Biting larvae in water feature - Ask Extension
Good evening,
While cleaning the string algae in my tiny water feature, I found numerous sized larvae within the algae along with small snails.
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Biting larvae in water feature #875040
Asked June 27, 2024, 8:12 PM EDT
Good evening,
While cleaning the string algae in my tiny water feature, I found numerous sized larvae within the algae along with small snails.
I am unable to determine what the larvae is and more importantly what they turn into.
Thank you,
Randy Whitten
Washington County Oregon
Expert Response
Hi Randy and thanks for your question and great pictures of a Crane Fly larvae, commonly known as "leatherjackets" due to their tough exoskeleton. They hatch into those huge mosquito-like creatures you see often in summer. They can be a problem in lawns but crows like to hunt them and there are no pesticides registered for them at this time.
They are part of our northwest food chain and do not bite. They feed on rotting vegetation, whether grass clippings or algae, and are among the largest flies in the world. Keep your eyes open for their adult stage and you will enjoy knowing where it came from.
They are part of our northwest food chain and do not bite. They feed on rotting vegetation, whether grass clippings or algae, and are among the largest flies in the world. Keep your eyes open for their adult stage and you will enjoy knowing where it came from.
Sorry, I meant to add this article so you could read more about them.
https://instar.biossys.oregonstate.edu/potato/leatherjacket.pdf
Rhonda
https://instar.biossys.oregonstate.edu/potato/leatherjacket.pdf
Rhonda