Mayflies and Photos of Mayflies Invade Cleveland

A mayfly as seen on the side of a car in Lakewood

Eric Sandy / Scene
A mayfly as seen on the side of a car in Lakewood

You can’t throw a cat in this town today without hitting a literal wall of mayflies. THEY’RE HERE.

The main things you need to know about mayflies – and this year’s batch of hell-bug nightmares, in particular – include:

– The 2014 invasion has started off a bit more slowly than in other years
– There are presently millions of them hanging out on walls/cars/everything along the whole Lake Erie shore
– They only live in their fully matured and annoying forms for about a day or two (though their eggs and larvae lead muddy lives at the bottom of the lake for up to two years)
– The more inventive among us will have likely created an unofficial Mayfly Drinking Game by noon today
– A heavy invasion is a good barometer for the overall health of Lake Erie, despite the barrage of news stories that says otherwise
– Mayflies emit “a fishy smell once they’ve been squished”
– In regions of New Guinea and Africa, mayflies are eaten once the population has fully invaded.
– Male mayflies have two penises; female mayflies have two gonopores.

And now, a few fun photos of mayflies in action: