Sunday, March 24, 2024
HomeEditor PicksHow To Get Rid Of Crane Fly Larvae In Lawn

How To Get Rid Of Crane Fly Larvae In Lawn

- Advertisment -

Welcome Every Natural Predator You Can

How to Get Rid of Crane Flies (Mosquito Hawks)

You cant beat nature, so use it to your advantage by attracting as many natural predators as you can to your garden. Were talking birds. Simply install a few bird feeders, houses and baths around your garden and youll soon have a bunch of predators that love eating both the adult crane flies and the larvae in your lawn. Thats what they do. Theyll instinctively look for bugs they can have for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the more comfortable you make it for them, the longer theyll stay and eat those crane flies.

How To Use Essential Oils To Eliminate Crane Flies

First, you must use home remedies with essential oils to prevent adult crane flies. It will also prevent them from laying their eggs in your garden or lawn.

There are many essential oils that you can use to make your treatment, the most common being lavender, and peppermint oil. Other oils you can also use with garlic, basil, onion, and lemongrass. Do you want to know about how to get rid of crane flies with essential oils? You must follow the following steps:

  • Add a drop of essential oil of your choice in a cup of water
  • Put the mixture in a spray bottle and use it on your lawn
  • Spray near doors and windows it will prevent crane flies from entering your home

How To: Get Rid Of Crane Flies

Crane flies look like large mosquitoes. They can have a 2.5-inch wingspan, and they are often yellow, brown, red, or gray. Crane flies have long antennae, and the female has a stinger-like ovipositor she uses to lay eggs in lawns. A crane fly, sometimes spelled cranefly, may look threatening, but it doesn’t bite or spread disease. Adult crane flies are harmless, but its their larvae that can do some severe damage to lawns and gardens.

A crane fly infestation will appear as unhealthy yellow grass, patches of dead brown grass, or bare dirt areas. Extensive areas of larvae will attract grub-hunting predators like birds and skunks, and they will dig at the lawn to get at the larvae. If you have a crane fly problem, you may be wondering how to get rid of crane flies. Here are some methods to eliminate this problem. However, if the problem persists, dont hesitate to reach out to a professional: an expert will have the tools and knowledge to eradicate the situation in the most efficient way.

Time required: A few hours

Difficulty: Beginner

Estimated cost: $20 to $300

Recommended Reading: Murray Lawn Mower Serial Number

Where Do Crane Flies Thrive And What Do They Eat

Crane flies thrive in damp areas and their larva lives in damp areas. Although, a couple of the crane flies species drink nectar and serves as pollinators. Most of them do not eat anything as adults. Most of them sustain themselves mainly on what they ate and the food stored during their larva phase.

The adult crane flies only constitute a nuisance. Also, adult crane usually lives for a couple of days and dies.

But what you should mostly be wary of is their larva. When those annoying leggy flies lay their eggs, their subsequent larva can be a tragedy to your yard. Their larva can eat the crown of your leaves and leave some unattractive patches to your grasses. They can also feed on your plant roots.

Read about A Guide To Eliminating Hoverflies

Using Reclaim It And Martins Igr

How to Get Rid of Crane Flies Quickly and Effectively ...

Reclaim IT and Martins IG Regulator will need to be mixed together with water before application.

This solution wont only aid in activating the Bison or Bifen granules but will also provide effective control for the crane fly larvae and many other insects.

How to Apply

  • Apply the label parade of 0.75 fluid ounces of Reclaim IT per 1,500 square feet of the treatment area.
  • Applying Martins IG Regulator, use 1 fluid ounce per 1,500 square feet.
  • We recommend using a 20-gallon hose-end sprayer to make broad applications throughout the entire lawn.
  • Use water to push the Bison or Bifen granules down into the soil.
  • Use a 20-gallon hose-end sprayer to remove the Ritz bar from the nozzle.
  • Ensure the sprayers control valve, and your water pump is off.
  • Attach the nozzle to the hose, add the proper amount of Reclaim IT and Martins IG Regulator.
  • Fill the reservoir with enough water to treat the entire lawn.
  • Ensure you thoroughly coat the area and water into Bison or Bifen granules.
  • Use at least two gallons of water per 1,000 square feet of the treatment area.
  • Check to confirm your control valve and water pump are still off, reattach the reservoir to the nozzle.
  • Once youve ensured a tight connection. You can now turn the water on to spray.
  • To kill crane fly larvae in your lawn evenly distribute the entire amount of product over your treatment area.
  • Note: As you make your application, keep an eye on the amount of product you have left in the sprayer reservoir.

