How to Get Rid of Mayflies

Mayflies are flying insects that don’t sting or bite, so they’re considered not harmful to people, pets, and plants. Their presence actually signifies a healthy ecosystem and this is because while they’re in aquatic nymph stage, they won’t survive in any polluted water source.

What makes people consider them pests however is what they do in their adult form. Mayflies tend to appear in large swarms during their mating period, creating a disturbance for homeowners and establishments. When large swarms of mayflies are present, surfaces become slippery and this can prove to be dangerous at home and elsewhere. They also create a mess at the end of their lifespan.

Mayflies may not be dangerous, but an infestation causes many inconveniences. This guide will help you learn more about mayfly control and other information about this insect. 

What Are Mayflies?

 Mayflies belong to the Ephemeroptera group. They’re generally aquatic insects and they make an excellent food source for different species of fish and reptiles. Other insects, like dragonflies and water beetles, also feed on mayflies and their nymphs.

 These insects derived their name  from the fact that they typically emerge in the month of May. Other names used for mayflies include shadflies, fish flies, and lake flies. Despite these names, mayflies don’t belong in the fly family.

Appearance

Mayflies have two pairs of wings, which excludes them from the fly family because flies only have one pair of wings. Their slender, elongated, dark bodies can vary in color, from yellow to brown to gray, with pale wings always raised above their bodies. One distinct feature these insects have is they have two to three tails, which are usually longer than their bodies and antennae.

 There are many mayflies species around the world and these variants differ in size. The largest group of mayflies grow up to only an inch.

Habits

Mayflies spend most of their lives developing in freshwater, like streams, lakes, or ponds. It’s interesting to note that only mayfly larvae eat. This is because mayflies have an incredibly short lifespan when they reach adulthood. This means adult mayflies don’t eat. 

Male mayflies use most of their remaining time as adults to mate with multiple female adult mayflies before dying. Female mayflies, on the other hand, die after laying their eggs.

Mayflies are strongly attracted to white light and they usually come in large numbers, swarming at night around an indoor or outdoor light source. These insects also gravitate towards standing water, much like cockroaches. The only difference is that mayflies prefer their body of water clean so they can nest. 

Life Cycle

Mayflies go through three stages in their life cycle – egg, nymph, and adult. Females lay eggs using two different methods. One technique is by dipping into the water and laying eggs, while another is laying them on the water’s surface until they descend to the bottom. Nymphs emerge immediately after the eggs are submerged.

Mayfly nymphs remain in the water for one to two years while developing. They go through different instars or development stages underwater, and the number of stages vary per species and can epend on the water temperature. Nymphs feed on algae and detritus, or matter produced by decomposed organisms. As they approach adulthood, they grow gills and show signs of gender.

Finally, when the nymphs enter their final stage of molting and become adults, mayflies won’t waste time and immediately start mating.

The Mayfly Dance

Adult mayflies dedicate their last stage in the cycle to mating. To mate as much as they can before they die, they don’t eat. They don’t even develop mouths and digestive systems as adults.

Male adult mayflies fly around or dance above a water source at nighttime to attract females. Once successful, each male will grab a female with its elongated front legs and begin mating mid-flight. After mating, females fly down to the water’s surface and repeat the whole life cycle by laying eggs.

Adult males can mate with multiple female mayflies for as long as they can before the end of their cycle.

Why Are Mayflies Considered Pests? 

Mayflies are not generally considered pests by other people. For instance, researchers use mayflies to identify how healthy the ecosystem of a body of water is. Mayflies are such picky insects that they only breed on clean water, which means their presence indicates that water quality is good.

Unfortunately, for homeowners, mayflies can become extremely disturbing and annoying pests. Mayflies don’t bite or sting, but they can swarm houses, streets, and buildings since they’re attracted to light. Massive swarms can infest different places that have these lights. 

They also leave piles of dead mayflies everywhere at the end of their life cycle. This can become a slippery hazard at home or in the streets and they can affect driving visibility too. Additionally, they also leave a fishy odor when they’re around.

In some cases, mayflies can induce allergic reactions and trigger asthma attacks in sensitive individuals. 

How to Get Rid of Mayflies?

Mayflies are fragile insects, which means exterminating them is not that challenging. You can choose to wait out an infestation, considering that mayflies have an extremely short life span. However, by waiting it out, you’re allowing various nuisances to happen in your home, even for a short period of time. If you want to avoid these, here are some of the best ways to eliminate your mayfly problem. 

