Did you see the Mayflies in Minnesota this Past Weekend?

This past weekend, nearly everybody was outside doing something. Whether it was doing yard work or camping. Maybe it was either having a garage sale or attending one.

Get our free mobile app

I did a little exploring leaving St. Cloud and going to Brainard and Baxter and then coming back to St. Cloud around Mille Lacs Lake. It was fun to make a stop and snap a few shots of the lake, which was my first exposure to Mille Lacs Lake. 

 I also made a stop at Appeldorns Sunset Bay Resort in Isle, my wife and I are planning to spend a few days there later in the summer. I noticed both when I stopped to take the pictures at Mille Lacs Lake and at Appeldorns, I noticed there was some sort of flying insect that was everywhere.  

I asked the staff at Appeldorns what was flying everywhere, and they told me they were Mayflies. To be honest, I had never heard of Mayflies. So, I had to do a little research into this pesky flying creature. 

I learned that adult mayflies don’t live very long, which made me feel better after so many of them dotted my previously clean windshield. Mayflies are found near freshwater bodies and wind up being eaten by fish, birds and mammals and other animals.  

Mayflies mate when females fly through swarms of males, and then the female heads back to the water to lay her eggs. The hatching takes place in May, hence their name.  

According to the National Wildlife Federation, Mayflies are vital to moving nutrients within aquatic ecosystems, which helps these communities survive and continue to exist.  

Mayflies are attracted to lights, so keep that in mind at night. They tend to hate garlic, citronella, peppermint, and lavender. You can also mix equal parts pine sol and water and put in a spray bottle to use outside. If they get in your house or car, you can figure out ways to dispose of them. 

Mayflies don’t bite or sting, they just congregate in large groups and are more of an irritant than anything. I just wouldn’t suggest having your mouth open when you get into a swarm of them.