    Recommended Reading: What Is The Best All Wheel Drive Lawn Mower

    Step : Try Natural Options Like Neem Oil Garlic Or Essential Oils

    Neem oil is a natural pesticide made from the seeds of the Azadirachta indica tree. Its used to treat and control pests by interfering with the insects ability to lay eggs and feed. It has low toxicity to humans and pets and works well with dish soap or insecticidal soap. It can be sprayed on plants or affected areas. Garlic is another natural insect repellent. It can be chopped up, mixed with water, and sprayed on the lawn with a garden sprayer. Garlic can also be scattered across infested areas of the lawn. Essential oils can repel adult crane flies from laying eggs in the lawn. Peppermint or lavender oils can be mixed with water and sprayed on the lawn with a garden sprayer. But keep in mind that some essential oils can be harmful to pets and grass.

    Where Do They Come From

    Crane flies are found all over the coastal regions of the US.

    There are European crane flies that focus on pastures, lawns, and farms. These are the ones that most people deal with.

    European crane flies are very destructive and will eat up your lawn. The United Kingdom, the United States, and other temperate regions often have these pests on their lawn.

    Some states like Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Ohio, Massachusetts, Indiana, Iowa, Colorado, Michigan, Utah, and California all have them. Areas that are hot and humid like San Diego or Las Vegas are swarming with them.

    There are two main types of crane flies:

    • Common crane fly
    • European crane fly

    The common species are exactly as they sound. Theyre common and emerge around March when the temperatures pick up.

    The European ones have been around for decades and come out during September. You can easily tell which type of pest youre dealing with by the emergence period when their eggs hatch.

    Note that you may not always know when the larvae hatch. Usually, homeowners dont even notice until the turf is damaged from huge numbers of them.

    And most lawns can actually tolerate about 50 crane fly larvae per square foot without showing any damage. So it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly when the larvae started feeding.

    The European crane flies are the ones that cause damage. The common crane fly rarely poses a threat to even the smallest lawns.

    Recommended Reading: How To Remove Lawn Mower Carburetor

    Crane Fly Vs Mosquito: How Can You Tell The Difference

    At first glance, they look pretty similarboth have long legs and small wings. But crane flies are significantly larger in size and with much longer legs, Troyano says. Mosquitoes are typically less than 1 inch long, while crane flies grow beyond an inch. If you get close enough to look at a crane fly, youll notice that it has a more elongated face.

    Depending on the species, crane flies can be black, red, or yellow, explains entomologist Ben Hottel, Ph.D., technical services manager at Orkin, LLC. Their wings may be transparent, brown, grayish-black, or brownish-yellow, he adds.

    How To Get Rid Of Crane Flies Larvae Infestation

    How to Get Rid of Crane Flies

    As soon as you see the first set of Crane flies in your yard, you start wondering How do I control Tipula CraneFly Larvae in the lawn?

    You can use chemical insecticides to ward off these pests, but the toxins can become harmful for other good insects as well. There are many other alternative methods to deal with the Tipula pests infesting your gardens.

    Don’t Miss: Love My Lawn

    Why Are Crane Flies So Harmful To Your Lawn

    Heres the short story: those hungry little crane fly larvae live and feed below the surface, eating anything they can from roots to grass blades to any other garden plant. Of course, you may be aware of this already, usually by their other name: leatherjackets. But what makes them so harmful is the fact they can live in your soil for up to a year, consuming all they can until they finally emerge from your lawn as fully-grown crane flies.

    Thankfully, there are a few ways to get rid of these crane fly larvae and eliminate the problem in an efficient and effective way.

    How To Get Rid Of Crane Fly Larvae In Your Lawn

    So, you need to get rid of crane fly larvae before they hatch in your lawn. And destroy your grass.

