How to Get Rid of Flies – Crane Fly

June 23rd, 2009 Posted in Flies & Gnats




Is your lawn looking a bit rough lately? Is it covered in dry, brown patches? Are there giant, mosquito-like bugs flying around? If so, you probably have a crane fly infestation.

This article will discuss crane fly description, damage, appearance, habitat, food, life cycle, presence
and control.

In reading this article, you will learn how to get rid of crane flies so you can get back to maintaining a beautiful, healthy lawn.

What are crane flies?

The crane fly (Tipula paludosa), is an insect native to the Pacific Northwest. Exotic European crane fly species are occasionally found in the United States. Crane flies can be beneficial to the environment, as they act as decomposers in streams and forests. On the other hand, they can be a big pest to you and your lawn by damaging your grass and plants.


How do crane flies damage lawns?

The crane fly larvae, (also known as leather jackets) are the big problem because they are responsible for the damage. They feed on the roots of plants, causing brown spots to appear on your lawn. Adult crane flies do no damage, but can be indoor pests in large numbers.

Crane Fly Appearance

The crane fly larvae are tiny, greyish brown and cylindrical. They are worm-like and may have fleshy lobes on the posterior end.

The crane fly adult is very large and tan-colored, with a body about 1 inch long. They are fragile, with extremely long, thin legs that can be easily broken. Many people often mistake the adult crane fly for a giant mosquito, and for that reason they have been wrongly referred to as “mosquito hawks.”

Crane Fly Habitat

Crane flies are most commonly found in woodlands, streams, lawns, and flood plains. Some may inhabit fields, dry rangeland, and desert environments. In areas of high compost, crane fly larvae may inhabit the soil surface beneath decaying vegetation.

What do crane flies eat?

Most commonly, crane fly larvae feed on decomposing organic matter. They also feed on crop roots, grass (mainly turf), seedling field crops, perennial flowers, and several types of vegetables and small fruits.


Crane Fly Life Cycle

There are various stages in the life cycle of a crane fly. It is important to learn about the crane fly life cycle so that you know when your lawn will be most susceptible to crane fly damage. The stages are as follows:

  1. Adult crane flies emerge from soil areas from late August to mid September

  2. The females lay eggs within 24 hours of emergence

  3. The eggs hatch into small larvae, which develop a tough skin (hence the nickname “leather jackets” )

  4. The larvae feed on roots of grass during the fall

  5. As temperatures rise in the spring months, the larvae continue feeding (damage from the feeding usually occurs between March and April)

  6. During the daytime, the larvae stay underground; on damp, warm nights, they may come to the surface to feed on plants that are above the ground

  7. Crane fly larvae feeding stops in May

  8. The larvae stay below the soil surface and experience a non-feeding stage during July and August

  9. Throughout late August and September, pupae emerge on the surface

  10. The adult crane flies emerge

How can you tell if crane flies are present?

Crane fly larvae feeding may cause brown patches in lawns because they feed on roots. There is a simple way to check and make sure crane flies are the source of the damage. Follow these steps to patrol your lawn for crane flies:

  1. Find 3-4 areas in your lawn (they may either be random or areas that crane flies may have damaged)

  2. At the first area, use a ruler to measure a 6″ x 6″ square

  3. Using a knife, shovel, or spade, dig into the ground 2-3 inches deep

  4. Peel back the soil sample to expose the bottom of the grass

  5. Inspect the hole you dug for any larvae (they’ll most likely be feeding near the root zone)

  6. Break apart the sample to make sure there are no larvae hiding inside

  7. Count the number of larvae you found and multiply by 4 to determine how many crane flies are present per square foot of lawn

  8. Replant the sample back into the created hole (this will shortly become unnoticeable)

  9. Repeat this process in the other chosen lawn areas

How do I get rid of crane flies?

If you have found crane flies, try EcoSMART organic pesticide to safely and organically rid your lawn of these pests. The most effective time to apply to your lawn is early to mid April. Preventative applications of EcoSMART should take place in early to mid October because this is when most crane flies eggs are hatched.


Katlyn Ziegler


organic pest control


  1. 21 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers!

  2. By Michele DeBacker on Jul 19, 2009

    Thanks for the great information. We seem to be infested with these little buggers! We were digging up some sod to make room for a new flower bed and could not believe how many of the larvae we found…GROSS! We hate using non-environmentally friendly products, so we are so excited to find this website. Thanks so much!

  3. By rita gutman on Aug 20, 2009

    These flies are horrible and scary, they swarm by my house at night, I had them early this summer, last summer they were worse.

  4. By Veronica Beard Wickman on Sep 14, 2009

    This year our lawn has not looked as good as last year and we couldn’t figure it out…And in the last week or so these “what I thought were mosquito eaters” have hit us extremely hard! They are everywhere outside and there are so many they are getting in the house! Yuck!! HELP!!

  5. By Riya on Sep 21, 2009

    We moved into our new house last year in sept 2008 and that’s about the same time the grass was laid by our builder. This year we have crane flies which we originally thought were huge mosquitos! They are scary looking and quite annoying since there are so many! We don’t even sit outside on our porch or in our backyard anymore which is quite sad since it’s the first time we’ve lived in a house having transitioned from condos…

  6. By Derek on Oct 4, 2009

    Its such a crazy thing how these crane flies look so fierce and threatening, and all they are doing is trying to reproduce. Its probably even worse that we just want them gone, but they are annoying.

