If there’s one thing that freaks me out more than spiders, it’s daddy longlegs – aka crane flies. With their long spindly legs and their gradual and indirect hovering, usually directly into my face, they’re not my favourite insect.
I spoke to Adam Hart, professor of conservation ecology at the University of Gloucestershire, who mentioned that he spotted several crane flies on the way out to the car this morning, and then again at work. So, daddy longlegs are officially up in the air and hovering towards our homes.
I’m keen to know how to keep them out, so I asked Adam what’s attracting them in the first place and how I can prevent this unwelcome guest.
Why are daddy longlegs suddenly everywhere?
‘This is actually a very normal time of year to see them,’ says Adam. ‘Some of our common crane flies emerge as adults in late summer and early autumn and, in southern Britain, September can be a peak month for them. They’ve been around for most of the year but hidden from us in a completely different form. The larvae, often called leatherjackets, live mainly in the soil. When fully developed they pupate and then emerge as the familiar long-legged adult flies we’re seeing now.
‘They don’t particularly need a spell of cold weather to emerge. Their life cycle is timed so that large numbers of adults can appear around this time of year, and suitable weather conditions can obviously influence exactly when we notice them.’
The daddy longlegs you’re seeing now will lay their eggs directly in the soil before they die (they typically live for one to two weeks), which then hatch into larvae a few weeks later. That larva then sits and waits until springtime, feeding on roots and grass in the interim. They finally pupate in May or June, before taking flight as they are today.
It’s a long and unnerving process. And it means the daddy long legs we’re seeing didn’t ‘hatch’ today; they hatched about a year ago!
What are daddy longlegs attracted to?
‘Light is probably the big one,’ continues Adam. ‘Adult crane flies can be attracted to artificial lights at night, so an illuminated room with an open window or door can result in them blundering inside. They aren’t coming indoors because they want to live in our houses or because they’re attracted to food. The adult stage is quite short and is largely about finding a mate and reproducing.’
So, the solution is simple: keep the lights switched off at night, especially if you’ve got open windows and doors. That goes for external lights too, which tend to be bright and alluring for all kinds of insects.
For instance, porch lights are perfectly positioned to attract crane flies which then blunder into your home as you open the door. Back door lights and security lights too are overly bright, so they should only be switched on as and when they’re needed via motion sensors.
Having said that, the light doesn’t have to be an intense one. Even fairy lights can lure crane flies on to your balcony or windowsill if you happen to use these to decorate.
Check out these 7 ingenious wire-free lighting solutions, some of which are dimmable and contain sensors.
How to keep daddy longlegs out of your home
‘The simplest answer is physical exclusion,’ advises Adam. ‘If they’re a nuisance, close windows when lights are on at night or use insect screens if you want windows open. There’s really no need for insecticides or special repellents. If one gets inside, opening a window or gently catching it in a glass and releasing it outside is perfectly adequate.’
As much as they scare me, daddy longlegs aren’t pests. In fact, they’re a food source for many animals, including hedgehogs, birds and spiders, so they’re an essential part of the ecosystem. Given that, you mustn’t kill, but rather catch and release where possible. Or failing that, you could switch off the lights and guide it outside manually with a torch and a little patience!
Adam concludes: ‘They’re completely harmless to people. Despite looking a little like enormous mosquitoes, crane flies don’t bite or sting. The pointed structure people sometimes notice on the end of a female isn’t a sting – it’s her ovipositor, which she uses when laying eggs.
‘They can be annoying when they’re bouncing around a lampshade, but they’re really just a very conspicuous sign of an entirely normal autumn wildlife event.’
So, there you have it; daddy longlegs are not to be feared but rather escorted back outside. All it’s looking for is a mate, much like spiders at this time of year, so there’s really no need to kill it.
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