How to Get Rid of Crane Flies (Mosquito Hawks)

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In this video, we’ll show how to identify crane flies and some simple things you can do to prevent them from appearing on your property.

Notice: Reclaim I/T is now known as Supreme I/T.

Shop for Bifen LP Granular Insecticide here!
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Shop for Reclaim IT (Supreme IT) Insecticide here!
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Shop for Martin's I.G. Regulator here!
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Introduction: 0:00
How to Identify Crane Flies: 0:34
How to Inspect for Crane Flies: 1:45
How to Treat for Crane Flies: 2:28
How to Prevent Crane Flies: 5:14

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Crane flies are common pests throughout the United States; they’re those big, lanky insects that find their way inside during summer evenings and fly all over the ceiling. Despite their size, adult crane flies are really harmless, but not everyone knows that their larvae are actually destructive turf pests, forming patches of brown grass in an otherwise green and healthy lawn.

Adult crane flies grow to be about 2 inches long. They have slender bodies with long, thin legs. Some people mistakenly call these flies ‘mosquitos’, but they’re wrong. Mosquitos are only ¼ of an inch long, and only females have that piercing mouth part to bite humans with. All crane flies, male or female, lack any piercing mouthparts. Some people might also refer to crane flies as ‘mosquito hawks,’ either because they look like mosquitos, or it’s thought that these flies hunt mosquitos. Neither are true, since adult crane flies don’t eat and actually die just a few days into adulthood. Crane fly larvae, also called leatherjackets, can grow to be 2-3 inches long. Larvae lack legs, and they can be white, grey, green, or brown in color. Crane fly larvae can also be distinguished by their finger-like appendages at the tail end of their bodies.

Check your lawn for patches of brown or dying grass. You can use your hands to comb along the edges of discolored patches to look for larvae on the surface, but you’ll also need to dig to check underground. Dig a 1 foot square about 3 inches deep along the edge of any patches you’ve found. Lift up the grass, and note if there is any pest activity. High adult activity can also indicate potential larvae activity. Crane flies breed near egg-laying sites, so if you see adult flies on your property, you can expect to see larvae soon after.

After identifying your pest and inspecting for activity on your property, it’s time to start treatment.
Before starting any treatment, be sure to wear your personal protective equipment, or PPE, and remember to keep all people and pets off the treated areas until dry.

To get rid of crane flies in your property, you’ll need to use insecticides labeled for crane fly control like Bifen LP, Reclaim IT, and I. G. Regulator. To start, calculate your treatment area’s square footage by measuring the area’s length and width and multiplying them together. You’ll use this to determine how much product you need to use.

Apply the Bifen LP granules with a push spreader to apply the labeled rate of 4.6 pounds of product per 1,000 square feet of treatment area. Once you're done, apply the labeled rate of 0.75 fluid ounces of Reclaim IT per 1,500 square feet of treatment area. For I. G. Regulator, you’ll use 1 fluid ounce per 1,500 square feet. To kill crane fly larvae in your lawn, evenly distribute the entire amount of product over your treatment area.

Visit our website to learn more about Crane Fly Control and shop for pro-grade products!
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