IF YOU'VE noticed an influx of daddy-long-legs in your home, don't worry - it's all down to the good weather!

They may look scarier than a spider and their flapping against your lampshade may be as annoying as the buzz of a bee but crane flies are not pests, explained Wirral ranger James Locke. The current unusual weather conditions have led to what appears to be an invasion of daddy long legs in our homes but we can be reassured it is nothing to worry about.

Mr Locke said: "The reason we are seeing more crane flies than usual is because the soil conditions at the moment are ideal for them.

"The female crane fly lays her eggs in the soil, usually around water or in mud. When the eggs hatch if the soil is too hard the larvae, or leather jackets as they are called, aren't able to reach the surface.

"As the weather has been mild yet damp, the soil conditions have been perfect and more larvae are surviving and developing into adult crane flies."

Although seeing one in the bath may give you a fright James insists that although they are attracted to light, in a similar way to moths, which is why they enter the home, they are not pests.

He said: "They are not pests, they don't bite and they don't eat. They will not breed in the home, unless you have a thatched roof, as they need to be outside in the damp.

"They are completely and utterly harmless."