It's officially spring....crane flies are out

What goes hand in hand with spring in Central Texas? ....well.... the smell of grape sweet tarts from mountain laurels blooming, pink buds on Red bud trees, and the sight of my dog jumping around trying to capture crane flies in the backyard.

Crane flies are a harmless insect that can sometimes become a nuisance when they come into the house.  Crane flies spend the majority of their life as larvae in damp locations- think edges of ponds, streams, wet logs, etc.  They only live a few days as adults, long enough to emerge, mate, lay eggs (females of course), and then die.

Some people think that crane flies are giant mosquitoes.  They're not.  Others think that crane flies are predators of mosquitoes. Again, they're not.  Crane flies often don't a eat a whole lot, but may sometimes feed on nectar or honeydew.

So if you see what appears to be a giant mosquito clumsily flitting towards you, don't panic, it's just a crane fly looking for love (possibly in all the wrong places....).