INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - "Swarms of insects that look like mutant mosquitoes are invading neighborhoods across the area. Homeowners have been calling mosquito control and Purdue University's extension service asking about the bugs. They are called Crane flies and if you've got them, you can't miss them. "Yes, it is that bad! Swarms, literally thousands of these Crane flies all across the yard. With each step I take masses of these large mosquito looking bugs fly up from the grass. Every time I open the door to let the dog out they try to get inside. It is terrible! I had no idea what these were or why there were so many of them. I was very glad to read this in the news today, now I know what has invaded Robin's Nesting Place.
Since I'm posting about bugs, I thought I'd share this picture of the moth too.
24 comments:
Out here, we call those mosquito eaters (I have no idea why). They're pretty abundant in the springtime. It's interesting that they are swarming your area and many people have never even seen one before.
They're down here on the southside too! It's a shame because the weather is so perfect, but the bugs are horrendous!
Crane flies eat nectar. They're enjoying your garden! Cameron
We have had almost none this year. For some reason they have all moved to your part of the world.
There are nematodes on the market now that will attack the nasty little things.
Jen
Phew! I thought it was just our yard - that we had not done something in the spring - not put the right thing down on the lawn to prevent such a swarm. But yes, I am pretty positive that a swarm of those nasty things are living smack dab in our backyard - coating our white vinyl fence and house...yuck. And it seems so much worse in our yard than anywhere else - I went for a walk last night with the pup to see how everyone else compared and it seems they like our yard best. :( I want to smoke them out or something - tempted to try and start a little fire in our firepit and see if that helps or citronella candles - anything to get them to GO AWAY. Any tips?!
It seems that this year was a banner year for bugs. It must have been that wet wet winter and spring we had.
We have these in Colorado too (not the swarms you're describing) but I never knew what they were called. I always thought they looked more like a giant mosquito than a fly. Interesting. I hope the activity dwindles soon so you can enjoy being back outdoors.
Sorry about your swarm. That's no fun, is it? Do they bite? At least if they don't bite like giant mosquitoes you can console yourself with that!
We've had crane fly infestations in neighbouring towns and they've been unbelievably destructive - whole lawns destroyed. The larvae chew roots and crowns of our lawns - not a pretty site. We're restricted about what we can use - - maybe you want to talk to someone at your local agricultural extension service about what to use and when to treat.
They were flying all around me the other day when I was out mowing. I've never seen so many. Plus, here it is late in the season and there are still regular mosquitoes out there, too.
Buggy year, indeed!
Carol, May Drems GArdens
Yuck, hope those bugs fly away soon!
I have never seen those! I hope I never do see them. But, your pictures are glorious. I have a cat that looks like yours.
oh gah, I think those are my least favorite insect ever!!!! They really give me the creeps!!! They've been hanging out on the one side of our house lately, and I refuse to even walk over there...eeeks!
Robin, I thought they were earlier in the season...are they on a two season birth cycle? What pests...the mosquitoes are still horrible in Nashville. Gardening and garden cleanup is not fun with bugs attacking! gail
I like the pic of the moth, very monochromatic! So why are there so many of those bugs in your yard?
As creepy as bugs can be, they do have a place in God's grand scheme of things! And if you can get past the icky-ness of them, some are really quite beautiful in their own buggy way-lol!
They sound as abundant and as annoying as our "love bugs" that invade us twice a year. YUCK!!!!!
The worst SWARM of anything I have experienced is when a zillion termites landed on our front porch about 3 years ago. They totally covered the BRICK column on our front porch for a few hours and then moved on. I called the termite company and they said they do that and not to worry. It wasn't an invasion of our home. PTL!!!
Wow... it amazes me how insects, birds, butterflies they all have their own habitat and would not be different.... here where we live--cold high dessert, not even flies would come by... :)
Love your garden!
cielo
Hi,
This is a comment about moths. I was watching Animal Planet and the program was about grizzley bears. They sometimes travel to the rocky regions of Yellowstone, where there isn't much plant material. They like to move the rocks around to find moths to eat under the rocks. They will consume thousands of them ...I think for the fat content, before they hibernate.Who knew?
Some years we see a LOT of craneflies, but this year there didn't seem to be that many around. One year the side of my neighbour's barn was covered in them, but I haven't seen those sorts of numbers in three or four years or maybe longer.
I used to think they were large mosquitoes but we do have them, too. They cling to the siding on the house but don't bother much. A swarm of them would put me over the edge, though!
It looks like a mosquito on steroids.:-)
I hope they don't bite?
We often get bunches of crane flies here too, and my Texas-born husband calls them skeeter-eaters, though I've read that they don't eat mosquitoes (alas). They seem harmless.
They were always around when I was a kid, and I grew up hearing they ate mosquitoes, too, Robin. I'm disappointed to read that the only mosquito eating consists of some crane fly larvae eating the occasional mosquito larvae.
They're supposed to like damp places - maybe your early wet weather pumped up the population?
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
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