Daddy longlegs are sign of a clean bathroom

For Matthew Alice: I seldom see daddy longlegs, but when I do, they are in the bathtub. Is there an explanation? — Lynne, San Diego

As if it were any of our business, Lynne, you have a very, very clean tub, according to our resident bugologist. The spiders climb in, but they can’t climb out ’cause it’s just too slippery. Odds are you see them in the morning, after they’ve spent a hard night charging around draping ratty-looking webs from your ceiling during the night. There are probably more around your house, but you’re most likely to notice the ones that blunder into the bath. And by the way, though they have long legs, and they might even be daddies, you are hosting cellar spiders, very common in Southern California, where we definitely have more tubs than cellars. Go figure.