Crane Flies

[Risker]

Is everyone else overrun by these things? they're driving me nuts, constantly bashing against my lightbulb and my monitor and then in the morning I keep finding corpses all over the place.

[coconut]

It must be a Surrey thing We get a few. I just have to remember not to leave the windows or screen door open when it gets dark.

[RedWellies]

There are always loads around at this time of year. I have to keep fishing them out of water buckets here. Poor things. I think they die around now. I shall go and google them to find out...

Edit. The adults have emerged from their grub phase and are mating now apparently. The females will then lay their eggs and, I guess, die.

Maybe some mesh/netting over your windows would help, Risker?

[Vegan cat]

I have hundreds coming in every night.

I keep chasing them about trying to ctch them and put them out.

Have to be careful with them as there legs seems to come off easily.

I feel really sorry for them.


I usually call them Daddy Long Legs!!

[Risker]

Maybe some mesh/netting over your windows would help, Risker?

That's a really good idea, i'll probably never get around to it but it's a good idea none the less.

Last night I had about 15 in my hallway, I went for a walk during the day across our local park and it was like the ground was moving, thousands of them all moving about in the grass.

[Pagan Vegan]

I'm really phobic of them, I literally freak out very, very badly when they come near. It's strange as I'm fine with all other creepy-crawlies. Glad we're not over run with them here!

[Enchantress]

It must be a Surrey thing.

Indeed. I'm overrun with them too .

[Risker]

Argh! They're everywhere! I'm just hoping this doesn't turn into a situation like in the film 'the birds'.

[soyabean]

I'm getting attacked by them everynight at the moment.
I was in Woolworths yesterday, and noticed that they're selling a mesh screen with velco strips that you can put over the inside of windows to keep them out

[Pagan Vegan]

This is my worst nightmare - I hope they don't head West!

[eco]

We've been getting loads lately. They seem to be such bad flyers, bumping into things and people. I try to get to them before my cat does.
I've had a word with them Vegan Pagan and they've agreed to head for Glastonbury

[Vegan cat]

i think they headed for Harrow last night

I had hundreds I decided in the end to just leave them as I would of been up all night trying to put them out and then 3 more fly in.

This morning I put some out.

[Pagan Vegan]

Ecoanimal - that's not very nice!

[eco]

Aw, but crane flies are sweet! Unfortunately when we get lots of them, they're to be found squashed all over the pavements thanks to people deliberately treading on them. Not nice.

[Risker]

It might not be deliberately, I'm sure i've squished loads of them just because theres so many of them it's impossible not to.

[eco]

Sadly, it's not always accidental. There are a couple of schools near me and I've seen the kids delighting in squashing them along with some of the parents. I think the parents think they are going to harm the children in some way and encourage it.

[Lily]

It must be a Surrey thing We get a few. I just have to remember not to leave the windows or screen door open when it gets dark.

I'm in Surrey, too, and getting loads and loads of them. Just this morning I've fished two out of my dog's water bowl, (too late for one of them ), two out of the kitchen sink, and probably ten or so from around the front window and walls. There are still quite a few in the room now, I will have another go at catching them later.

My dog gets them if they go near him, but there are so many lately that he can't be bothered to get up and chase them any more!

soyabean - thanks for that about Woolworths. Best I get down there tomorrow .

[Melanie]

Ahhhhh no! Not craneflies -hides in a respectively dark corner-
They scare the heck out of me, it's because this is the time when the leatherjackets (the form b4 the "fly") hatch out.
-Shudder- I haven't the heart to kill them, but if one gets into the room, I will almost certainly leave, said room :P
xxxxxxx

[Risker]

Ahhhhh no! Not craneflies -hides in a respectively dark corner-
They scare the heck out of me, it's because this is the time when the leatherjackets (the form b4 the "fly") hatch out.
-Shudder- I haven't the heart to kill them, but if one gets into the room, I will almost certainly leave, said room :P
xxxxxxx

If I did that I'd be living outside right now.

[CEH]

They've made it "Up North" too - we've got loads of them.
We leave our back door open when we're at home for the cat to come and go as she wants so its open house for the local crane flies and lots of dead body retrieval for us every day. Yikes! I tried to free one the other day that was going mad as it had its leg stuck in a ball of fluff on the patio. I tried to get him/her free but a bit of leg came off with the fluff . I'm still suffering the guilt pangs - poor things.

