Millions of Midges!

We are under siege!  The Bayou has been set upon by millions of critters!  Midges!  Midges everywhere!  These critters, which look a lot like a mosquito with fuzzy antennae, have completely covered every non-moving object (and a few moving ones!) in the area!  My house is crawling with the bugs!  I dare not open the windows or doors more often than absolutely necessary otherwise we would not be able to breathe!  Enough of the insects have found their way indoors by means of Ms. Ez's fur and my clothes and hair.  I am wondering if they are actually dropping down the chimney!  Every time we have to venture out, we are almost instantaneously covered!  You talk about one big mess trying to comb them from your hair.  Both Michael and I have longish locks and when those bugs get tangled in there...ugh!  As bad as it is during the daytime hours, night is worse.  The Midges are highly attracted to any light source so it is "lights out" at dusk!  The blinds are drawn, the overhead lights are darkened and we start slapping those that are coaxed inside by the light of our computers.  This is not fun! This is not fun at all!

If I have to find one positive thing to say about our visitors, it is the fact that they do not bite!  The Midge merely makes a nuisance of itself trying to find some place to perch and that perch can be anywhere!  The outside walls of the house is literally crawling with critters!  Any movement nearby sends them swarming up in huge clouds only to settle down again wherever they can grab hold.  That usually includes people and pets.   Their buzzing wings sends Ms. Ez into a frenzy.  She snaps at empty air as she tries to avoid the bugs thinking they are the familiar-sounding mosquitoes.

At least the Midges will only be here for a few days.  Their whole existence at this stage of their life is to merely to swarm, mate and lay eggs.  Once that is accomplished the adult Midges will die.  And we will be free until the next swarm makes its way through the area.  Meanwhile, the Yellow-rumped Warblers have moved from flying ants to Midges as their food, the Eastern Bluebirds have easy pickings while the Midges abound and the geckos, frogs and toads are all happy campers as their meals are literally delivered to them! Me?  I try to stay indoors as much as possible and at all times...keep a comb handy!