Lights or Zappers

Since mayflies are attracted to white lights, much like other flying insects, you can consider replacing yours with yellow lights. You can also invest in bug zappers or electric insect killers to exterminate mayflies and other pests that are drawn to the light.

Bug zappers work by emitting a bright light that attracts insects to fly into a high-voltage grid where they get electrocuted. Bug zappers are generally safe to use, thanks to multi-layered mesh grids that prevent accidental shocks to people or pets. The UV lights in these devices are safe for human use too. 

There are many options for bug zappers available in the market today. To help narrow down your search for the right one, here are some bug zapper basics you need to know:

Identify the Space

Not all bug zappers work both indoors and outdoors. Before buying, check the label to ensure that the zapper works outdoors so these can eliminate any mayflies flying around your yard.

Coverage Area

Bug zappers vary per coverage area. To identify your ideal coverage area, find out how high the wattage of the UV light is. The higher the wattage, the wider its range. If you have a small yard, don’t get a wide-ranged zapper so as to prevent attracting the bugs flying around your neighbors’ homes.

Manual Extermination

Mayflies are fragile insects, so you can simply use a broom or a swatter to exterminate them yourself. Swatting is effective, especially indoors, but you may have better luck dealing with them using a garden hose and water pressure outdoors. If you have an adjustable nozzle on your garden hose, set it to a shower-like pressure and spray this on the mayfly swarm. Don’t spray water on mayflies around light sources to prevent electricity-related accidents. 

If you’re dealing with dead mayflies indoors, a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter is helpful when removing them.

Sticky Traps

Sticky traps are also effective against mayflies and they’re also incredibly cheap. Scatter these traps around areas where mayflies roam – from doorways to window panes, to awnings. Unfortunately, as cheap as this solution may be, you will need to deal with the mess created by using these sticky traps afterward.

Setting traps is also effective when mayflies make their way inside your house. You have to place these traps on spots that pets and children can’t reach.

Attracting Natural Predators

Mayflies make excellent food for a variety of animal species. You can attract these natural predators to mayfly nests and eliminate them before they reach adulthood or while they fly around your area. Some of these natural predators include:

• Caddisflies
• Dragonflies
• Water beetles
• Frogs and toads
• Newts
• Crayfish

Of course, when utilizing natural predators, be sure to attract those that won’t be pests themselves in the long run.

Chemical Control

There are many non-natural solutions against mayflies. You can use mayfly poisons, especially if you live in areas with bodies of water where different insects, like mayflies, nest. But before opting for this choice, carefully do your research. Find out which mayfly poisons aren’t a danger to you and the water quality before applying them to mayfly-infested areas. You should also identify a product’s side effects on your surroundings before using it.

Another effective solution against large swarms of mayflies is chemical foggers. However, foggers can cause harm to people, pets, and the environment. Be sure to consult professionals first before choosing such a technique.

If you’re not comfortable using insecticides or any other chemicals against mayflies, you can always call an exterminator for the best mayfly pest control solutions.

Preventive Actions Against Mayflies

Once you exterminate your mayfly problem, you can take the following preventive measures against future infestations in your area: 

Use Organic Materials 

Garlic is known to be an effective home remedy against mayflies. You can create a homemade repellent with a spray bottle and crushed garlic in water. Simply spray around the outside of your home. If the smell bothers, there are other organic options you can use. You can use peppermint, lavender, cinnamon, essential oils, and tea tree oils. You will need to respray from time to time for the effect to last.

Deal with Standing Water 

 Adult mayflies don’t look for food sources. Their only goal is to mate and lay eggs on bodies of water. To prevent them from flying around and laying eggs near your home, remove any standing water or stagnant bodies of water, like puddles or rainwater, around your home.

If you have a pool or pond in your yard that you can’t remove, you can do the following to prevent mayflies from nesting:

• Remove debris and fallen leaves
• Keep pools or ponds clean and remove algae
• Cover your pool or pond during mating season

Prevent Indoor Light from Attracting Them

To prevent a mayfly infestation inside your house, one simple practice you can do is to close your curtains, shutters, or windows at night so your indoor lights won’t attract such insects. If you have screens installed on your doors and windows,  be sure they fit tightly or have no gaps that these insects can squeeze through.