  7. By Bob Walker on Oct 6, 2009

    In a natural setting I find the Crane fly to be quite a beautiful fly. I take students on hikes at our environmental center and we frequently find them “bouncing” up and down similar to doing push ups to evade predators. We need EcoSMART products for other insects here in Florida but not for the Crane fly.

  8. By EcoSMART Kara on Oct 7, 2009

    Thanks, Bob!

    I interviewed an etymologist who specialized in Crane Flies (watch it here), and they certainly are interesting and beneficial creatures in their natural habitat as you say.

    EcoSMART products are for times when bugs transition from “friend” to “pest.” We certainly advocate preserving ecosystems.

  9. By Bill on Oct 23, 2009

    I just bought a townhouse. I have noticed in the past couple weeks, when walking my dog, that these things are EVERYWHERE. Obviously, my community’s lawns are infested with these things. They’re going to need some sort of large scale prevention to get rid of these things.

  10. By Nancy Foulke on Oct 23, 2009

    I haven’t had much luck eradicating these pest. That is the bad part, the good part is our cats eat them when they or we catch them!!
    It is also my understanding that they are beneficial but I would rather not have them in my lawn.

  11. By Amanda on Oct 25, 2009

    I always thought these were a Jurassic Park mosquito, live and learn I guess!

    Thank you for letting me know what they are and what they’re up to.

  12. By Javier on Feb 18, 2010

    We don’t have a lawn but just pots of plants. Yet the pests get into the house. Thanks for the prevention tips.

  13. By Melissa Nelson on Feb 28, 2010

    I had pretty good success while in Florida without using any pesticides. The bugs would eat a little, but never enough to cause major damage. So when I moved to Seattle recently, I thought I’d try the same method. Ha! Crane flies have destroyed my entire back lawn!

  14. By Vikki on Mar 17, 2010

    Ok I hate those kamakaze bombers! Most of the information here was helpful but I live in the desert and we dont have any grass, we have a rock lawn!!! LOL My question is, where else would they lay there larvae and how do I get them out of my house, they are scaring my poor dogs to death, because I run around the house swinging a t-shirt and yelling DIE, DIE and GOTCHA! at the top of my lungs. LMAO they are driving me bonkers!

  15. By EcoSMART Megan on Mar 17, 2010

    Dear Vikki,

    Don’t worry, there are other, less scary, ways to protect your dogs and home.

    EcoSMART’s organic flying insect killer kills flies on contact. No t-shirt required!

  16. By Brent Jasper on Mar 18, 2010

    I always see skeeter eaters (don’t know if the actually eat mosquitos, but that’s what we call them in Texas) flying around this time of year. However, I just moved into a new house and these pests are everywhere. I walked through the yard at dusk tonight and there were hundreds of them in the grass. Would love to get rid of them. Although, they do provide good entertainment for our dogs.

  17. By Aeyla on Mar 28, 2010

    I lived on the gulf coast for three years as a child, and I saw many crane flies there. However, now back in California for many years and having just moved into a new house, I am having a whole new experience with the insects. This is our first Spring in the home, and when I get in from work in the evenings I cannot enter my home through the front walk way. The swarming crane flies are larger than anything I saw in the South, and there are always dozens of them present.

    I sincerely hope EcoSMART works for us. I am deeply concerned with the well being of ecosystems, but we are overwhelmed by these things!

  18. By e on Mar 31, 2010

    seriously scary and creepy. this is the first time i’ve seen them in southern california and i don’t know why the birds are not eating them.

  19. By Tiffany D on Apr 7, 2010

    I’m in Arizona and the things are EVERYWHERE. Can’t open the door at night because one of two will sneak in no matter how fast I try and shut it. I get that they don’t bother anything (we don’t have grass – it’s the desert) but I don’t want them in my house and my kids couldn’t agree more. I sympathize with the lady chasing them around with t-shirts – they’re harder to kill than you’d think and I too would like to know where they’re laying their eggs. Love the idea of eco-friendly product!

  20. By Eileen M. Zimmerman on Apr 17, 2010

    I am SO glad to know how to rid our yard of these pests safely. They are ruining our lawn. We live in the great Northwest and have a heavy infestation. Our 2 schipperkes really enjoy digging up our lawn going after the larvae so you can imagine how our lawn looks! Then after they hatch, they really “bug” me by coming inside and bouncing off our vaulted ceiling where I can’t reach them!! I’m going to treat our lawn next week!! Thanks for all the info.

  21. By Dave on Apr 28, 2010

    Is the following product available in Ontario Canada?
    EcoSMART organic pesticide

  22. By EcoSMART Kara on May 27, 2010

    Hi Dave,

    You can find a retailer near you by typing in your area code on the EcoSMART shop page. If you don’t want to make a trip to the store, this page also allows you to buy organic pesticide right online.

    Check out: http://www.ecosmart.com/shop-landing-page/

21 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers! (details)