Kitchen Garden Forum

Can anyone settle a debate between me and the present Mrs Wright? She flattens any crane flies that come into the house at night as she reckons they will bite our dogs and infect them with disease. I didn't think they were into biting things, and I've certainly never been bitten by one despite picking up dozens and ejecting them into the garden. Does anyone know?

Nay, nay and thrice nay.

They are harmless.

The juvenile stage, leatherjackets, burrow along underground in grassland, munching roots.

I can't say for sure. Assuming these are the same things we call "Daddy long legs", I find they generally want to run away from you, not stay and fight!

Just to put the fear of god into Mrs Wright, is this the creature she's talking about:



If you really want to see those jaws, have a look here:
http://www.pbase.com/cmalsingh/image/67016939/original

Let us know what you end up deciding!


Colin

Go to http://www.the-piedpiper.co.uk/th6g.htm

where it says "They do not feed as adults, nor do they bite or sting. " [/b]

Thanks for the replies chaps, this confirms my own research and I reckon I've won this one.

The thing that looks like a stinger is the ovipositor of the female, used for laying her eggs down into grass