If you’ve noticed what looks like giant mosquitoes or daddy-longlegs with wings, flying around like crazy and bouncing off walls, you’re not alone.
Because San Diego County just had its rainiest winter in years, crane flies have appeared in droves throughout the region.
Chris Conlan, the County’s supervising vector ecologist, says they’re really nothing to be afraid of. Crane flies have many nicknames, including “mosquito hawks,” “skeeter-eaters” and “daddy longlegs.” But they’re really just crane flies. Although they’re pretty big for the average bug you see flying around in San Diego, they’re completely harmless to people, said Conlan.
“Their bodies sometimes reach an inch or more in length, but they can look even bigger because of their six, long, stilt-like legs,” said Gig Conaughton, a County official.
The easiest way to identify a crane fly is to see if it’s bigger than a dime. Conlan says if it’s too big to be a mosquito, it is most likely a crane fly. Bug experts sometimes call the crane flies “five-legged flies” because of their spindly, fragile legs. It’s unusual to find one with all six of its legs intact, said Conaughton.
Conlan says there’s a few myths and misconceptions he has to bust. First, they are related to mosquitoes but crane flies are not mosquitoes. Most adult crane flies don’t eat at all, but those that do will drink nectar. They can’t transmit disease, said Conlan. That’s the good news.
Unfortunately, crane flies do not eat mosquitoes. Crane flies have colorful but inaccurate nicknames such as “mosquito hawks” and “skeeter-eaters.” Also, adults only live 10 days at the most, unless they’re gobbled up by birds, lizards or other predators. Spring is the peak season for crane flies, said Conlan. Their populations are currently high. The bugs are attracted to lights, often drawing them into houses through open doors and windows.
Love them or hate them, it looks San Diego will have to get used to these interesting critters for a while. With all the rain, it’s likely to be an explosive year for their population sizes.
