| » FAQ Home | » View All | » Send a Question |

Displaying Frequently Asked Questions Midgies!!! I vaccuum them up every morning, and limit the lights on at night time... by the time I get home, they are everywhere again!! We have a dam on our property which we cant fill in (council rules) Is there anything I can plug in/spray/douse my house in to keep them out? What you are describing is most likely what is known as a non-biting midge fly. Their swarming behaviour is part of their mating strategy. It is usually the males that swarm. The females enter the group, mate and return to nearby water, where they lay their eggs. On hatching, the small larvae locate themselves in the silt at the bottom of the water course or body of water. Here they go through a number of instar (juvenile) stages before pupating and emerging as an adult. Non-biting midges are small flies that spend some of their time growing up in water. Midge fly larvae are usually found in rivers, swamps and other wet areas. They are generally bottom-dwelling and mainly feed on silting debris, although there are some predatory species. Midge flies are an important part of the food web in both rivers and bodies of water. As larvae they are food for a wide range of predatory aquatic animals including dragonflies and beetle larvae. They are also a food source for wading birds and bottom-feeding fish species. As adults, they fall prey to surface feeding fish, insect-eating birds and are frequently caught in spiders’ webs near aquatic environs. In Western Australia, many bodies of water and rivers are full of nutrients and frequently exhibit algal blooms in spring and summer. Decaying algal material is deposited on the bottom of these bodies of water and it is thought that this material provides a food resource for the midge larvae. With ample food available, and the right temperature and silt, midge larvae can become very abundant. Consequently, there are large numbers of adults swarming around these enriched wetlands. Midges swarm around your home, attracted by your lights at dusk. They aggregate under porches, on walls and on washing, increasing household maintenance. These swarms can be extremely dense and obviously reduce your enjoyment outdoors in the evening. In general, there is no health risk associated with midges as the adults do not bite and, unlike mosquitoes, do not require a blood meal before laying their eggs. However, the dust associated with dead adult midges can trigger asthma attacks in some people. Control of midges has largely been through the application of larvicides, such Abate. This non-specific organophosphate chemical is toxic to a range of aquatic fauna, although the rate used to control midges is comparatively low. Evidence in Western Australia suggests that midge larvae are becoming resistant to this control agent. Alternatives to organophosphates are being experimented with. Insect Growth Regulators offer some hope, but rates required to control midges can make these chemical prohibitively expensive. Also, these chemicals can also impact on non-target aquatic fauna. Westate Pest Control technicians are licensed to apply Abate and several effective Insect Growth Regulators. Other alternatives, such as light traps are effective in trapping adult midges, but are largely ineffective at reducing midge populations in the longer term. Additional control approaches, which are currently being trialled, include aerating the water surface to disrupt egg laying. Midge nuisance swarms are really an indication of the amount of nutrient in your dam. In order to address the midge nuisance, you could try clearing the sludge and silt at the bottom of your dam or, as suggested, aerating the surface water of the dam to disrupt the laying of midge fly eggs. Excess nutrients and the subsequent drop in oxygen levels in the water in your dam is the primary reason for your large midge fly populations and until these causes are addressed, your midge fly issue will remain. Date Listed: 2007-10-06 Back

Ring for a free pest control quote

1800 647 440