Here's Why Michiganders Shouldn't Kill Crane Flies in the Spring

Spring will be on its way to Michigan shortly, and when it does, it will bring with it lots of things to look forward to, including warmer weather. But one thing I'm not looking forward to about spring in Michigan is the amount of bugs it typically brings with it.

I'm not saying I hate all bugs. By no means do I have any beef with the bumblebee trying to pollinate. However, I will throw hands with any and all mosquitoes.

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Which brings me to this point: there are some bugs that should be annihilated and others that should be left alone.

Here's one of those bugs that should be left alone in Michigan this spring:

Crane Flies.

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Don't Kill This Michigan Bug This Spring

I know these bad boys look a lot like mosquitoes on steroids. However, they are not harmful at all. On the contrary; Crane Flies are harmless to people, they don't bite, and they are beneficial to their environment.

As larvae and adults, they are the primary food source for many insectivores like frogs and swallows. Since crane fly larvae almost exclusively feed on decomposing organic matter, they also play a large role in the process of decomposition in nature.

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So while you might be tempted to grab the shoe nearest to you to take these bad boys out, you show actually leave them alone. Instead, focus on the true enemy: mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes are actually the most deadly creature on the planet. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that mosquitoes kill "more people than any other creature in the world." And sadly, while spring brings good bugs, it also brings bad ones.

If you want to find out when Michigan's annual "mosquito season" is and what you can do to combat it, click HERE.

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15 Reasons Why Spring Is Genuinely Michigan's Worst Season

What's great about Michigan is that it actually gets to experience all four seasons in the year. But just because we have all four seasons doesn't mean that we have to like them all. Case and point; Spring is the absolute worst season in Michigan. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely some redeeming factors like the fact that plant life starts to bloom again and that we finally start to see warmer weather after a frigid winter. But that doesn't change the fact that spring is the worst season in Michigan, and we have the receipts to prove it. Take a look at the list below for 15 reasons why spring is just the worst.

Gallery Credit: Kristen Matthews

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LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF

Source: Michigan Will Soon Be Invaded By a Bug You Shouldn’t Kill

Filed Under: michigan, spring, Pure Michigan, mosquitoes, mosquito, Michigan bugs