    In this article, well talk about these topics:

    • Why you have crane flies
    • Why there are so many out of seemingly nowhere
    • Ways to naturally get rid of the larvae and adults
    • What to spray to kill the larvae
    • When to hire a professional exterminator
    • How to keep them out of your home
    • And more

    Use the table of contents to quickly find the info you need.

    If you have any questions, leave a comment.

    Sound good? Lets eradicate the crane flies from your grass turf.

    Sections

    Also Check: Does Lowes Rent Riding Lawn Mowers

    How To Get Rid Of Crane Flies In The House And Outdoors

    Safety must be ensured at all times when dealing with any pest control equipment . Be sure to wear your personal protective equipment or PPE.

    Remember to keep all people and pets off the treated areas until dry. To get rid of crane flies in your property, youll need to use insecticides labeled for crane fly control like

  • Bison insecticide,
  • Reclaim IT and
  • Bison and Bifen L/P is a granular insecticide that will need to be watered into the soil. We also recommend following up with a broadcast treatment of Reclaim IT and Martins IGR.

    Mosquito Hawk Control: How To Get Rid Of Mosquito Hawks

    How To Get Rid Of Crane Flies

    This page is a Mosquito Hawk control guide. By using the products and methods suggested, you will get rid of Mosquito Hawks . Follow this guide and use the recommended products, and we guarantee 100% control of Mosquito Hawks.

    If you are noticing brown patches in your grass, you might have a Mosquito Hawk infestation. The Mosquito Hawk, also commonly known as a Crane Fly, looks similar to a mosquito, except it is much larger with longer legs. If left alone, this insect can cause noticeable damage to your lawn.

    Although they might have an intimidating look, Mosquito Hawks are harmless as adults. It is the Mosquito Hawk larvae that can be a problem by causing damage to vegetation. The larvae have the appearance of white or brown worms and are known to eat roots and stems.

    Our professional DIY treatment guide can help you to get rid of a Mosquito Hawk infestation with ease.

    Recommended Reading: Best Time To Kill Creeping Charlie

    How Can I Control Flying Ants

    Flying ants can become extremely detrimental to your property and home. When you know that youre dealing with flying ants, here are ways that you can control them:

    • Vacuum You can immediately vacuum the swarm to remove them from the nest or hiding place.
    • Fix Damaged Wood Obviously you want to make sure your house is in good shape, but by fixing the damaged wood youre preventing them from furthering the damage that they caused.
    • Seal Cracks Make sure no spaces are open for the ants to fly indoors and cause damage.
    • Apply TreatmentTerro® Outdoor Ant Killer Spray can help you eliminate flying ants on the spot.
    • Prevention and Prep When it comes to dealing with pests, its much easier to deal with them before they come into your house. Use our Terro® Spring Kit to make sure youre protected from all sorts of pests this season.

    If you see some bugs flying nearby, safely grab one of them and check it out. That way, youll know when to use TERRO® Ant Products, and when to break out our arsenal against carpenter ants and termites.

    Dont Miss: What Is Pre Emergent Lawn Care

    Symptoms Of A Crane Fly Infestation

    The first indicator is uneven areas of the lawn that seem to have been eaten, or perhaps you may see yellow patches. In certain areas, youll just be prepared to see the soil. And things get truly terrible when holes randomly appear immediately. This is not the larvae thiss brought on by various other animals fed off the larvae.

    Don’t Miss: How To Get Rid Of Rye Grass In Lawn

    Cookies Our Site Uses

    Whilst using our website you accept and consent to the use of the following cookies and terms:

  • Our website uses a range of different cookies, to view a full in-depth breakdown of our cookies used on the site, please .
  • Our service providers use cookies and those cookies may be stored on your computer when you visit our website, by continuing to use our website you agree and consent to the use of the cookies and each providers individual cookie policy.
  • We use a variety of Google products on our website. Each of these services integrates its own cookies which are used for many different means. You can see the full breakdown of cookies and the purpose of them on Googles cookie policy: https://policies.google.com/technologies/types. By continuing to use our website you are accepting the use of Googles different cookies, should you wish to opt-out of cookies used for marketing purposes you can do so here: http://optout.networkadvertising.org/?c=1#!/
  • Prevent Crane Fly Infestation

    Crane flies can be harmful to your lawn

    Some of the above-mentioned techniques also help to avoid Crane Fly infestations. Covering the lawn with mulch, plastic sheets, fleece, or cardboard, for example, can hinder the egg-laying process. Rolling or scarifying on a regular basis also helps to keep them in check.

