# Do Mosquito Eaters Really Eat Mosquito's?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mosquito-eaters-really-eat-mosquitos/65061>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 11, 2001, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mosquito-eaters-really-eat-mosquitos/65061 "2001-05-11T04:15:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nefarious_chipmunk/32/1045_2.png) [@Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefarious_Chipmunk)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2001, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mosquito-eaters-really-eat-mosquitos/65061/1 "2001-05-11T04:15:36Z")

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Well, it is that time of year when the mosquitos have come to eat me up and every once and a while I see one of those super huge mosquito like bugs. I have always called them Mosquito Eaters, but some people I know call them Mosquito Hawks. My question is, do these giant bugs deserve their names? Do they really eat up those nasty little bugs? Will keeping a bunch in my house get rid of the mosquitos?

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**Author:** ![Bob\_Scene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bob\_Scene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Scene)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2001, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mosquito-eaters-really-eat-mosquitos/65061/2 "2001-05-11T04:36:58Z")

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It sounds like you’re talking about crane flies. Here’s a page about them. They don’t eat much of anything as adults.

[http://entowww.tamu.edu/extension/bulletins/uc/uc-022.html](http://entowww.tamu.edu/extension/bulletins/uc/uc-022.html)

Real mosquito hawks are actually mosquitos whose larvae eat other mosquito larvae.

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**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2001, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mosquito-eaters-really-eat-mosquitos/65061/3 "2001-05-11T05:33:39Z")

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This do-it tourself stuff actually helps;  
[http://mosquito.lanminds.com/Publicinfo/ControlGuide.html](http://mosquito.lanminds.com/Publicinfo/ControlGuide.html)  
Of course, if you love in a wet rural area, you’re screwed. 😉  
Peace,  
mangeorge