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04/01/2008: "Attack Of The Crane Flies"

Still woozy from the flu, so you never know where the mind will wander ...

I remember back when I was a kid, I'd see these things that looked like monster mosquitos. We called them "Mosquito Hawks", and the common belief was that they munched on the smaller bloodsuckers. Always wondered how they looked at us, but never really saw enough of them to worry.

I mention this only because of the current invasion that's going on now in the South Bay. Seems like every time you shake a bush, a dozen of those bastards fly out - or, more correct, try to fly, since they don't seem to be very good at it. I'm not sure if it's all the rain we got this winter, or global warming, or some other unexpected adjustment to the food pyramid, but they seem to be everywhere.

Intriqued - and a bit worried, recalling them from childhood - I called on the source of all knowledge ... Wikipedia.

Turns out I couldn't have been more wrong. First, they're called a Crane Fly. Second, they're not even closely related to the mosquito, although they do bear some passing resemblance. Third, they don't eat mosquitos. Fourth - and this is the first one I like - they don't bite.

So, they aren't harmful, but not particularly helpful, either. I have a policy in my garden that you have to pull your own weight, or stay out of my way. Sounds like once the flu is a goner, so are the crane flies ...

Replies: 1 Comment

On Friday, April 4th, RavTan said:

Feed 'em to the squirrels in exchange for peanuts !

If they are also known as "leatherjackets" (the grubs that become them, that is) - yup, I've started typing this before even looking at your links ( ) - we get them over here and they can make a good trout fly, though it doesn't work unless you tie your fly with all the legs trailing backwards.

If you tie it with the legs splayed out (as you'd expect if the fly has just accidentally landed on water) the trout don't want to know.