    Furthermore, encouraging predators of Crane Flies helps in reducing their infestation in your lawn. Many birds, like blackbirds and starlings, fall under this category. In a separate post, we outlined how you may make your garden truly bird-friendly.

    A beautiful, lush green lawn requires a significant amount of upkeep. Because not only pests but also improper fertilizer or mowing may harm the lawn. As a result, it is essential to understand what lawn maintenance tasks must be completed throughout the year and what must be avoided.

    Read Also: Does Scotts Fertilizer Expire

    What Are Flying Ants And How They Look

    The flying ants you see are not a unique species. They are members of different ant species like carpenter ants, fire ants, sugar ants, and many others that develop wings when they are ready to mate.

    Such ants are regarded as the reproductive members of the colony. Every ant species usually have the flying members who come out for a brief period to mate and increase their population.

    The flying ants are usually made of males and females . After mating, the males die while the females lose their wings and look for nests to start a new generation. Its common to see flying ants swarming in thousands because colonies send out many flying ants at one go.

    This is because only a small number out of these will survive the mating stage and start a new generation. The majority of them are eaten by predators like birds, while some end up dying from lack of food and water.

    So what do flying ants look like? Well, most people confuse flying ants with termites due to their size and wings. But identifying flying ants shouldnt be hard for you. Winged ants have a pinched body between the thorax and the abdomen, whereas termites have a straight-sided body.

    Also, ants have four wings with unequal lengths with the two front wings being longer and the two back wings being shorter. The termites wings, on the other hand, are of equal length.

    What Pesticides Should I Use

    If you must resort to using commercial pest killers, search for something that contains pyrethrins or imidacloprid.

    Both of these are effective against crane flies and a bunch of other lawn pests. The poisons work by paralysis, so its not instant kill upon contact. Use as directed by the product label.

    These are commonly used to spray for crane flies on the lawn.

    Recommended Reading: How Much Should I Pay My Lawn Care Employees

    Look For Evidence Of Crane Fly Larvae

    A crane fly infestation will usually show up as either unhealthy yellow grass, patches of dead brown turf or even areas of bare dirt, so if you discover any of these signs in your lawn, carefully dig up a patch of your lawn and inspect the soil for any larvae. What you are looking for is little worm-like creatures that are either green, white or brown, especially in damp areas during autumn and spring. Thats when theyre most active. Whatever the case, if you find a bunch of crane fly larvae eating your lawn, roots and everything else, theres only one thing to do: act quickly and stop any lasting damage from happening.

    Natural And Organic Pest Controls

    How to Get Rid of Crane Flies

    It is always best to use natural and organic pest controls rather than commercially developed ones. An effective method to control these pests is through using insecticidal soap and pyrethrins.

    This can be used safely if proper formulation and directions of use are followed. Pyrethrins sprays can result in the paralysis of the crane flies, which will eventually cause their death. Pyrethrins are considered a class of organic compounds which are normally derived from Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium, which has an insecticidal property that targets the nervous system of the insects.

    Aside from the use of pyrethrins, the use of a grub killer containing Azadirachtin can also stop the infestation at its source, which would be on the soil. Azadirachtin is a chemical compound that is a secondary metabolite found in neem seeds. This method is highly effective in controlling the larvae as it suffocates them over time.

    You can apply the insecticidal soap and pyrethrin as soon as you notice crane flies in your lawn or garden. Azadirachtin, on the other hand, should be applied directly to the lawn as soon as you notice the first sign of grub damage.

    Natural and organic solutions are often considered the best option in controlling pests, as they quickly break down into their natural elements. They also leave less residual where they are applied, which will cause less detrimental effects on the environment.

    Don’t Miss: How To Kill Wild Violet Weeds In Lawn

    RELATED ARTICLES
    - Advertisment -

    Popular Articles

    What Is Rgs For Lawns

    - Advertisment -