Fear of crane flies (daddy long legs)
A fear of crane flies can make late summer and autumn something you dread, with one daddy long legs bumping round the light enough to send you out of the room.
Many people find that with the right help, they can stay calm when a crane fly drifts in, open a window and let it out, and get on with their evening.
Use code PHOBIA at checkout for half price: £24.50 instead of £49. Outside the UK? $29.50.
Understanding this fear
Crane flies, called daddy long legs in the UK and Ireland, do not bite or sting and are harmless to people. In the US they are often called crane flies or mosquito hawks, and the name daddy longlegs is usually used for a different, spider-like creature. With a fear of crane flies, the feeling is far stronger than the real risk. It is usually about the way they move: the long legs, the clumsy, unpredictable flight and the worry that one will land on you.
It is closely linked to a fear of insects, a fear of spiders and a fear of butterflies and moths. Many people who fear spiders find crane flies set off the same alarm.
Common triggers
- Late summer and autumn evenings
- Lights on with windows open
- Crane flies bumping along walls and ceilings
- One landing on your skin or clothes
- Long grass and lawns
- Bedrooms at night
- Bathrooms and small rooms
- Seeing several at once
Where it shows up
- Your home, especially bedrooms
- Gardens and parks
- Camping, caravans and holiday cottages
- Pub gardens and outdoor seating
- Offices and classrooms with open windows
- Car trips with the windows down
- Sports pitches and golf courses
Symptoms
In your body
- Racing or pounding heart
- Skin crawling or feeling itchy
- Jumping or screaming
- Shaking or sweating
- A strong urge to run out of the room
In your mind
- What if it lands on me?
- Picturing it in your hair or on your face
- Watching it constantly
- Being unable to settle until it is gone
- Worrying about the next one
What you might do
- Keeping windows shut on warm evenings
- Leaving rooms or sleeping elsewhere
- Asking someone else to remove them
- Avoiding gardens and outdoor seating in autumn
- Checking bedrooms before going to bed
What causes it
A crane fly landing on you, or flying into your face, can be enough to start it, especially as a child. Some people pick it up from a parent or sibling who screamed at them. It often sits alongside a fear of spiders or insects. Once the fear is there, leaving the room brings quick relief, which teaches your mind that crane flies really were dangerous, so the fear grows.
How it can affect your life
A fear of crane flies can take over the end of every summer. People keep windows shut on warm nights, sleep badly, avoid gardens and pub tables, and feel embarrassed when friends laugh. It can feel silly to admit, which can make it harder to ask for help.
Things that can help day to day
- Remind yourself that crane flies do not bite or sting and cannot hurt you
- Keep window screens or nets on bedroom windows in late summer and autumn
- Turn the main light off and open a window, as they tend to fly towards light outside
- Breathe out slowly, a little longer than you breathe in, when you see one
- Practise looking at a picture of one, then watching one from across the room, building up at your own pace
When to get help
It is worth getting help if you are planning your evenings around crane flies, losing sleep, or the fear is spreading to other insects or spiders. If the anxiety is affecting your daily life, your GP is a good first port of call.
How I can help
If you’ve tried to talk yourself out of this fear and it hasn’t worked, that isn’t a lack of willpower. A phobia is an alarm your mind learned, and logic alone rarely switches it off.
When I work with a fear of crane flies, I first find out what the fear is really about for you, whether that is the legs, the way they fly, one landing on you or an old memory. Using hypnotherapy and NLP over Zoom, I help your mind let go of the old alarm, so a crane fly becomes something you can calmly let out of the window. We rehearse seeing one in your mind, calmly and in detail, until it feels ordinary. You get a recording of the hypnosis to listen to before the season starts.
I’ve spent 17 years in clinical practice and helped more than 1,000 people with phobias. I hold a Postgraduate Certificate and a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Hypnotherapy, both with Distinction.
If you’re feeling low or on edge most of the time, talking to your GP or someone you trust can help too.
Common questions
Can crane flies bite or sting?
No. Crane flies do not bite or sting people. They are harmless, even though the way they move can feel alarming.
Why are there so many crane flies in autumn?
Many crane flies come out as adults in late summer and early autumn. They only live for a short time as adults, so the season passes quickly.
Is a daddy long legs a spider?
In the UK and Ireland, a daddy long legs is a crane fly, which is an insect. In the US, the name is often used for harvestmen or cellar spiders. Whichever you mean, the fear and the help are the same.
How do sessions work?
I use hypnotherapy and NLP to change how your mind responds to this fear. Sessions are one to one over Zoom, and you get a recording of the hypnosis to listen to afterwards.
How many sessions will I need?
Many clients notice a real difference after one 90 minute session. If the fear goes back a long way, three sessions gives us room to make the change stick.
Further reading: NHS: Phobias
Ready to start?
A short call is the simplest next step. We’ll talk about your fear, what you’d like to feel instead, and whether I’m the right person to help.
- Take the free test at the top of this page to see how strong your fear is.
- Book a 30 minute call. Use code PHOBIA at checkout for half price: £24.50 instead of £49 ($29.50 outside the UK).
- Start your sessions over Zoom from wherever you live, or face to face in Hertfordshire.
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