Often called daddy longlegs or haymakers, harvestmen are most often encountered in late summer or early fall. Most hatch from eggs in the spring but remain secluded for much of the summer, searching the leaf litter or wood piles for smaller insects; they also feed on carrion and fallen fruit. Resembling spiders with their bean-sized body and eight long legs, harvestmen are, in fact, insects.
Roaming about in late summer, they are potential prey for birds, mice, shrews and lizards; others are caught by human children who can't resist pulling off a leg or two. Fortunately, harvestmen are able to regenerate the limbs and will remain active until the first hard freeze. While most succumb to the autumn chill, some overwinter in mulch piles, basements or other protected areas.
