Mosquito Hawks Are Invading Texas And Getting a Bad Rap

It's that time of year again- Spring is here and soon it will be summer. Here in Texas we know that means one thing: mosquitos!

Mosquitos are quite the nuisance, and their bites are the worst! Not to mention, those little buggers can spread a variety of diseases that include Zika, West Nile Virus and malaria.

It's something that we all have to be vigilant about, and something that we all have to deal with- especially when the heavy rains hit the Lone Star state. As much as a nuisance that they are, not all mosquitos are created equally.

Enter your number to get our free mobile app

Right now in Texas, and especially in Northern Texas, a different type of insect is terrorizing people- well, techinically they're terrorizing their gardens and yards, but not so much people.

This is the Crane Fly, most commonly referred to as a mosquito hawk, a skeeter eater, a giant mosquito and even the daddy long legs of mosquitos, and it's actually not a bad mosquito!

It might look more menacing because it's much bigger than the mosquitos we're used to, but these long legged flying insects are actually harmless. They are not predators, they do not spread any type of disease, they don't bite nor do they sting. They're just regular old flying insects who are getting a bad reputation.

The only thing these bugs are harming are probably your gardens and your lawn! The Cranefly will sip on nectar of flowers, but an infestation of crane flies will result in your lawn turning yellow-ish. If you're interested in how to get rid of an infestation, check this out. But other than that, this entomologist says if you encounter one in your home, it's best to just leave them alone.