Home FEATURE Skeeter Eater? Mosquito Hawk? Nope, it’s a Crane Fly

Skeeter Eater? Mosquito Hawk? Nope, it’s a Crane Fly

by MyParisTexas
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Skeeter eaters, mosquito hawk, daddy long legs…whatever you call them, after a mild winter and a wet spring, they are uninvited guests that are swarming northeast Texas homes right now.

They are crane flies and, while annoying to have around because of the sound created by their wings, they don’t bite humans and are harmless.

Many believe they eat mosquitos but they are actually physically incapable of killing the bloodsuckers but if they are around, it means the mosquitos are soon to follow.

They are considered pests though because they are harmful to plants and often live in the very top layers of soil, therefore eat the roots and leaves of the plants that are still sprouting — meaning with them around, your turf and plants may not achieve their full growth potential.

But before you think about attempting to get rid of them, they do play a crucial role in the environment and each adult crane fly only lives for two weeks.

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