Crane flies, Mosquito Eater? Not at all! Debunking Myths About This Bug.

Greetings! :)

Welcome to Our Blog! The purpose of our blog will be to share information to all of you about pests or bugs, tips to help keep them away, & other fun topics.

The Topic of this discussion is:

1. Debunking myths about the crane fly 🕵‍♂️

2. What attracts them to your home. 🏘

3. How to prevent them from taking over your lawn.

Myth #1

We all know Crane flies as "Mosquito Eaters" but what if I told you this was false?

Crane flies don't eat mosquitoes at all. In fact the adults don't eat much at all.

Fact: The adults purpose is just to mate & make more larvae.

The adults will lay their larvae in your lawn or really any type of long grass as long as it's wet and moist. The larvae will eat roots of grass or plants. Their larvae stage is the longest part of their life cycle.

Myth 2: Crane Flies are harmful to humans.

Fact: Crane Flies are harmless to humans. They lack parts in their mouth to bite or suck. They are closely related to mosquitos but don't drink blood and are much bigger. They also don't sting. They can be a nuisance but pose no threat to humans or pets.

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Question: If they are harmless to me, why should I be concerned about them? 🧐

Good question! Crane flies are an invasive bug. If there is an over abundance of crane fly larvae in your lawn, they will consume the roots of your grass and ultimately will kill your gross but that's just worst case scenario if left untreated.

Remember, the longest part of their life cycle is the larvae stage. They will continue to eat on your lawn until they become adults. The more adult crane flies you see around your backyard, that is a sure sign babies (larvae) are sure to come, if not already. As the adults tend to stay nearby where they are sure to find a mate and can quickly lay their eggs. Fun Fact: Each female can lay as many as 200-300 eggs over several days.

Fun Fact: They're great for our ecosystem, as they do eat the dead plants so new ones can grow. They're also a great food source for birds in the early spring when food sources are scare. Its recommended to only treat the lawn, if you're seeing them invade and killing a lot of your grass.

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Question: What would attract a lot of crane flies to my yard? What are they signs that I have a lot of them?

I am so glad you asked! 😃

Signs of Crane fly infestation:

Check out your grass, it will appear as unhealthy yellow grass, have patches of dead brown grass, or bare dirt areas. If you notice these patches, dig up a small section under your lawn, just underneath the surface to identify the larvae. They tend to be green, white, or brown little worms. If you see these guys in the small patch you dug up, you might have a start to an infestation.

Crane Flies tend to be most active in early spring & fall.

A Great Visual Tool, in helping you identify Crane Flies: https://youtu.be/2RF6iyrwAeU?si=QrSW_BrJ32kimWar

How to Prevent:

1. Don't over water your lawn. Craneflies are attracted to moist damp grass.

2. Keep grass aerated & mowed regularly.

3. Call us, Behr Pest Solutions if you feel your noticing the problem is getting out of hand. We have a seasonal crane fly service that will be sure to eliminate them from your yard.

Thank you for reading! We hope you found this topic to be helpful and interesting to you ♥️