What They Are
A mixture between flies and mosquitoes, midges are a small insect that often move through the air in huge swarms. Other common names that you may hear them being referred to as are non-biting midges and blind mosquitoes. They live the majority of their lives as larvae before they become adults. Once they are adults, they only live for a couple days to a few weeks due to the fact that they rarely eat anything during their adult life. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, there are over 7,300 species in the midge family group. Fun fact: one particular species of midges is the only insect that is native to Antarctica.Where You Can Find Them
Many of the midges in Missouri are aquatic midges. Since midges spend the majority of their lifetime as larvae, they spend a large amount of time in bodies of water or moist places like damp soil. Once they are transformed into an adult, they take to the air. They typically emerge between April and November. Female midges often stay close to these bodies of water because that’s what where they lay their eggs. Males regularly form into groups and hang out over tall objects or bodies of water. You can normally find them swarming above a bush, hilltop, dark object, or if you’re unlucky, you may even find them hanging out over a person. Once it gets dark, they can also often be found swarming under outdoor lights. Midges can be found statewide as well in some other states and countries.Benefits and Risks
Despite their similarities to mosquitoes, aquatic midges do not bite. Some other species of midges do bite, but aquatic midges are most likely the midges will you will encounter at the lake. They are fairly common in Missouri and especially at the lake since there’s a large body of water for them to grow in. So while these insects can cause some annoyance while swarming, there’s no need to worry about these pests biting you or spreading diseases. If they’re not hurting us, are they helping us? Fishermen, you may not be as annoyed the next time you see a swarm of midges due to their benefit to the environment. Many fish feed on midge larvae, so bodies of water that are rich in midges will most likely yield more fish.While midges don’t bite and fishermen may develop an appreciation to them, there is some bad that comes along with them. Since midges travel in large swarms, they can causes damages to paint, stucco or other wall finishes. Not only can they cause permanent staining to this surfaces, when they die, their bodies also attract spiders.
Predators
Even though midge larvae only eat matter in the water and adult midges don’t eat at all, that doesn’t mean that nothing eats them. Midges have multiple predators as both larvae and adults. As mentioned before, fish feed on larvae, but so do dragonfly larvae, water beetles and some other aquatic insects and animals. Adult midges are eaten by spiders and some species of birds including swallows.
Give A B Pest Control & Insulation a Call Today!
Because midges are a flying insect, they are a little harder to kill, but with diligent continuous treatment, you can control them much easier. If swarms of midges are invading your outdoor space, call A B Pest Control & Insulation! We offer a wide range of pest control services including aquatic pest control. If you’ve noticed an increase of spiders that are feeding on the midges, we can help with that too! We also provide spider control including for your dock. This summer, don’t waste your time worrying about pests, the best pest control service at the Lake of the Ozarks is here to help you with all of your pest problems.
No comments:
Post a Comment