The flying spider is more common in the summer months and at dusk. However, this is not a species of spider, as is commonly said, but actually a species of mosquito.
In a nutshell
- Harvestmen with wings are not a spider species
- also widely known as Schneider, Schnok and Schnake
- Larvae far more dangerous than adult insects
- completely harmless to humans
- be treated with many home remedies
naming
The insects, colloquially referred to as flying harvestmen, are regularly found under the name gnats. Its scientific name is Tipulidae. Despite their visual appearance, which resembles that of a spider, they belong to the mosquito order. The spiders are assigned to the arthropods. Other well-known trivial names of the Schnake are Schneider, Schnok, Pferdemücke, Langbeinmücke and Schuster.
Look
The main optical differences between flying insects and spiders result from their general shape and physique. While spiders have eight legs, horse mosquitoes only have six very delicate and long extremities. In addition, the spider body always consists of two connected parts. The body of the gnat, on the other hand, consists of a unit of a maximum of four centimeters, on which the fragile wings can be found.
The larvae of the Schnoken are characterized by:
- about five inches tall
- brownish coloring
- six processes at the end of the body
- Pupation after several months
- the adult cranefly hatches after about two weeks
damage picture
Contrary to their allocation to the mosquitoes, the fully grown Tipulidae are completely harmless to all living beings. Although the animals have mouthparts, they are not strong enough to penetrate the skin of humans or animals, for example. The insects are therefore only able to feed on exposed liquids such as water and nectar.
However, the larvae of the crane flies ensure that shoots and stalks are eaten off on almost all native plant species, especially in the summer months. Young seedlings in particular do not tolerate the aggressive predators very well, so that in the worst case they die off.
Tip: In order to correctly determine the cause of the damage that has occurred, it is advisable to examine the soil around the plant closely. Due to the larvae's size of several centimetres, these can be easily recognized.
causes
The female gnats lay the larvae eggs at a depth of several centimeters using a ovipositor. The preferred laying places for the eggs are:
- planter
- flower beds
- compost heap
The larvae that hatch from up to 250 eggs require large amounts of plant material to grow into an insect. These are then processed using the digestive bacteria they contain. The larvae prefer to feed on materials that have already died. However, if these are not available in sufficient quantities, the larvae switch to the parts of the plant that are still intact.
combat
Even if the flying spider is not fundamentally dangerous, it is particularly annoying in the summer months. By installing fly screens on the windows and doors and setting up jars filled with essential oils such as lavender, lemon balm or sandalwood, the animals are naturally driven away. The compost heaps are a popular place for the winged insects to stay. In particular, they like to consume the liquids produced by the decomposition processes. It is therefore advisable to remove the compost as far as possible from the house or apartment and the outside seating.
Other home remedies against adult long-legged mosquitoes are:
- catch with a glass
- attracted by UV light
- distribute through incense coils or aerosol vaporizers
The population of the much more dangerous larvae can be effectively contained with the help of mole crickets. According to some studies, the animals, also known as nematodes, reduce the number of pests by up to 80%. They can be purchased in garden shops from 10 euros for an area of 10m². In addition, it has proven useful in practice to enrich the upper layers of the soil infested with larvae with calcium cyanamide and then to compact it. Due to the compression of the earth mass, freedom of movement is significantly restricted, so that the calcium cyanamide can achieve greater effectiveness.
Notice: The effectiveness of the calcium cyanamide lasts for up to two weeks, so the soil should only be loosened again afterwards.
frequently asked Questions
How old does the flying spider get?The winged insects die at the latest with the first frost, so that their lifespan is usually only a few months.
Is the flying insect threatened with extinction?The species is not currently endangered, although the chances of survival have increased in recent years due to the changing cultivation methods of plants.
How can the Tipulidae be distinguished from the dangerous mosquitoes?While gnats with a body size of around four centimeters are easy to recognize visually, this is much more difficult with mosquitoes with a maximum length of 1.5 centimeters. In addition, the mosquitoes make the well-known noises when flying around, which the snails do not produce.
Can the insects also be put to good use?Due to their preference for dead cellulosic materials, mosquito larvae are ideal for upgrading the compost by accelerating the decomposition processes.