Mind the swarm.
Midges, the tiny fly species commonly arriving in the late spring and early summer, have emerged in Northeast Ohio. The insects spend most of their lives underwater before hatching when water conditions warm to around 60 degrees.
The species tends to resemble mosquitoes, but luckily, the ones emerging from Lake Erie don't bite. Following their hatch, they can be seen traveling in large groups, typically finding themselves convened on surfaces and buildings as well as clouded together in the sky.
"Today's Lake Erie midge situation: 10/10 coverage. Our civilian staff door looked like it was wearing a fuzzy gray carpet," the Euclid Police Department said in a Facebook post. "We briefly considered calling it a biohazard and going home, but apparently 'attacked by a swarm of midges' isn't a valid excuse to skip work."
Midge season starts in mid-May and lasts through September. The season tends to peak in the summer when conditions are hot and humid.
Swarms of midges are commonly observed among males of the species, as females are not typically seen taking part.
"Some researchers suggest the males' swarming is an end unto itself, a ritual. People rarely take note of midges when they are solitary and not swarming," according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. "It could be that the males' swarming causes many unrelated individuals to gather in one spot, scrambling the genetic strains from across a wide area, lowering the possibility of inbreeding."