homework for me! He did some research on the daddy longlegs, which I would like to share with you.

They are officially known as harvestmen and are also called harvest or shepherd spiders and belong to the order Opiliones. The word Opilio is the Latin word for shepherd, and this derives from the ancient shepherd practice of walking on stilts to better observe their flocks.

This reddish-brown, small bodied, stilt legged member of the class Arachnida can be found all over the world. Some entomologists believe that there may be more than 7,000 species of Opiliones, of which 150 are in North America.

Although usually thought of as a spider, it is not. Spiders and daddy longlegs have two body segments (the cephalothorax and the abdomen). The segmentation is distinct in spiders, but not so obvious in daddy longlegs. Further confusion arises as there is a type of spider called daddy longlegs spider, whose general resemblance to the true daddy longlegs disappears under close scrutiny.

Daddy longlegs has a varied diet, and will eat animals both dead and alive, as well as vegetable matter, juices, insects and their eggs, even picnic crumbs. Although active at any hour, it is primarily a night prowler. As delicate and vulnerable as it appears, daddy longlegs does have an effective defense mechanism. Located at the base of the first pair of legs is a pair of scent glands, which can produce a milky fluid with a sickly sweet odor that discourages many enemies.

Mating takes place in late summer and autumn. The female lays her eggs, a few at a time, in the soil, a crevice or on rotting wood. The eggs hatch in the spring as miniature versions of the adults. The young ones shed their skins as they grow and they will continue to molt throughout their lifespan.

Daddy longlegs are totally harmless, despite a widespread urban legend claiming that they are the most poisonous spider in the world. In fact, their fangs are too small to bite humans, which they don’t do anyway! Even if they could, they don’t have any venom. This leggy creature has inspired other myths as well. It was once believed that daddy longlegs could locate lost cattle. If someone held a daddy longlegs by all but one leg, the free leg would allegedly point in the direction of the missing bovine. It was also thought that you could make it rain by killing a daddy longlegs.

In 1955 a charming movie was made called “Daddy longlegs,” starring Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron. In fact, Astaire’s nickname until the day he died, was Daddy Longlegs. But the next time you see one of these little creatures, don’t think of Fred, think of the wonders of Mother Nature, and take a closer look!

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Great news––the Extension office will be moving into permanent office space in downtown North Branch at the end of November. Look for more details in this column in the next couple of weeks.

There are three remote drop off sites for samples in the county: Mannions Greenhouse and Floral in Rush City, North Branch Floral and Federated Coop (Cenex) on Highway 8 in Chisago City. There will not be a Master Gardener on site, but these businesses have agreed to hold the samples for pickup.

Other ways to access information:

www.extension.umn.edu/county/chisago Check out the “Hot Topics” box in the middle of the page for current Chisago County Master Gardener news and events.

You can also click on “Ask a Master Gardener” next to the cute little flower on the right hand side of the page. Here you can search 1000s of answers from Master Gardeners around the state. If you don’t find your answer, you can submit a question online or search for University publications.

Bell Museum of Natural History: For information about snakes, skunks, raccoons or other wildlife around your yard, call the wildlife information line at (612) 624-1374 or www.bellmuseum.org.

Master Gardener voice mail: 651-237-3080. Leave a message and a Master Gardener will call you back within a couple of days.

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