Page 5 - PGA Community News - August '23

August 2023 August 2023 PGA C.A.N.!, Page 5
Northern Notes

Midges – Those Pesky Insects! Mosquitoes have the following characteristics: 3. Low dissolved oxygen levels are factors found in
• When landed, hold their second/back leg pair in the air deep lakes.
By Katie Roundtree, • Have scaly wings with a light fringe on their tips So, what do we do about them? Chemical treatments
Director of Finance and • Typically, don’t form swarms by a licensed contractor, where applicable, for both larval
Administration, Northern Aquatic midges breed in habitats such as ponds, lakes, and adult stages can provide temporary and expensive
Palm Beach County wastewater treatment plants, and areas with nutrient rich relief. To get to the root of the problem, the amount of
Improvement District water. Midge flies are a food source for other aquatic insects, nutrients going into waterbodies must be reduced. This
Blind mosquitoes, such as dragonfly nymphs and several varieties of fish, so the can be achieved by utilizing best management practices
phantom midges, aquatic goal is not to completely eliminate them, but to keep them while applying fertilizers and managing inflows to the
midges, no-see-ums – call in proper balance within the ecosystem. Areas that receive stormwater system. Adding oxygen to the stormwater
them what you will, when an excess of lawn fertilizer runoff and very deep, organic system with diffusers and aerators will improve the health
they hatch, you’ll know it! lakes tend to be densely populated with midges, particularly of lakes and ponds by increasing dissolved oxygen. By
If you live on or near a with phantom midges. The juvenile stages of development addressing these contributing factors, hatch offs can be
retention pond or similar occurs in the water and, upon hatching, large swarms of adults greatly reduced. You may want to try lowering your light
body of water in Florida, chances are you are familiar with congregate on surfaces of buildings, screens, shrubs, etc. output at night so the midges are less attracted to your
large swarms of flying insects that inundate your house, yard, These hatches create severe nuisance problems as they are area. Home barrier chemical sprays may also offer some
and screen room periodically throughout the year, especially attracted to light. Spiders form webs in the eaves and around temporary relief.
in warmer climates such as Texas and Florida. homes to catch midges resulting in excessive cleaning and Thank you to Solitude Lake Management for courtesy
Midge flies belong to a very large and diverse family of expense. Midges can get caught up in air-conditioning units photo and article contributions.
aquatic insects. Midges are small, dainty flies with one pair of and cause failure to the unit. Some residents in Florida have NPDES tip: Your neighborhood drainage system
long, narrow wings, and long, skinny legs. While often thought complained that allergies and asthma attacks have increased is not a garbage disposal – don’t treat it like one.
of as the “cousin” of mosquitoes, midges don’t bite, sting, during large midge hatch offs. Encourage residents to take responsibility and to not
suck blood or transmit disease. They can, however, become a Midges have become a prevalent pest over the last dump chemicals, fertilizer, paint, oil, etc., in inlets or
terrible nuisance and trigger allergies or respiratory issues. few years due to several key factors: pipes. Discourage sweeping of lawn clippings and dirt
Midges and mosquitoes are often mistaken for each other, 1. The number of developments that require stormwater into street drains and disposing of lawn clippings and
which makes sense given that both belong to the order Diptera. systems to prevent flooding has increased. other debris (wood, concrete blocks, Christmas trees, etc.)
The largest difference between the two is that mosquitoes have 2. High nutrient loads in deep stormwater systems is directly into retention lakes. Keep drainage facilities clear
a proboscis, a mouthpart used to bite and suck blood. Midges ideal for midge breeding. of vegetation, trash, improperly and illegally discarded
do not, and do not bite appliances, shopping carts, tires, cars, garbage bags, etc.
humans. Otherwise, most
of the differences visible to
the eye are found in the fine
details.
Midges have the
following characteristics:
• When landed, fold their
first leg pair in a “prayer”
position (which can be
mistaken for antennae)
• Have long tarsi of foot
portions of the forelegs
• Lack scales on their
wings, making them smooth

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