Ideas for dealing with Crane Flies?

I live in Washington (Eastern) State where we are having a problem with Crane Flies. http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb0856/eb0856.html

Everything that I plant is eaten up before it gets over an inch high. I've been collecting small yogurt containers all year to use as collars on my plants but know I will also have to use strips of cardboard to set them in. I used that method last year. I had to replant things 3 times and eventually sewed my seeds in flats and transplanted them after they had grown a bit taller. Beans, carrots, beets, cucumbers, melons, mainly seemed to be what they liked.

Last fall the amount of flies seemed to be reduced allot, so I'm hoping our chickens have been eating them and decreasing the population of CF significantly.

I'm wondering if any of you have any other ideas as to how to deal with them. Such as nifty collars or barriers to keeping them out? Or any other imaginative ideas.

Thanks for any ideas you could give me.
Sagewood Farm

Just thinking with my boots on but what about putting a misquito-like netting over the obvious crane fly areas as soon as you see them emerge. This will keep them from breeding and egg laying. When I lived in Seattle these area were quite evident in the lawn and a large net would cause them to perish before breeding esp in Aug Sept. The net would not let the plant material suffer underneath and even would protect from the bright sun that time of year. I have seen greenhouses using this stuff to shade the hot house.

We are hoping that our chickens have done a good enough job by eating the flies to reduce the larva this spring. Only trouble is we might have them reduced but the neighbors don't have any chickens. That is a good idea though Soferdig, thanks.

I think there is a parasitic nematode that targets those grubs. Neem works on them too. http://www.extremelygreen.com/nematodeguide.cfm

Good luck!

Zeppy,
Very interesting, I will show that information to my husband and see what he thinks. It sounds great, thanks, Sagewood Farm

Yikes, I just looked at the price!!

Yep they are pretty ugly.

Well, I'm breaking out the big bucks for organic mosquito control this year, if the town won't do it. Asian Tiger mosquitoes were actually riding into the house on my legs last year. I mean, honestly.

The asian tigers actually carry more diseases to (west nile etc). They are worth spending the money on....what I hate about them is they put on romulin cloaking devices I swear--you can hear them, get bit by them, but can't always see them!

We have mosquitos here in Montana maybe for 3 days to a week in July. I have pet names for all of them. I left Michigan 30 yrs ago and will never go back in the summer.