Craneflies.

Oooh, er!

Cold spell hasn't affected them then!!

No headaches in that department then...lol Have they no shame? lol

At least they aren't mosquitoes!

I'm thinking of flagging this pic lol. After very heavy rain the other day I was stopped in my tracks by the most weirdly shaped worm I ever did see It was a good 6 inches long and very wide in the middle. As I went nearer to investigate the creature, it broke in two and each shot back into the lawn in a blink of an eye. I've never caught earthworms in flagrante before, wish I'd had my camera:-) Should we look under 'p' for pornography, or has no-one thought to start this category? Any offers?

LOL Ba, are you volunteering

I propose Ba for this vital category! All those in favour say 'Aye'! ;-D)

Nose to the left:-)

Who suggested it? LOL.

I want to know what you are all talking about, will someone tell me please what those two craneflies are doing, I looked under P but can't find any mention of Pornography just going to look in my dictionary.

You see, yorkshire people are very very innocent in these kinds of things!

Lol Karen,

:))

Oh dear - who's going to tell her???? LOL.

I just have to share this....When our daughter was just learning to talk we pointed out to her the bugs that were dancing on all the lawns (we told her they were leatherjackets).* Some time later she came toddling into the house in great excitement and started to drag me to the patio doors, exclaiming loudly..."mommy come and see all the raincoats." We still laugh about it and she's 34yrs. old now! lol

Just thought I'd kindof put a slightly different slant on the comments.....I think Karen needs some help...innocence eh? hmmmm lol Yorkshire...maybe it's under "Recipes for fertility" or "C" for copulation???? The choices are endless! lol

* also called Craneflies

Ummm...not sure about 'that' category, Wh.l....it would definitely get flagged!

I think you are right, Spritz....maybe we should just put this topic to bed eh? lol

Good close up Spritz......lol

;-))

I had to "like" this if only that it gave me a good laugh on this dreary morning!

Well, that's good. anyway! :-)))

Too right, left the wheelbarrow down, now nearly a barrowload of rainwater to get rid of!

Me too - I've tipped it out and up-ended the barrow.

I don't know what the name of these insect could be over here...but I do know that my Dad called them Mosquito Hawks! They prey upon mosquitoes...which makes them aces in my book!

Lori...in B.C. they are called Leatherjackets...maybe in Ontario too? (see my previous comment...) lol

I thought that leather jackets was the name of their offspring that I find under the turf of the lawn? That's what the bloomin' badgers come in for - they plough up the lawns every spring to get at them. :-((((

In the UK, we call these 'Daddy-long-legs'.

Yes, Barbara....I've heard them called 'daddy-long-legs' too.

I have never liked these Daddy-long-legs :-(((((((
Hate the way they flutter about, hate the way they drum on ceilings and windows :-(
The cats love to chase them and catch them, they will 'not' come in evenings because they're too busy having fun with these things :-/
And yes, Leatherjackets are their larvae.
Ugh.

I guess us Canadians just talk funny, Louise....lol I'm not very keen on them either...they do flutter about and make their presence felt!!

Cant go to bed with one of them bashing against walls and ceiling..poor OH chases around the room like a jack-in-a-box!

Take a pic Tetrarch, would love to see it:-) I'm really scared of them...their legs fall off eeeuch:-(

If I tried Bornagain, he would throw me out of the window instead of the crane fly..Im already in his dark books for posting pics of him with his mouth open, pushing a wheelbarrow and cuddling up to a deer! Posting a pic like that would be the blackest of books...would you dare?? Mind you, it would be hilarious pic LOL!

Henry would eat one if he caught it - he eats spiders already! LOL. What a useful dog. :-)))))

I wont tell OH that Spritz, he might suggest I make myself useful..and there is NO way Im gonna do what Henry does!!

Eeeeeuuuuuuuggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh.........I couldn't. not even for loads of money, I still couldn't! Want to borrow Henry? LOL

Me no understand. Isn't this the "push-me-pull you"?

Could be, could be, Toto! LOL.

Well Spritz, I have just caught up with this pict, and so glad that I did, (thanks Ba!) And there was I worried about my Somerset blog, so positively tame in comparison, lol! Maybe this should come under X for x~for x-rated!! :~)))x

It is with great difficulty I pass on Henry, Spritz..you might never see him again!
I put this picture under the "some" category
Some hilarity
Some learning
Some meeting new friends
Some Porn (Picture of Restricted Nature)

I like it, Tetra....so under "s" it is! lol (picture of restricted nature is a good pun on words too!)

