Daddy longlegs invasion coming

Hordes of crane flies are about to take off across Scotland after scientists discovered hundreds of millions of the grubs.

Experts at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) found leatherjackets, the larvae of the crane fly – more commonly known as Jennys, or daddy longlegs – waiting to hatch.

Previously, farmers have been able to use pesticides but they are now banned, meaning real concern not only for people scared of the flying insects, but also farmers with crops in the ground.

On average, a million grubs live in each hectare of land surveyed by SRUC. In gardens, the leatherjackets are a risk to lawns as they like nothing better than eating the roots of grass.

In the coming weeks they will hatch, with millions of the insects expected in June and July.

Davy McCracken, professor of agricultural ecology at SRUC, who co-authored the study said of the millions of grubs, “90% will end up as crane flies”.

Although not harmful to humans, Prof McCracken concedes many are scared of the insects.

He said: “It is partly their size and partly the way they fly – they are just hanging there, drifting around with their legs dangling.

“They will be trying to come to the lights and getting in through a window.

“A lot of people have a phobia but they are completely harmless.”