Have you noticed the hundreds of daddy long-legs everywhere? They are ohterwise known as crane-flies and they are horrible and everywhere!!!HELP!!!!
Kirsty

Heard on radio that they hibernate underground in the winter and as it was so mild last year, there were'nt as many killed by the frost, hence so many around this summer!  I'm not a great fan of them either (hate the way they flutter round your face!).

Sarah.

I've always wondered where they go for the rest of the year!

I also hate how they flutter around your face and I relly don't like the long legs.
Kirsty

Hiya Kirsty.  I hate them too - I always dread September because that is the month when there are most around - YUK

Fiona

they keep my girls amused for hours  chasing
them around  :-) they are of course to big and stupid
to catch any !

Did you know that they are actually the most poisonous insect in Britain but because they dont have teeth they are harmless!! Interesting fact of the day!!!

I thought it was the Daddy Long Legs Spiders (otherwise known as Harvest Spiders) that were the most poisonous?

I stand corrected! Didnt know there was more than one breeed!

No, I might be wrong - I usually am!! It just rang a bell in my head that's all :D

It was reputed quite a while ago that the 'daddy long leg' spiders (AKA Harvest men) were the most poisonous but that their fangs were too small to inject the venom into us - however, this has now been proven to be a myth :)

Daddy Long legs (AKA Crane flies) as an adult have no purpose, they do not generall eat as adults (maybe a little nectar) but that is all, they do not eat or attack wasps either which they have also been reputed to do, it is the larvae (the leather jackets) which have a purpose as they churn up the soil and eat dead and decaying matter - apart from that they are completely useles, annoying, pathetic things that do nothing other than get in your eyes, mouth and hair - the only real use I know of for an adult is as entertainment for numorous dogs and cats who are bored on a cooler september evening :D

They do have a purpose and that is to mate and lay eggs, pretty important for the species as a whole.
Amos

I heard on the radio the other day that in the South part of England (where I'm from) there is a huge crane fly epidemic this year!

No purpose as in Bees = polination, spiders = kill flies :)

Pretty obvious that they mate and lay eggs which then produces more leather jackets which help the soil (but then worms do a very similar job with the soil !) - but, apart from that there only other purpose is to get on our blooming nerves :D

As from now I am renting Lottie out to catch DLL'S at the rate of £10 per one. She is very good at catching them in the air, but she does have a problem with tunnel vision and will jump on your head if your not careful!!! :rolleyes: and has been known to jump on the top of a stereo cabinet! pm me if you would like to use her :D

sarah xxxx  

I heard leather jackets actually cause damage to crops so they are not all good
Sorry boxer mum I am in an arguementative mood!!!
Amos

S'ok - damage to crops but, apparently, are good for land that has excessive leaf mould etc - but really they are all useless, annoying things, leatherjackets crunch under your feet and look revolting and the adults just fly everywhere like their drunk or something.  If you ask me they are one of natures april fools :D

Leatherjackets actually eat the roots of grass and other crops (grass being food for livestock) so are a pest.

Found the link that I posted on the last post about DDL here - accordinging to this they sometimes cause damage to grass and crops but live mainly as scavengers in soil and decaying matter, often underwater.

And yes, they are a pest, be they larvae or adult, with no blooming use other than annoying us, however, I for one think that without them my dogs would miss the mad half hour of fun trying to catch them - and now my old tom cat has got in on the act they are quite entertaining (it stops the cat meowing for no reason other than he can !) :)

We have had them here for the past 3 months...I remember when the season was only a couple of weeks

Must admit I quite like them I think its because when everyone else is flapping around when they fly in their face I feel realy cool because they dont bother me. The only thing I dont like about them is the way their legs drop off when you are trying to help them by catching them to put out of the window!
Amos

I had a daddy long legs fly in my eye today.
kirsty

Ouch! :-(

There was one in our bathroom this morning, flying even more crazily than they usually do..... it had two of it's legs tied in a knot! 

Every animal serves a purpose!  Invertebrates are actually the most valuable group of living things.  A pest is merely a successful animal that has a negative impact on human processes!  Leave 'em be - the adults dont last long and are a vital food source for higher animals.
Sarah

Sarah, it wasn't me that tied it's legs in a knot,  honest!  :-)

:D - Let the daddy long legs alliance begin! :D

We didn't suffer too badly with them this year, but we have got thousands of midges all over, they are better than Daddy Long Legs but I am getting fed up of clearing up all of the dead ones off the window sills etc.