Over here Daddy Long Legs is a Pholcid spider...supposed to be venomous (totally false) in point of fact they are reclusive and avoid contact with humans. They are often found in gardens as they eat detritis. As far as the name these insects are given over here (Whistonlass) I've only ever heard them called Mosquito Hawks...and they were venerated and released if they became trapped inside our house. Mosquitoes are far more dangerous than these creatures. Ergo.(trap them in a piece of paper towel or a dish cloth.) release them by shaking the trap out the window! No contact necessary.

It's interesting, Lori, the varying names for these creatures. I seem to remember they were only a problem at a certain time of the year (perhaps during breeding). They would congregate on lawns by the thousands in B.C. and if you got amongst them they would fly at you, up your skirt or into your face...yukky!

I guess they are ok for capturing mosquitoes or maybe no-see-ums as well.

Shouldnt that be "a good porn on words too"!!
OH catches crane flies in his hand and puts em out the door or window (while another one flies in!)

Tetra...you are too quick for me....lol Well observed!

I don't think they do anything helpful over here....they're more of a nuisance providing us with those larvae in our lawns. Does anyone know if they're good for anything in the UK?

'S' it is - it can't be 'X' Flori - or it would get removed!!!!!

Thats a brilliant question Spritz, Ive never ever thought about it..but would love to know.

I could post it as a question....someone may well know! :-)

http://www.the-piedpiper.co.uk/th6g.htm
http://www.ehow.com/about_5432427_crane-fly.html

This should answer some of our questions about craneflies. It seems the larvae should be referred to as 'leatherjackets' (at least in the UK) .

I guess us B.C.ers have been mis-naming these critters for generations! The article says they are harmless but beware if you have a thatch roof. Interesting reading.

Hey! I've posted the question now! (NO photo, though!) lol.

I 'told' you they were leather jackets - the bloomin'badgers nearly drove me insane in the spring, ploughing up my lawns to get at them! Grrrrrr......:-(((((

Oh...so the badgers like 'em, Spritz. It doesn't seem there is an effective deterrent to rid you of the critters either....says hedgehogs like them as well!!

I hope they go easy on your lawns next year....maybe you need a big sign...."No Entry to Badgers"....hmmm....can they read I wonder??? Another conundrum! lol

You weren't around when I was tearing my hair out earlier this year - the badgers tore up the lawns, and dug up and ate almost every tulip bulb and crocus corm I'd planted - over 5 dozen of them. I tried all kinds of ploys to keep them out - I seem to remember writing a blog about it, too.

Eventually, OH erected an electric fence, which they by-passed a couple of times by digging new tunnels, but at the moment, it's keeping them out.

We don't get hedgehogs here - not sure why - especially now the coast's clear for them!

I read an american blog somewhere that said peppermint smell detered rodents, mice, rats squirrels..try a few pots of peppermint sage..

LOL.....Sorry to laugh, Tetra, but you do need to visit here - I'd need a whole hedge of it!

Maybe you need a work party from GOY to plant up, Spritz....lol

Definitely! LOL.

This is the trouble with common names for things. This particular insect in question most certainly does not eat or attack Mosquito's or Midge's. Some Damsel flies (completely unrelated insects) certainly do eat them and some are called Mosquito Hawks in Canada etc.

I didn't think they were the same as the ones Lori was talking about. I'm not up to latin names of insects, I'm afraid. The link that Whistonlass posted was interesting - I'm glad we haven''t got a thatched roof!

Thank you Fractal for clearing that one up for me. I agree Spritz....I guess that's why we don't have a thatched cottage in the country....lol....gotta watch those craneflies!....it's nothing to do with lack of funds! lol

Our house used to have a thatched roof - it's 500 years old, and we had a historical survey done on it. They told us that it had been built with a thatched roof originally, and also that the roof had been raised at some time in the dim and distant!

By the way, it was worth posting the question - I learned a lot, plus got advice on dealing with leather jackets. Good old GOY!! :-)))

It's true, Spritz....GOY has got an answer for just about anything....and the answers are always free and helpful. Three cheers!!!

Besides infestations with leatherjackets/craneflies and animals rooting around in the thatch I'd always worry about the fire hazard. The thatched roofs are very attractive though and most interesting.

You're right - when we were looking for our home to retire to, we didn't much like the idea of a thatched roof - and I'm glad we did decide against that, because we have log burners, and some roof fires have started in thatch due to them.

Love this pic... I'm saying 'Aye' as well.....

;-))