Midges invading Northeast Ohio showing up on radar

[Shawnster]

Swarms of midges invading Northeast Ohio and showing up on Cleveland radar

 

The small bugs have made their annual return to Northeast Ohio. They are usually most visible during the months of June and September for up to 10 days at a time.

 

The swarms were so dense overnight, the flying insects were detected on weather radar.

 

http://www.cleveland19.com/story/38338581/swarms-of-midges-invading-northeast-ohio-and-showing-up-on-cleveland-radar

[Brother_Bliss]

I thought that said "midgets" 🤣

[dove]

3 minutes ago, Dismal_Bliss said:

I thought that said "midgets" 🤣

What a difference one letter can make....😁

[Shawnster]

 

 

 

 

 

We vacationed on Catawba Island (it's really not an island any more)  a few years ago while the swarm was there.  Midges, or Mayflies, are attracted to bright light colored/white surfaces that face north.  Every white building in Port Clinton had these bugs clinging to them.  We were told there were swarms so big in the past that they had to get the plow trucks out to clear the streets of the dead ones.  

 

Killing midges is illegal.  

 

 

Edited June 5, 2018 by Shawnster

[Tortuga]

We have biting midges called no-see-ums out here. Two weeks ago I got tore up pretty bad while working at the AH. 

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceratopogonidae

Edited June 5, 2018 by Tortuga

[Loopy]

21 minutes ago, Shawnster said:

 

Killing midges is illegal.  

 

 

😳 Land on me they DIE. 🦗 Splat!!! 

 

You are kidding....right?

[dove]

8 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

We have biting midges called no-see-ums out here. Two weeks ago I got tore up pretty bad while working at the AH. 

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceratopogonidae

They're called that here too in the South...

[Shawnster]

29 minutes ago, Loopy said:

😳 Land on me they DIE. 🦗 Splat!!! 

 

You are kidding....right?

Individually is legal.  It is illegal to spray for them.  At least that is what our host at the Bed and Breakfast said.

 

Here's some quick facts about our winged wonders
Mayflies usually live for 24-72 hours. Don't forget that they've already spent 1-2 years on the bottom of the lake as a nymph living burrowed in the mud. Within that three days, though, they manage to get into about everything you can imagine. You will find dead mayflies lying around on the sidewalks, in spider webs, on window ledges, etc. They'll go anywhere where there's light at night. Wear a white shirt outside at night and you'll see what I mean.

 

Many mayflies stack up on the streets below street lights. This is where they land after they get tired of flying around the light for hours on end. Once on the street, they are usually run over by cars and make this "snapping" sound and it's all over. If its dry, they turn into a dust after several hours of traffic. If it's raining, they turn into a thick soup that smells something awful (read 'real dead fish'). The City of Port Clinton has gained approval from the Environmental Protection Agency, and a grant from the Ohio Lake Erie Commission, for the very first mayfly composting site in America!  Now isn't that quite a claim to fame for the city that's already The Walleye Capital of the World!!.

 

 

[Ahuvah]

Excuse my question here ... a little confused.

 

You said Shawn:

 

We vacationed on Catawba Island (it's really not an island any more)  a few years ago while the swarm was there.  Midges, or Mayflies, are attracted to bright light colored/white surfaces that face north.  Every white building in Port Clinton had these bugs clinging to them.  We were told there were swarms so big in the past that they had to get the plow trucks out to clear the streets of the dead ones.  

 

 

I thought Mayfly and midges are two different insects ... midges are much smaller than mayflys ... and midges bite but I didn't think mayflys did?

Educate me.

[Miss Bea]

Radar? Visions of gnats in Egypt! 

[Friends just call me Ross]

2 hours ago, Dismal_Bliss said:

I thought that said "midgets" 🤣

Thanks for the mental image...

 

[Shawnster]

14 hours ago, Stormswift said:

Excuse my question here ... a little confused.

 

You said Shawn:

 

We vacationed on Catawba Island (it's really not an island any more)  a few years ago while the swarm was there.  Midges, or Mayflies, are attracted to bright light colored/white surfaces that face north.  Every white building in Port Clinton had these bugs clinging to them.  We were told there were swarms so big in the past that they had to get the plow trucks out to clear the streets of the dead ones.  

 

 

I thought Mayfly and midges are two different insects ... midges are much smaller than mayflys ... and midges bite but I didn't think mayflys did?

Educate me.

If they are differenti don't know. The name is used interchangeably here at least. 

 

 

[Old]

The article is about Lake Midges, somewhat unique to Lake Erie.

Picture of a Lake Midge.  Read about the difference here: http://www.cleveland19.com/story/35717762/mayflies-and-midges-whats-the-difference

 

 

It doesn't bite.

 

 

 

[Shawnster]

4 hours ago, Old said:

The article is about Lake Midges, somewhat unique to Lake Erie.

Picture of a Lake Midge.  Read about the difference here: http://www.cleveland19.com/story/35717762/mayflies-and-midges-whats-the-difference

 

 

It doesn't bite.

 

 

 

This explains alot. Thanks. 

 

All I was going by was what I was told. Nice to have the information.