It’s “Skeeter Hawk” Season in Louisiana: But What Are They Really?
This time of year in Louisiana, it seems you can't open a door without ushering in at least a half-dozen skeeter hawks into your home. At least, that's what we called them growing up around here. But they actually aren't mosquitoes, or any type of hawk.
So what are these bumbling, flying insects hovering awkwardly around everywhere? If it isn't a skeeter hawk, what is it? It's actually called a Tipuloidea, or more commonly called simply, a Crane Fly.
Are Crane Flies Harmful to Humans?
Crane flies are actually one of the most benign insects known to man. They aren't poisonous. They don't carry disease. They don't even bite or sting, mainly because they don't have mouths or stingers. And unlike mosquitoes, they don't feed on blood.
The buggest nuisance crane flies pose is possibly to your lawn. Crane fly larvae could possibly damage your lawn by eating away at the grass roots. Not the band, but your actual grass roots in your lawn. But most crane fly larvae are actually beneficial, eating leaves, plants and organic material in the soil and water, helping your lawn by breaking down organic matter.
Strangely though, most adult crane flies don't really eat anything. They might occasionally feed on nectar, but the crane fly has a short lifespan, and adults spend most of their lives mating, laying eggs, then... dying.
So What Purpose Do Crane Flies Serve?
Even though they don't really take much from the eco-system, they do provide important benefits, like being food for some animals like skunks, possums, other insects, and even fungi.
So if you're sitting on the porch in the evening and are annoyed by these benign, quiet flyers... about the worse they can do is fly into your iced tea.