Spring Up a Swarm
May 14th, 2010 |Now that the weather is getting warmer and life is emerging from the cold of winter you may notice swarms of bugs that seemed to appear out of no where. As requested I will focus on midge flies. These little buggers show up around late March to April depending on the weather. They can appear in large swarms in Southern Canada around the Great Lakes and the Northern States of America. This is especially true if you live near a body of water because the flies require water for their life cycle. They lay their eggs in or near the water and when the larvae emerge from the eggs they remain in the water until they transform into their adult stage, which is the flying stage.
When the weather is just right the larvae will transform into their adult form. Now these poor buggers don’t have much time to make the next generation. So they head off and mate in swarms.
Although bugs have always been a nuisance to us humans they are important for the ecosystem. Midge fly larvae are food to some fish and I’m sure the spiders don’t mind the adults either. So patch up your screens, drain the pool, and avoid turning on lights at night to prevent these critters from living in your home.
Sources:
http://lancaster.unl.edu/enviro/pest/factsheets/262-95.htm
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/638591
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0005278
