Midges Swarm Northeast Ohio as Spring Arrives

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Springtime in Northeast Ohio has brought sunshine and baseball along with an influx of midges. The small flies made their 2025 debut around May 17 and are now seen swarming outside homes and around individuals walking or biking near the lake.

Midges typically hatch from Lake Erie when water temperatures hit about 60 degrees. Currently, the waters off Cleveland are about 58 degrees, while Toledo has reported temperatures as high as 64 degrees.

According to experts, air temperature swings, such as those experienced in the region, do not impact the emergence of midges once the water warms sufficiently. The Ohio lake’s temperature rises gradually in spring and is unlikely to drop suddenly enough to harm the new insects.

With warmer water, midges emerge from their pupal stage closer to the lake’s surface and enter a dormant state before transitioning from larvae to adulthood. Although their swarm can annoy some residents, midges play a crucial role in the local ecosystem as a food source for various wildlife, including fish and birds.

Fortunately, midges do not pose a threat to humans—they do not bite. As larvae, they feed on algae and rotting plant matter found at the bottom of the lake, explained Martin J. Calabrese, a former naturalist at Cleveland Metroparks.

“They move tiny bits of nutrition up the food chain while becoming food themselves for fish, amphibians, turtles, birds, and other insects,” Calabrese said. He added that the brief lifespan of midges leads to a high-pressure existence.

“Their goal is to reproduce,” he stated. “The clock is ticking, for they have just a few days to mate before they die.”