Mayfly

I am 100% sure I've mentioned in this here blog thingy how I despise things en mass:  bees.  ants.  flies. mice. midges. people. 

Mayflies are definitely on that list. And while we just finished midge season, they didn't come too far inland this year. While they were problems on my runs near Lake Erie, they barely made it to our house - with which I'm fine. 

Mayflies are bigger than midges. They're harmless, but again:  MANY of them. Thousands. ....and that's just where we were yesterday. If I were a betting man, I'd say millions. 

It started after my fun and I stopped at the grocery store. This was the car next to me. 

Eeek. What the image doesn't show is the hood, roof and all the doors were covered by hundreds of them. I got in my car and fled.   .....ok, I drove away at the posted rate of speed. 

But then we took Shep out for his afternoon sojourn. 

They. Were. Every. Where. 

On the signs. The post. The trash cans. The trees. There was no a soul on the playground, which was odd. I mean, you had to figure some people made the trek there not knowing.  But the equipment - covered!  Can you imagine going down the slide and having 10,739 dead mayflies squished on your ass?  Not only that, it slows down the ride. 

But it is the title image that creeped me out. 

I didn't have to go, which is good because, I wouldn't have gone in. And while I got the shot for effect, the rest of the building - which included a snack bar ! - had more on them than this, but there was little frame of reference with the white backdrop. 

Now, these things only last for 48-72 hours. In one species females a lot less:  5 minutes.  FIVE!   ....which is about four too long. But each female lays about 400-3000 eggs. I'd die too with that kind of activity. 

So yes, there is another few days of enduring these. I can't quite find if they all hatch at the same time, but a lot around the same time. We might have a few waves over the next few days.........and then they are back in September for another round. 

It seems I will be nose breathing on my run this morning. 

Song by: Paul Weller