Thursday, July 24, 2014

The May Flies have Hit!

Back in the old home area we sometimes have an invasion of the winged kind...may flies.

I'm not sure why they call them mayflies since they usually show up in July, but that's their name.  When you grow up near the Mississippi river it's an annual event.

My childhood memories are of seeing the snowplows come out in the summer time to shovel their dead and dying carcasses off the Mississippi bridge.

Left Brain has described driving the bus back and hitting a swarm of them, making him stop several times to clear the windshield so he could see.

The swarm this year was large enough to show up on Doppler radar, this video covers it nicely.



They are an eerie sight, and thankfully one that is short lived as mayflies have no mouths.  Nope...their only purpose is to hatch, breed and die.

I'll leave you with this lovely image shared by a friend of mine who decided he really didn't need to put gas in his car that badly.  Nope, no filter was used to create this disgusting image...it's all due to them.



Long Live the Queen of Mayflies

8 comments:

  1. They are very gentle creatures when they are not descending in droves... we used to line pick them up by the double-wings, and line them up on our arms and legs. (No mouth, therefore no biting!)

    When I was in college, as a prank, working late one night at a restaurant... the crew shoveled lots of them into the night bartender's car and rolled up the windows. When he came out, his interior was one big swarm. He drove home with all the windows down, swatting and flapping!!

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  2. I fell lucky they don't seem to affect Perrot State Park.

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  3. Hatch, Breed and Die .... hmmm, I think I know some poeple like that only they have mouths and I wish they didn't. Does that sound negative, yup! We saw the picture on the news of the Mayflies on the radar ... couldn't believe it. I remember thinking I was sure glad that I wasn't where they were. Sorry you were ( or are) ... maybe that is why you have forgotten that it is FRIDAY .... remember FRIDAY :) ring any bells? Be well my Forgetful Queen ...

    Andrea @ From the Sol

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    1. Friday? That's today? Oooops.
      It's been crazy busy here, I may hold this until next Friday. Let me interpret that for you...mine isn't done yet.

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  4. Oh my. This reminds me of the annual Junebug invasion when I was a kid in Texas. Junebugs flying and clinging everywhere at night, and smashed everywhere come dawn. *augh*

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  5. Oh my, I've never seen anything like this! Although I must say that it makes for awesome photography! As for Friday, I didn't even realize it had got here, yet here it is Sunday and I have to go to work tonight. Thank you the extension of time. Mine isn't ready either. Have a super Sunday!! Hugs, Edna B.

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