These buggers have infested our area and saw this article about them in Texas. Seem to be a large crop of ‘em this year!

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/what-are-those-giant-mosquito-like-flies-spring-in-texas-means-swarms-of-bugs/3223185

They are absolutely everywhere.

I walk 4-5 miles a day and see them everywhere I go.

I was glad to read they don’t bite and are harmless to humans!

OK I'm ready for these things to go away.

My wife won't go outside the house except in the car because they freak her out. As I remember they don't stay around long. Hopefully.

There are a bunch of well-fed birds as a result of these pests.

It seems they are already dying down a bit.

Not enough at my house. If you know any hungry birds send them my way.

We have a pond / lake behind our house. I have never seen fish coming out of the water like they have been the last few days - not sure if these are the reason but they are active!

We have a pond / lake behind our house. I have never seen fish coming out of the water like they have been the last few days - not sure if these are the reason but they are active!I was at lake Overholser a few days ago. I knew there were a lot more fish jumping than usual. I didn't put 2 and 2 together.

I'm mobbed every time I leave the house to walk the dog. I was hoping today's wind would keep them at bay, but alas.

They make great exercise for my cats when they get into the house. :D

Here is a report about our bug situation:

https://okcfox.com/news/local/osu-expert-explains-the-flying-insect-thats-been-bugging-oklahomans-this-spring-crane-fly-entomologist-marsh-mosquito-may-fly-april-infestation-influx-mystery-insect-flying-oklahoma

Almost all of them are already gone from my neighborhood.

^ Most of them around us have died off. But I was up around Boulevard and Danforth earlier and got swarmed when I opened the car door. Had to drive a couple miles with the windows down to get them all out.

We still have some (NW OKC) and I notice them mostly at dusk and night - the love to come inside when the outside lights have been on! But not as many as we did a week or so ago.

It's fascinating to watch the ebb and flow of different kinds of bugs and critters across the years. Last couple years cicadas were everywhere, before that we had a ton of wolf spiders and ants before that...never a dull season here.

The Crane Flies are out en masse already.

Oh gosh don’t tell me! I just walked and must have avoided them. Hate to hear they are already here.

Went out on the front porch this morning to get a box delivered last night. Probably 20 of them on the wall.

Weird how we have so many of these when we’re not in nearly as much of a building boom as DFW or Austin.

Weird how we have so many of these when we’re not in nearly as much of a building boom as DFW or Austin.

I'm out in the middle of nowhere Carter County and they are swarming everywhere we didn't control burn... I've never seen so many in 18 years here.

We also have a lot more big flocks of birds than we normally have. Probably feasting on all these flies.

If you read upthread, last year they only lasted until about the 2nd week of April.

But it does seem they are out earlier this year, no doubt due to the very wild winter.

Weird how we have so many of these when we’re not in nearly as much of a building boom as DFW or Austin.

Lol......maybe the more obvious joke would work??

18713

Oklahoman.com has an article that also refers to these as “mosquitoe hawks” or Mayflies. I’ve always heard of Mayflies but never knew what they were. They are swarming!

Oklahoman.com has an article that also refers to these as “mosquitoe hawks” or Mayflies. I’ve always heard of Mayflies but never knew what they were. They are swarming!I'm surprised the Oklahoman would report that. But maybe I shouldn't be.
Crane flies and mosquito hawks are the same thing. My understanding is that in Texas they're mostly referred to as mosquito hawks. Mayflies are different. What we have swarming now are Crane flies.

There is a difference between crane flies and may flies. I learned this over the weekend. I think may flies are a little bigger. An easy way to tell the difference is that may flies rest with their wings together, and crane flies rest with their wings apart.

There is a difference between crane flies and may flies. I learned this over the weekend. I think may flies are a little bigger. An easy way to tell the difference is that may flies rest with their wings together, and crane flies rest with their wings apart.
Also, crane flies have looooong legs and mayflies don't.

OK, interesting. We’ll go with mosquito hawks - despite the fact they don’t eat mosquitoes per that article (which was already wrong once)!:)