Midges – - Midges – - everywhere !!
July 4, 2011 10:33 am 24 CommentsThey’re on the screens, the car, the windows, and even in my hair as I walk. It looks like a three-stooge’s comedy to watch runners on Presque Isle waving their hands and arms in front of them like windshield wipers as they try to run. I thought this was very funny until I went down to my boat, and it was covered by a coating of them. There must have been at least a thousand on the screen door and windows alone. A quick hosing took care of that problem.
We’re being invaded. The midges have arrived. The midge, also known as a mufflehead, is a harmless but annoying insect that has invaded Erie and Presque Isle this year. They are not new to Erie. However, this year
- Our Friendly Invader – - The Midges
they have found their way here in large numbers. These little pests have been around the Cleveland area for the past four years or five years. It seems they picked this year to move on down the lake to Erie and Presque Isle in full force.
Midge are widely distributed in the U.S and Canada. The most common midge people complain about are non-biting nuisance pests. Many people think they are mosquitos, but are quite different from them. Unlike the mosquito, they do not carry diseases or bite and have rather short wings compared to the mosquito.
They are aquatic, spending most of their seven to ten day lives close to water. Typically, midge mostly males, swarm in large numbers at dusk, and when females join them, mating occurs. Once this is done, the females almost immediately lay their eggs in masses over open water or attached to aquatic vegetation. These tiny eggs eventually sink to the bottom of the lake, pond or stream.
The larval stage soon emerges and begins its life on the bottom of the body of water. This is about ten months from the next midge emergence. This final stage is dependent on the water reaching a specific nature-controlled temperature.
There do not seem to be any health problems ssociated with the midge’s’ invasion other than the discomfort of them entering the ears, nose or mouth. Nevertheless, they certainly do not taste all that great.
Midges are usually a problem for about four weeks when they are out in great numbers right about now each year. Besides, just being annoying, the midge do help balance our ecosystem by providing fodder for fish and birds. They can be around from June to November in our area. One happy note is that their appearance means that Lake Erie has become healthier, and that is good.
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Categorised in: Questions / Answers, Uncategorized, Water
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24 Comments
I was out on PI on Friday night, and it looked like there were smoke clouds hovering over the tree line. The buzzing gave it away–thousands of midges! I wasn’t sure what they were, but thankfully they’re harmless. I hope they’re not keeping people from going to the beach.
Ginney,
The beach was very busy and my wife and I talked to many people about the little pests. Most people were worried that they were biting insects, but we were able to tell many what they were. Hope you had a great 4th weekend. Gene Ware
That’s the best aneswr by far! Thanks for contributing.
Such a deep anewsr! GD&RVVF
I can’t believe you’re not palying with me–that was so helpful.
Kudos! What a neat way of tinhking about it.
It’s always a relief when smoneoe with obvious expertise answers. Thanks!
I’m impressed by your writing. Are you a professional or just very knowdlegaeble?
I never tuohght I would find such an everyday topic so enthralling!
Great article, Gene. Some of my friends thought they were giant mosquitos..
At last! Someone who understands! Thanks for psotnig!
Heck yeah this is exactly what I nedeed.
Thanks for helping me to see things in a diffeenrt light.
How could any of this be better stated? It cloudn’t.
Articles like this are an example of quick, helpful anwsres.
So true. Honesty and evetyrhnig recognized.
Keep these articles cmonig as they’ve opened many new doors for me.
I bow down humbly in the psreence of such greatness.
Now that’s stuble! Great to hear from you.
Son of a gun, this is so helufpl!
All of these arctiles have saved me a lot of headaches.
Furarelz? That’s marvelously good to know.
That’s not just the best awnesr. It’s the bestest answer!
God, I feel like I sohlud be takin notes! Great work