[Risker]

I don't think you'd be causing any harm to them by accidentaly pulling a leg off, they're meant to come off I believe to help them evade getting eaten.

[Mr Flibble]

My hair is 'designed' to be pulled out if pulled on too hard to avoid my head being ripped off my neck. However, I can't imagine having a large clump of hair pulled out being particularly harmless. In the case of a leg, I think i'd be quite gutted.

[Tigerlily]

My house outside has a lot of those too (or a close relative). Ugh, totally creep me out.

[Melanie]

-Nods-
-Hides-

[puffin]

I usually call them Daddy Long Legs!!

Yep thats what i call them. Have loads here to. Problem is my cat goes mad when she sees them and have to get there quickly before she gets them.

[Muppet]

We call them Daddy Long legs too! Haha! Silly name isnt it?

Lots in Bristol this week aswell. I use a plastic cup and a piece of paper to cath them and then evict them into the garden! They dont terrify me, but I dont like it when they come near my face!!

I am TERRIFIED of moths though!!!!

[coconut]

There are weevils crawling everywhere in my kitchen. I think that's down to me not re-sealing bags of flour and spices properly though.

[Melanie]

I'm just generally bad with bugs 0.0

[rantipole]

Be nice to crane flies! They eat mosquitos!

Cheers,
rant

[Risker]

No they don't. How on earth would they catch them? they fly like they're drunk.

[RedWellies]

The adults don't eat at all. For more info see here.

[luaps]

rub Citronella oil on the edge of your window and window frame to deter crane flies and other insect's etc.(the outside of the window and frame are the best placs if you can reach.)

[lavender]

We have loads in Kent at the moment, they even made a news item of it as the numbers are extraordinarily high this year.

[Vegan cat]

I think this is the time they die out. I have given up trying to catch them all just let them come in if they want.

They land in my bath sometimes and I have to try and fish em out quick

[Melanie]

Eeek!

[Roxy]

Thanks for that link RedWellies - now I know what kind of insect you guys are talking about! I caught one of those in our bedroom last week and put him/her outside. I've only seen the one though.

[Jamie]

We've got them in Essex now too but not as many as some of you seem to have!

They fly inside to get to the lights at night, lucky my hubby will catch them and put them outside because I couldn't bear to touch them. I don't mind them if they are away from me!

They are a bit freaky when they bump into me or fly close to my face, I hate that. I don't see many in the day around the house though, only outside if walk through some grass.

Is it true they only live for 24 hours when they are flyers??

[RedWellies]

I think they only fly to mate and then the female lays her eggs. If they don't eat, they won't last long so I guess 24 hours is sufficient to do all that.

[Pagan Vegan]

I had one sitting on my drivers-side door this morning, I had to climb in from the passenger side. Must have been a funny sight as I'm 6'2"!

[meggymaggoo]

I think they are beautiful - like fairies dancing

[luaps]

I think they are beautiful - like fairies dancing

just like all animals they are wonderfull.

[sugarmouse]

I like them aswell.they look all gentle and just going about their own business.
the othr day though, I was walking down the road and I saw a massive bug, and I dont know what it was.It was black, about an inch long and looked abit like a gigantic ant.It was dead fat aswell.lol andrunnign really fast.I always wonder where bugs are going.the world is so massive to them.

[sandra]

Lol Risker, 'They fly like they're drunk!'
I think that's why they're cute.

[meggymaggoo]

Yes, they do Sandra! Just like moths and bats - we have a colony of bats in our roof: they fly into my bedroom every night and hover around doing silent batman impressions with their little feet hanging down! Aw, very sweet! And the moths are beautiful - velvety and soft

[sandra]

Oh you're so lucky. I love the idea of their wee feet dangling! God bless them.

[rantipole]

The adults don't eat at all. For more info see here.

Wow! I'd always been told that they eat mosquitos. I'm usually accurate with my biological info. Sorry to spread misinformation and thanks for setting me straight.

Cheers,
rant

[RedWellies]

I didn't know much about them, despite being a country girl, until I looked them up on Google. I love this thread!