Crane flies are common pests in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They are often mistaken for oversized mosquitoes and may appear to be menacing due to their alarming size. Unlike mosquitoes, crane flies are relatively harmless and more of a nuisance than a destructive or biting pest. You can even catch them in between your hands and they will not bite. These gentle giants do not have patterns of infesting homes, but instead wander inside by accident. This usually happens when a door or window is left open. Crane flies lay their larvae in the soil, making your home unappealing.
What do crane flies look like?
If you haven't heard of crane flies, it might be because you have heard of "mosquito hawks." The most frequent issue with crane flies is separating their visual features from common mosquitoes. Their size and erratic activity can ensue panic, but in reality crane flies pose no imminent threat to humans. Some can be millimeters in length whereas some have up to a 10 inch leg span. They are brown with thin, gangly long legs and wings that protrude from its body. If you see supersized mosquitoes, it's probably a harmless crane fly.
Why do I have crane flies?
Like most flies, crane flies are attracted to light. You can typically find them hanging onto things such as soffits and around your porch or front door where lights are turned on. They also live on the ground around the soil and foliage.
The sole purpose of an adult crane fly is to reproduce. As larvae, young crane flies live in the ground and are nearly invisible to the naked eye. Over the winter, they survive on plant roots, making this their only destructive behavior. Even with root consumption, crane flies still do not cause extensive issues to foliage or grass.
Do they bite?
Photo Credit: Times of San Diego
Crane flies do not behave like mosquitoes that bite. Adult crane flies cannot bite, nor do they eat at all or have mouth parts. They do not cause structural damage to your home, making them merely a nuisance pest rather than a concern for infestation by any means. They are clumsy flyers and may bump into you if you are standing in their flight path, but that’s all you will experience. They will accidentally fly into you and move on. If you see crane flies outdoors on inside, there is no need to panic.
How can Cooper help me get rid of crane flies?
Cooper Pest Solutions does not provide crane fly removal or control services.
If you find a crane fly in your home, it did not make its way in on purpose. It's likely that they were attracted to light when you opened the door and flew in with no intentions. They are not known to infest homes because they lay larvae in the soil, making indoors completely opposite of what they need to survive. Since they are harmless, you can simply catch the crane fly with a cup or between your hands and release it back outdoors.
