People in the UK should watch out over the next couple of weeks for an invasion of daddy long legs in their homes, experts have warned.
The well-known creatures could turn up in their billions after optimum breeding conditions where created thanks to the recent hot weather the country has experienced.
Invertebrate charity Buglife said that a huge 200 billion of them could appear, reports the Daily Star.
The term 'daddy long legs' in fact refers to various types of creepy crawlies, including familiar spindly-legged arachnids called 'harvestmen' and 'cellar.
But they are also a type of crane fly, which have translucent wings and are airborne.
Daddy long legs though, in all their many forms, pose no threat and cannot bite a person.
A spokesman for the charity noted: “Although they can cause a bit of bother in homes with their incessant fluttering, they are placid creatures, literally incapable of hurting a fly.”
The charity advised anyone who finds one in their home to catch it and release it outside.
Crane flies have a positive effect on the environment as their larvae helps to enrich soil by turning dead organic matter into material that is rich in nutrients.
The Buglife spokesman added: “And they’re also breakfast, lunch and dinner for birds, bats, amphibians, spiders, other insects, reptiles and fish, which are building up reserves to see them through winter.”
Any of the crane flies that could turn up in homes this month were laid as eggs last autumn before emerging as larvae within a week.
The record-breaking hot summer the UK experienced this year, with no rain falling to impact upon the creatures' underground tunnels, means there could also be a record number of 'daddies' on their way.
After forcing their way through the surface of the ground and flexing their wings, there is only one mission the crane flies have on their mind.
In a furious rush to find a mate they often accidently fly in through a home's open window, attracted by lights.
However, once airborne they can only survive for a few days.
Perfect weather conditions mean there has also been an explosion in the “monster” four-inch Tipula maxima species of the crane fly.
There has been a prevalent myth that crane flies, of which there are 94 different species, are extremely venomous.
But due to the similarities in appearances to spiders, these flies are considered incorrectly by some to be themselves venomous.
