Residents in Nottinghamshire villages are battling large swarms of mating midges, with some forced to vacuum their ceilings to cope with the infestation. The insects, identified as chironomid flies, have been appearing in huge numbers in North Muskham, Kelham, Sutton on Trent, and Southwell since last month.
Jenny Bosman, a resident of North Muskham, described the situation as 'disgusting', saying the flies covered her ceiling even without lights on. 'We were Hoovering the ceiling before going to bed at night and they just keep coming,' she said. Her daughter Mia captured the swarms on camera outside their home.
Dr Chris Terrell-Nield, an ecology lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, suggested that unusual weather patterns and the coronavirus lockdown may be contributing to the phenomenon. 'During the lockdown period, there's less boats around, less fishing, less people and so we're getting these large concentrations now,' he explained. He also noted that a wet autumn and warm spring may have accelerated the insects' development.
Villagers report being unable to open windows without thousands of midges entering their homes. The swarms are mating aggregations typical of chironomid flies, which emerge en masse at certain times of the year.
