Spring in Arizona brings beautiful weather — and some nasty bugs.
Lately, there has been a large number of crane flies hanging around.
But despite their gnarly appearance, similar to giant mosquitoes, Arizona Pest Control says crane flies pose no threat to humans.
"Completely harmless," says Joshua Tennenbaum, operations director for Arizona Pest Control. "They don't bite. They don't have the right mouth parts for that."
The crane flies we see are in their adult phase of life and only live 10 to 15 days.
Tennenbaum says if you see crane flies in your home, don't kill them; these pests serve an important role in the local environment.
"They eat dead and decaying matter," Tennenbaum explained. "They're actually pretty vital to the ecosystem and the way the nature decomposes."
If crane flies do get indoors, simply open a door or window and shoo them outside. Most importantly, Tennenbaum says, leave them alone — they're just doing their jobs.
