Mayflies swarm Lake Erie as summer kicks off
By
Lauren Fox, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Jun 21, 2020 7:27 PM EDT
Mayflies swarming in early August in Heidelberg, southern Germany. A huge swarm of them is attracted and lit by a streetlamp. Slight motion blur shows the chaotic movement and busy atmosphere. (Getty images/MichalRenee)
Along the shore of Lake Erie, residents prepare for an insect phenomenon each summer -- and this year the mayflies are not too far away.
AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rossio grew up near Lake Erie in Monroe County, Michigan, and experienced mayflies firsthand each year.
Rossio said "like clockwork" the critters typically come out within a week of the summer solstice, which this year began on June 20.
Director at University of Toledo's Lake Erie Center Thomas Bridgeman told 13 ABC last year the mayfly swarms came out around June 25. However, the lake is a bit warmer this year, which may allow the mayflies to return sooner than last year.
"Generally the warm and humid nights are when they are most active, but often, it’s the luck of the draw what night they all come out," according to Rossio.
Bridgeman said water warmth can affect when the bugs emerge.
Last year, the swarms were so intense they were picked up on the National Weather Service's weather radar.
"There are sometimes so many of them, they would block out the lights on street corners and make them completely dim. They come out at night and are very attracted to light, like many other bugs," Rossio said.
The reason they gather in such massive swarms is to breed, he says. The following day, they die, covering sidewalks, lawns and roads with their bodies.
"I remember growing up hearing cars drive and hearing the thousands of them 'crunching' underneath the tires," Rossio said.
Mayfly fly swarm around night Lights, ground covered with millions of mayflies (Getty images / Ja'Crispy)
According to The National Wildlife Federation, mayflies spend the vast majority of their lives as aquatic larvae, where they reside in the water for about a year. Once they emerge on land as adults, they only live one to two days.
"You definitely want to turn off your lights at night. At the Lake Erie Center, we turn off our outside lights at the shoreline so we don't have piles under our windows," Bridgeman said.
While the mayflies may be considered by many as pesky, they are actually a good natural indicator of health for Lake Erie.
According to Ohio Sea Grant, mayflies require very clean water for breeding. Recent numbers show 300-400 mayfly larvae per square meter of sediment in western Lake Erie, compared to 1959 through 1961 when the numbers dropped to be essentially zero. The increase in water health is likely due to growing conservation efforts.
Rossio said they also make great bait for fishing, and anglers like to collect them because of how much the fish love them -- and they aren't the only ones. The Columbus Dispatch reported that the mayfly swarms feed about 54 million baby birds every year.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Currently, the numbers of mayflies on shore are still low, 13 ABC reported, however some swarms have already been picked up on some weather radars in Monroe County, Ohio. In the coming two weeks, the amount of mayflies on land is likely going to shoot up. However, unless you live right along the shoreline, the bugs will most likely not be a bother.
"Their range is probably only a dozen miles or so, and they're not going to keep flying much further beyond the shoreline," Bridgeman said. "They're there to do one thing, and one thing only: reproduce, and get back to the lake. They lay their eggs in the lake, so they don't want to be too far inland so they can deposit their eggs."
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Weather News
Mayflies swarm Lake Erie as summer kicks off
By Lauren Fox, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Jun 21, 2020 7:27 PM EDT
Mayflies swarming in early August in Heidelberg, southern Germany. A huge swarm of them is attracted and lit by a streetlamp. Slight motion blur shows the chaotic movement and busy atmosphere. (Getty images/MichalRenee)
Along the shore of Lake Erie, residents prepare for an insect phenomenon each summer -- and this year the mayflies are not too far away.
AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rossio grew up near Lake Erie in Monroe County, Michigan, and experienced mayflies firsthand each year.
Rossio said "like clockwork" the critters typically come out within a week of the summer solstice, which this year began on June 20.
Director at University of Toledo's Lake Erie Center Thomas Bridgeman told 13 ABC last year the mayfly swarms came out around June 25. However, the lake is a bit warmer this year, which may allow the mayflies to return sooner than last year.
"Generally the warm and humid nights are when they are most active, but often, it’s the luck of the draw what night they all come out," according to Rossio.
Bridgeman said water warmth can affect when the bugs emerge.
Last year, the swarms were so intense they were picked up on the National Weather Service's weather radar.
"There are sometimes so many of them, they would block out the lights on street corners and make them completely dim. They come out at night and are very attracted to light, like many other bugs," Rossio said.
The reason they gather in such massive swarms is to breed, he says. The following day, they die, covering sidewalks, lawns and roads with their bodies.
"I remember growing up hearing cars drive and hearing the thousands of them 'crunching' underneath the tires," Rossio said.
Mayfly fly swarm around night Lights, ground covered with millions of mayflies (Getty images / Ja'Crispy)
According to The National Wildlife Federation, mayflies spend the vast majority of their lives as aquatic larvae, where they reside in the water for about a year. Once they emerge on land as adults, they only live one to two days.
"You definitely want to turn off your lights at night. At the Lake Erie Center, we turn off our outside lights at the shoreline so we don't have piles under our windows," Bridgeman said.
While the mayflies may be considered by many as pesky, they are actually a good natural indicator of health for Lake Erie.
According to Ohio Sea Grant, mayflies require very clean water for breeding. Recent numbers show 300-400 mayfly larvae per square meter of sediment in western Lake Erie, compared to 1959 through 1961 when the numbers dropped to be essentially zero. The increase in water health is likely due to growing conservation efforts.
Rossio said they also make great bait for fishing, and anglers like to collect them because of how much the fish love them -- and they aren't the only ones. The Columbus Dispatch reported that the mayfly swarms feed about 54 million baby birds every year.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Currently, the numbers of mayflies on shore are still low, 13 ABC reported, however some swarms have already been picked up on some weather radars in Monroe County, Ohio. In the coming two weeks, the amount of mayflies on land is likely going to shoot up. However, unless you live right along the shoreline, the bugs will most likely not be a bother.
"Their range is probably only a dozen miles or so, and they're not going to keep flying much further beyond the shoreline," Bridgeman said. "They're there to do one thing, and one thing only: reproduce, and get back to the lake. They lay their eggs in the lake, so they don't want to be too far inland so they can deposit their eggs."
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo