UK braces for mass invasion of daddy-long-legs

Afraid of daddy-long-legs? Then you could be in for a terrifying end to the year as the UK gears up for a mass invasion of the flying insects. Crane flies, as they are also known, usually fail to survive the cold British winter but a milder season at the end of 2014 has allowed many of them to live and breed on. As a result, as the winter of 2015 approaches, many of them will head indoors as they look for a warmer environment to reside in.

Entomologist Barry Warrington told the Mail Online: "It is definitely a bumper year this year, simply due to the nice weather. It has not been as cold − there is a lot more for them to prey on.

"I think last year was a bit colder, so there wasn't as many daddy-long-legs, but this year there are more than last. Warmer conditions suit them more, and they are actually out earlier than usual this year. They eat smaller insects and the warm weather is good for them too. People will start to see them even more in the last couple of weeks as they head indoors for warmth, shelter and to find a mate."

Female crane flies lay up to 300 eggs in one cycle in lawns, but Britain's usually icy winter was relatively warm last year, meaning many of the larvae survived and have successfully hatched over spring and summer.