Midges are back. Here’s what they are, and why they matter
![Midges Mosquitoes are seen inside a stock cage in a mosquito labaratory at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in London, Thursday, May 30, 2013. Little black mosquito-like insects called midges have descended on the city. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)](/content/dam/cp24/en/images/2014/5/8/midges-1-1812832-1682979404382.jpg)
It’s almost that time of year again, when going for a walk on a sunny day might just mean walking into a swarm of black gnats.
These gnats, known as midges, are often found in Ontario's lakeshore, wildlife areas and parks. Most years, they began to appear in early springtime and last throughout the summer before dying in the fall.
Doug Currie, a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto, said they’re a small price to pay for a healthy ecosystem.
“Just think, if they were to disappear, that would be a warning that things aren’t quite that great,” Currie said about the bugs on and near Lake Ontario. “So I think that given what a short period that they’re out, is a small price to pay for a clean lake.”
That’s because midges can tell us a lot about our ecosystems. Midges, when highly populated above bodies of water, are an indication of healthy water with regular oxygen levels. When absent, they point to pollution in the water.
In addition, adult midges get eaten by larger insects such as spiders and swallows.
Monthly, in the spring and summertime, new species of these bugs will appear. There are over 4,000 species, all of which emerge in swarms as a way of mating.
“When you get these large swarms, it’s actually a mating ritual,” Currie said. “And so they need to connect with each other to mate.”
The large swarms are usually male midges that group together to attract females. After mating, Currie says that the cycle begins again.
“[They’ll] go off and mate, and then the cycle begins again. [They lay] their eggs on the lake or the street, and then the cycle begins again.”
Most of the species seen in Ontario do not bite, however the ones that do are females as they need protein to mature their eggs.
Currie says that they do not bite, and that there isn’t a surefire repellent against them.
“They’re certainly innocuous creatures,” he said
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6976926.1721883767!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
AS IT HAPPENED Wildfire reaches Jasper Wednesday night, causes 'significant loss'
One of two wildfires threatening Jasper National Park reached the townsite Wednesday night and caused 'significant loss.'
Alberta calls in army to assist with wildfire situation
Alberta has called in the Canadian Armed Forces to help assist with the worsening wildfire situation in the province.
Biden explains why he ended re-election bid in Oval Office address
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country's democracy as he laid out in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Norad intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers operating together near Alaska in apparent first
The North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad) intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers flying near Alaska Wednesday in what appears to be the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together.
2 Canadians being 'sent home immediately,' removed from Olympic team after drone incident
An analyst and an assistant coach with Canada Soccer are being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and 'sent home immediately,' according to the Canadian Olympic Committee.
An unwelcome attendee has joined the Paris Olympic Games: COVID-19
After a handful of Australian water polo players tested positive for COVID-19 this week, questions have emerged around how the spread of the disease will be mitigated at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Vacations, meals, booze: Contractor used $100K of charity's money for personal expenses, B.C. court finds
A B.C. man who was hired to help a non-profit build a food hub but instead spent the money on personal expenses – including travel, restaurants, booze and cannabis – has been ordered to pay more than $120,000 in damages.
Male, female killed, 2 others injured in 'gun battle' outside Toronto plaza: police
Two people are dead and two others suffered serious injuries following a shooting that police have described as a 'gun battle' outside a plaza in Scarborough, Ont. early Wednesday morning.