2024 May 20 In Defense of the Midges

I’m sitting on the porch watching a mom Robin hop to grab insects right out of the grass. She gathers a mouthful and flies off.

A midgie on a grape leaf.

It’s “that” time of year again when clouds of little insects we call midges (Chironomidae) descend upon the Lake Erie region. People often speak harshly about these “pests” because they pop out of any disturbed leaf and sometimes fly into your face. They collect in spiderwebs in the top corner of your garage, or high up right inside the front door. People unfamiliar with midges often mistake them for mosquitos, but they don’t bite. I hate when a species becomes defined by the small inconvenience they pose to humans without noticing the big picture in the web of life. 

A midge on my porch ceiling. While I love these little guys, it’s hard to take a glamor shot. 

I will never say an unkind word about these beneficial insects of the Chironomidae family. In fact, I have only kind words. These insects overwinter in aquatic habitats and their presence indicates that the fresh water sources around us are not contaminated by pollution. In their larval stage, they are a food source for our fish and baby duckies in the spring. Their abundant emergence as flying adults is perfectly in sync with the bird migrations and become easy feed for spring baby birds. Bats love to eat them too. 

If they don’t get eaten in their short lifespan of a few days, the extra bodies enrich the soil for spring planting. These little buggers help everything they come in contact with, unlike most humans. A species should never be condemned for the extra time it takes to clean them off a car windshield. We are the ones damaging the ecosystem with our cars.