Why the “Mosquito Hawk” Name?
Crane flies look like giant mosquitoes — long bodies, long legs, fragile wings. The mistaken assumption was: they look bigger and scarier, so they must eat the smaller mosquitoes. This is folk biology, not actual biology. The name “mosquito hawk” is regional — you’ll also hear “daddy long-legs” (which is technically incorrect — the actual daddy long-legs is a different arachnid), “skeeter eaters,” or “gallinippers.” All wrong. They’re crane flies (family Tipulidae).
What Crane Flies Actually Do
Adults (5–10 days)
Adult crane flies have one purpose: mate and lay eggs. Most species don’t feed at all as adults. A few species sip nectar from flowers but provide negligible pollination services. They are clumsy fliers — attracted to lights, easily caught by spiders, and often found dead on porches and windowsills. Their long legs are fragile and frequently break off mid-flight. This vulnerability is why they live so briefly.
Larvae (9–11 months)
Crane fly larvae — called “leatherjackets” in lawn-care contexts — live in soil and eat plant roots, decaying leaves, and organic matter. They’re grey-brown, tube-shaped, and 25–40 mm long when mature. In light infestations they cause no visible damage. In heavy infestations they can cause brown patches in lawns, especially in fall and early spring.
When Are They Active in Ontario?
- Spring emergence (April–May): Smaller wave. Adults you see in early spring before mosquito season really starts.
- Fall emergence (September–October): Larger wave. This is when most Ontario homeowners notice clouds of crane flies near porch lights and on building exteriors. They look ominous but are completely harmless.
Do You Need to Treat Them?
Almost never. Adults die naturally in days. The only situation requiring action is heavy larvae damage to your lawn, identified by:
- Brown patches in the grass that spread over weeks
- Flocks of starlings, robins, or crows aggressively pecking the lawn (they’re eating leatherjackets)
- Visible larvae when you peel back grass — grey-brown tube-shaped grubs
Treatment for larvae infestations: beneficial nematodes (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora) applied in early fall when soil is warm and moist. These naturally parasitize crane fly larvae. Available at garden centres or through lawn care companies. BuzzSkito does not treat crane fly larvae — we focus on mosquitoes and ticks. Contact a lawn care specialist (LawnSavers, TruGreen) for serious crane fly issues.
Why This Matters for Mosquito Control
People with mosquito problems sometimes ask: “Should I introduce mosquito hawks to eat my mosquitoes?” The answer is no — they don’t eat mosquitoes. The biological controls that DO eat mosquitoes:
- Bats — eat 600–1,000 mosquitoes per night per bat. Install a bat box.
- Dragonflies — adults catch mosquitoes mid-flight; larvae eat mosquito larvae in water.
- Fish — goldfish, koi, mosquitofish eat mosquito larvae in ponds.
- Frogs and tadpoles — eat mosquito larvae in shallow water.
Even with all of these, the most effective residential mosquito control combines larvae control with BTI dunks and adult control with professional barrier spray. Hoping crane flies will solve your mosquito problem is folklore — they won’t.