Mosquito Eaters- The Truth Is Out

Mosquito Eaters: The Truth is Out.  They Do NOT Eat Mosquitoes.

Mosquito Eater, Mosquito Hawk, Crane Fly, Giant Mosquito...  Did you grow up calling them mosquito eaters?  I did.  And it wasn't until I began learning more about pests and pest control that I found out the truth...  They do not eat mosquitoes.  In fact, the larva, often called leather backs, can be a pest that chomps down on the roots of plants.  Have you ever noticed brown patches in the lawn?  It could be caused by crane fly larva destroying the root system of the lawn.

Do Crane Flies Bite?

No.  Crane flies, unlike their tiny look-alike, do not bite. They really don't do much of anything.  They don't live very long, they don't eat your yard or other plants, they just mate, deposit eggs and die.  The depositing of eggs is the problematic part.  Because as the eggs hatch into larva and the larva begins to eat, the root systems of your lawn could be at risk.

Are Crane Flies Helpful? 

Crane flies are not actually helpful as far as eating other pests etc.  Crane flies do not eat mosquitoes, they do not kill mosquitoes, they don't eat or kill any other bug.  So all those years of people telling you, leave that mosquito eater alone, he is going to eat mosquitoes.  Yeah, not true.  You could have killed those suckers and it wouldn't have made one bit of difference as far as mosquitoes are concerned.

Are Crane Flies Going to Hurt Me?

 
 Well.  They are a nuisance pest if they flock indoors.  To keep crane flies out, keep screens in good repair, and keep the screen doors shut.  If they come in, they are not going to hurt you.  They won't bite you.  They may flap and flutter around in your face and annoy you, but they won't hurt you.

Pest Control Issues?

Are you dealing with a pest?  I'm not just talking about crane flies at this point.  Ants, Bees, Fleas, Spiders, Mice, Rats, Bedbugs, Carpenter Ants, Termites, Flies, Wasps, Yellow Jackets, Hornets?  For all of your pest control needs, Peak Pest Management offers the affordable local option. 

Micah Wood
Peak Pest Management LLC
503-998-4322
360-607-1933

 

Termites | Bugs People Eat | Fun Fact Friday

Around the world there are bugs that "eat" people.  Mosquitoes, bed bugs, ants (yes really), etc.  But what might be less well know is that around the world, people eat bugs- sometimes as a dietary staple.  Here in the United States, it is less common, although people do eat bugs as a joke, on a dare, or by accident-- generally speaking though, bugs are not a common ingredient in our food (yet).

Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines Entomophagy:

Entomophagy : the practice of eating insects
 

 Because bugs are very nutritious and take very little effort or resources to raise, the practice of eating insects (or entomophagy) is being encouraged amoung young people and environmentally concious people.  Here are some commonly eaten bugs:

• Grasshoppers
• Cicadas
• Ants
• Termites
• Aquatic Insect Larva
• Wax worms
• Dragonflies
• Wasp Larvae
• Moth Pupa
• Palm Weevil Larva
• Cirina forda Westwood larva
• Damsel Flies
• Crickets
• Compost Beetle Larva

Bugs are eaten around the world. They are fried as a snack or appetizer, used in soup or stirfry as a protein, boiled, boiled and dried, and even eaten raw.  There you have it.  For fun fact Friday, around the world, and increasingly in the united states, people are eating insects as a regular part of their diet.

Micah Wood
Peak Pest Management LLC
503-998-4322
360-607-1933
206-790-8285
www.peak-pest-management.com
micah@peak-pest-management.com

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Merriam Webster Online Dictionary: "Entomophagy" www.merriam-webster.com

Mott, Maryann. "Bugs as Food: People Bite Back." National Geographic News. 16 Apr. 2004. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/04/0416_040416_eatingcicadas.html.

Unger, Lana. "Bug Food: Edible Insects - Insect Snacks from Around the World." The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. 26 Jan 2009. http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/dept/bugfood2.asp