Can Crane Flies Bite?

Many people wonder if crane flies can bite. They are tiny insects with six long spindly legs, so they resemble mosquitoes and are often mistaken for them. There are old wives’ tales that claim that crane flies can be dangerous, but there is no reason to be afraid of these insects if they don’t bite you. Crane flies are useful insects that lay their eggs beneath the soil surface.

Crane flies are not harmful to humans, and their only main food sources are plants and pollen. Their larvae feed entirely on plant matter. The females, however, feed on blood via their needle-like mouth known as a proboscis. The flies can carry diseases if they feed on the blood of a human, but they don’t bite humans.

Despite the fact that they are not harmful to humans, you should not attempt to catch them. Although the adult crane fly will not bite you, the larvae of the crane fly will. This behavior makes them often referred to as mosquito hawks. However, this is a myth, as they are not venomous and do not inject any poison.

As mosquitoes and crane flies are very similar, many people mistake them for one another. In fact, the two are completely different species of flies. However, they are both nuisances, and both can harm your lawn or garden.