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marmar

(77,097 posts) Mon Jun 15, 2015, 09:22 AM Jun 2015

Dense mayfly swarm causes crashes, closes Pennsylvania bridge

(BBC News) A dense swarm of mayflies caused motorcycle crashes and the overnight closure of a bridge in the US state of Pennsylvania.

The sheer volume of insects reduced visibility, and turned the road surface of the bridge over the Susquehanna River, in Lancaster County, into a treacherous, slippery mess.

Piles of mayflies up to 2ft (0.6m) deep were seen the morning after.

Immature mayflies live in water, before hatching as adults to mate in swarms.

The bridge was closed late on Saturday, reopening early on Sunday, police said. ...............(more)

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33129833

7 replies

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Dense mayfly swarm causes crashes, closes Pennsylvania bridge (Original Post) marmar Jun 2015 OP

OMG that's gross. polly7 Jun 2015 #1

We get them each June. I'm hoping this isn't an indication of the numbers for the whole country. Frustratedlady Jun 2015 #2

Ohhhh. polly7 Jun 2015 #3

We get these salmon fly swarms on the rivers near me sometimes. One time on the Snake brewens Jun 2015 #4

"Flynado" -- Coming soon exclusively on Netflix. nt Buns_of_Fire Jun 2015 #5

It's like driving in snow! elias49 Jun 2015 #6

looks like a job for a flamethrower snooper2 Jun 2015 #7

polly7

(20,582 posts)

1. OMG that's gross.

Reply to marmar (Original post)

Mon Jun 15, 2015, 09:30 AM

Jun 2015

I'm bug phobic so would still be having nightmares.

Hope no-one was hurt.

Frustratedlady

(16,254 posts)

2. We get them each June. I'm hoping this isn't an indication of the numbers for the whole country.

Reply to polly7 (Reply #1)

Mon Jun 15, 2015, 09:35 AM

Jun 2015

They have been so thick, the city has had to use end loaders to scoop them up. They are slick and smell like fish. Ugh! They only come on shore to breed and then die. Beyond pesky!

polly7

(20,582 posts)

3. Ohhhh.

Reply to Frustratedlady (Reply #2)

Mon Jun 15, 2015, 09:37 AM

Jun 2015

I feel almost sick reading that. I hope you get a bad, bad frost that freezes them in their tracks ... well, maybe not as it would freeze everything growing too - but something huge. Ugh. I feel bad for you.

brewens

(13,629 posts)

4. We get these salmon fly swarms on the rivers near me sometimes. One time on the Snake

Reply to marmar (Original post)

Mon Jun 15, 2015, 09:44 AM

Jun 2015

river in Idaho, we got run off a beach we were fishing on. It was getting late and we were close to leaving anyway. You had them all over you and it was almost hard to breathe.

I get home and realize I needed something out of my tackle box, opened it up and let loose a swarm in my house! It hadn't occurred to me that I slammed it shut and trapped about 100 of them in there. Mostly they just went to the nearest wall or drapes and landed and didn't do anything else. They don't live long so it was just a matter of vacuuming them up in the morning but I was finding a few for months.