Spider expert explains one thing people shouldn't do when you spot a daddy long legs

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Spiders are a common creepy crawly that can be spotted in homes at this time of year as it's the peak mating season for the arachnids.The Mirror reports that many people will kill these creatures, and even use repellents and plants to keep them out of our homes - but one expert has urged people not to kill off these insects.Another annoying insect is the daddy long legs, which are a type of crane fly according to the Wildlife Trust, but many people mistake them for spiders due to their long, spindly legs.One spider expert has explained why we shouldn't be killing daddy long legs, despite many being scared of them - as they are completely harmless to humans.Karl Curtis, director of reserves and community engagement at Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, said: "They are out this time of year because basically, they are hatching out of our lawns and various places - they live a lot of their lives underground as a grub, as a larva, and then what they do is they hatch out over the summer. "Probably now is the last throw of the dice, and what they do is they come out and looking to mate, lay eggs back into vegetation and then they die off."He added: "They often get confused with spiders but they're not, they're flies, they're really good food source for birds, they're really important to play their part so people should let them out their windows and not kill them."The expert also said that things like fly sprays can be bad for the environment and other animals, so these should also be avoided.Mr Curtis also noted that crane flies are not poisonous - contrary to popular belief - and they are not to be feared by humans.