POINT PLACE, OH (WTOL) - Mayfly season is in full bloom around the Toledo area, but it won't be that way for long.
The adult mayfly lifespan is only one to three days long, so the majority of what people are seeing now is them in their deceased form. That can be deceiving because they live underwater for two years as larva, then come inland to mate.
Once the females have mated, they head back into the water to lay their eggs.
Communities that live by the water will see a greater population of these flies. The hotter temperatures over the last week have also made them more prevalent.
"In southern areas, they will be emerging sooner, so that may be where the name Mayfly comes from," said Christine Mayer, Environmental Science Professor at the University of Toledo. "And if you travel North to Canada, they be emerging later. So it's dependent on temperature."
Strong winds can also affect where they live and breed.
Many people see them as annoying pests, but they are actually a sign of good environmental health.
"They are good for the fishery and for the fish populations. Also, they are a sensitive species, so they are sensitive to pollution," said Mayer. "Lots of mayflies is an indication that there is healthy conditions in the lake, so we should see them as a good thing."
They also can be used as compost in gardens.
According to Mayer, there may be another mayfly hatch later in the summer causing us to see another wave of them.
