• Community Events
  • Home
  • Employment
  • Local
    • Central San Diego
    • North County
    • East County
    • South Bay
    • Northeastern
    • Riverside County
  • Entertainment
    • Music
    • Television
    • Art
    • Theater
    • Film
    • Events
    • Theme Parks
    • Podcast/Radio
    • Museums
    • Books
  • Business
  • National
  • Politics
  • Science & Technology
    • Computer
    • Science
    • Space
  • Sports
  • Environment
    • Clean Air
    • Climate change
    • Land
    • Ocean
    • Pollution
    • Recycling
  • Health
    • Health Business
    • Health Education
    • Medical
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Senior Life
    • Society

San Diego County News

Independent publication serving San Diego County

San Diego County To See More Crane Flies This Spring

April 16, 2017 By sdcnews

Crane flies resemble mosquitos, but they are harmless.

SAN DIEGO–If you see giant ‘mosquitoes’ with wings inside and outside your house, don’t panic! They are crane flies!

Despite their size and looks, the crane flies are harmless to humans, according to Chris Conlan, the County’s supervising vector ecologist.

“They’re nothing to be afraid of, says Conlan.

Conlan said among bug experts crane flies are also called “five-legged flies,” because their spindly legs are so fragile it’s hard to find one with all six legs intact.

This year’s rainy season has produced an increase number of crane flies all over San Diego county.

Man stabbed after an altercation in East Village
Trending
Man stabbed after an altercation in East Village

Conlan says people may be seeing more crane flies than they usually do this spring — and lots of other bugs — because the region had its rainiest winter in years.

Crane flies are related to mosquitoes, but they are not mosquitoes.

“They don’t bite; they don’t suck blood. In fact, most adult crane flies don’t eat at all. Those that do, drink nectar,” Conlan said.

Crane flies live in wet or moist soil, feeding off decaying organic matter. Some even live underwater. Adult flies don’t live long, about 10 days at the most — unless they’re gobbled up before that by birds, lizards or other creatures.

Conlan said crane flies are common all year long, but people will notice them more in spring because it’s their peak season.

Because their populations are high, and because they’re attracted to lights, this is also the time of year they can often get into houses through open doors and windows.

To keep crane flies out of the house, Conlan suggests turning off the front-door and porch lights, limit outside lighting, or retrofit them with yellow bug lights. (If your front-porch light is on the same circuit as the lights in front of your house and you want to keep them on, you can just un-screw the front-porch bulb) That way, fewer crane flies and bugs will be drawn to the light, where they can fly into your house when you open the door to get in.

 “This is something that people are going to have to kind of expect this year,” he said. “You’re going to see a lot more of these things as the weather warms up.”

 

40

SHARES
Share on Facebook
Tweet
Follow us

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Central San Diego, Local Tagged With: Local


Support Independent Journalism



Trending

  • County public health lifts closure of Coronado shoreline
  • U. S. Marshall Seek Fugitive‏
  • Man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of passenger on trolley
  • Former director of finance for La Jolla Music Society sentenced to 30 months in prison
  • Bi-national operation near border yields rifle, ammunition, makeshift ladders

Advertisement

Good Sam Travel Assist

Advertisement

Start LLC today at incorporate.com

Education

United Way of San Diego hosts ‘Back to School Drive’ for students and families

San … [Read More...]

Environment

Research strengthens evidence of link between air pollution and child brain development

By … [Read More...]

Science & Technology

NASA reveals Webb Telescope’s first images of unseen universe

The … [Read More...]

Advertisement

Independence Day Savings! Save up to $25◊ off our Fees on Flights Use Coupon USA25.

Advertisement

Stacy Adams

Advertisement

Summer Membership offer

Advertisement

Naturepedic

Categories

  • About Us
  • Archive
  • Community Events
  • Contact Us
  • Employment
  • Private Policy
  • Terms of Service

Follow @SanCounty

Privacy Policy

Terms of service

Copyright © 2022 San Diego County News