WICKLIFFE, Ohio (WJW) – Midges are back in swarms across Northeast Ohio, especially over the past several days.
The small insects, which resemble mosquitos, have been known to mass together in groups visible to the human eye.
At first thinking it was smoke, a WJW photographer spotted “dark clouds” of the bugs flying near the station Tuesday evening.
Earlier, a viewer sent video of the midges swarming over their community in Wickliffe, Ohio:
The midges were even showing up on weather radar over the weekend as they made their return to the lakeshore.
Clouds of midges were also seen on Saturday. The National Weather Service in Cleveland tweeted out, “They’re Baaaaack! The CLE Weather radar is picking up on some of those midges west of #CLE near the lakeshore of Lorain and Huron Counties this evening.”
Experts say, midges, also known as muckleheads (and mayflies, which will arrive later), are signs of a healthy Lake Erie. What’s the difference between a mucklehead (midge) and a mayfly? A mucklehead is much smaller. Mayflies are larger and are about the size of a moth.
Mayflies will have their own clouds when they arrive. Last year WJW captured some cringeworthy video as thousands of mayflies covered the station’s studios, cars and parking lot.