How to get rid of mayflies? Total infestation!

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Jun 9, 2005
Messages
665
Location
Vermont
Just moved into my new place on a lake this week. The outdoors is literally infested with mayflies 24/7, to the point where we can not open the windows (little buggers get through screen mesh) or do much work outside.

Any advice on non-toxic or somewhat-less-toxic (in regards to the safety of our animals) methods of getting rid of these little beasts? I was thinking of how I once read about treating a lawn with liquid dish soap to kill mosquito larvae, wondering if that might work. Or good old Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap, as my relatives used to do when I was young.

Any help is appreciated-- thanks!
 
Though many of us LOVE living on,in,around water, so do 3/4s of the worlds most pesky undesirable critters. Don't worry about May Flies, in a month or so the noseeums and mosquitos will have run them all off.

Bob
 
Good news and bad. Which do you want first? Good? Ok...

The good news is that mayflies are apparently very short lived as adults, in most cases a few hours to a few days. Basically, they should be gone pretty quick once all the little ones have hatched, which, according to the Terminix site, should not be a drawn-out affair:

Quote:


Typically, mayflies produce but one generation per year and the adults of a particular species emerge in large numbers at the same time. At times, the emerging organism become massive swarms where mayflies literally cover the ground in piles after mating.



The other good news is that mayflies are apparently a "biomonitor" organism seeing as how they are extremely sensitive to pollution. They can only live where the water quality is high (e.g. low concentration of heavy metals) so your lake is probably in good shape in that respect at least.

The bad news is that it doesn't sound like there's much you can do [given the restrictions you listed] but wait it out. I even have one of those "Grandmother's Critter Ridder" books and there's nothing in there either. The Terminix site recommends turning off outdoor lights and/or installing the yellow "bug bulbs" until they go away on their own.

Hope that helps.
 
Their whole adult life is devoted to breeding, and nothing else. They all come out at once, so even the hungriest of predators cannot put a dent in their numbers.
 
Hey, I’m back. Why? To hear the sound of my own voice and engage in needless clarification, what else? When I said “it doesn't sound like there's much you can do”, I didn’t literally mean that, of course. I assumed the “new place on a lake” was something you had purchased, and not something you were borrowing or renting. If the latter were the case, then perhaps you have the option of renting another place farther away from the lake or coming back at another time (if that would be better for you than the mayflies). Maybe you could sell the place if you own it. In addition to the lights (if you wanted to buy bug lights [if the place has electricity and outdoor lights in the first place] or could do without lights altogether), you could always keep your windows shut like you have them now (if the heat and/or lack of circulation and/or light wouldn’t be too big an issue... though that could possibly be remedied somehow if it were) or buy screens with tighter mesh that didn’t let the mayflies through (if you wanted to or could buy such a thing). Maybe you could limit the amount of indoor light that shines outdoors during the evening somehow (which would attract the mayflies indoors). Maybe you could try citronella candles or something as well. Maybe you could move your work location. Maybe you could schedule activities away from the place during the times they especially bother you! Maybe you could bring a herd of mayfly-eating lizards to the lake and release them!!! Gaaa!!!!!! Must stop!!!!!

I had assumed you weren’t horrifically bothered by a temporary swarm of mayflies, but maybe that’s not the case at all. I have no idea how much they bother you. I guess they must bother you to some extent since you made a post here about them.

Phew, all better now. Thanks.
crazy.gif
smirk.gif
cool.gif
 
I found this on an organic site

Garlic to chase away Mosquitoes....

For site use:
Spray garlic tea over the entire problem area and for even more control
broadcast dry minced garlic at 5-10 lbs per 1000 sq ft.


Reader Comment: Your tip about dried minced garlic is the first thing that has worked for my TERRIBLE mosquito problem in my small backyard. By the way, I found a 23-oz container at Sam's Club for $3.85. I'm going back to stock up. THANK YOU !!!!!
 
Trout like mayflies, so place trout wherever you have a mayfly problem. You can't use wild trout as they'll stop eating when they get full, instead use domestic trout. For big mayfly eaters let your trout watch the FISH TV channel and play fish video games all of the time.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top