Page 9 - Southern Exposure - August '23

Southern Exposure, Page 9

northern noteS

Midges – Those Pesky Insects!

By Katie Roundtree, Director of Finance and Administration, Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District

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

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