Experts say ideal weather conditions in recent months have created a 'bumper crop' of daddy long legs larvae and 200billion of them will hatch over the next two weeks - with many heading into our homes. Insect charity Buglife has issued advice over what to do if your home becomes host to crane flies this month.
A spokesman said: “Although they can cause a bit of bother in homes with their incessant fluttering, they are placid creatures, literally incapable of hurting a fly.”
Buglife say if you find one, catch it gently and release it outside. They do not sting and are harmless.
Crane flies are good for the environment, reports the Star, as their larvae help enrich the soil, turning dead organic matter into nutrient-rich material. The Buglife spokesman added: “And they’re also breakfast, lunch and dinner for birds, bats, amphibians, spiders, other insects, reptiles and fish, which are building up reserves to see them through winter.”
Those set to be unleashed this month were laid as eggs last autumn. The baking hot summer, with no rain to affect them in their underground tunnels, means there could be a record number.
In a quest to find a mate, they often blunder into homes through open windows at night, attracted by lights. Once airborne they only live for a few days.
The University of California's entomology department explains: "They do not have venom glands, fangs or any other mechanism for chemically subduing their food. Therefore, they do not have injectable toxins. Some have defensive secretions that might be toxic to small animals if ingested."
