Have you noticed a few more bugs lingering around in your back yard? Well, they’re not mosquitoes.
After the winter rain, bugs come crawling out of the woodwork. Insect experts say one type in particular has been flourishing this time of year in the Valley because of the very wet winter weather we’ve had. They look like large mosquitoes, but they’re actually crane flies and they pop up after a rainy season.
Nico Franz is a professor and curator of insects at Arizona State University. He said the crane fly is fragile and very harmless.
“They do not have habit of being blood-sucking parasites nor do they transfer diseases," he said. "You can see they have a bit of a weak side hovering around. They are attracted to light. But they’re short-lived insects.”
Franz said now that the weather is finally getting warmer, the number of crane flies will drop significantly.
