Swarms of mosquito-like insects called midges, or midge flies, are causing quite the problem in south Louisiana, to the point that the city of New Orleans is about to declare something akin to a disaster.

The insects, which are swarming across the southern part of the state, are seemingly nothing more than a nuisance. More from wdsu.com:

"At first glance, midge flies look like a termite swam, but the bugs are mainly nuisance pests.

The flies, although annoying, are harmless. They often are found in areas close to water."

Problems with the clouds of insects are many, but mainly with visibility, especially on the Lake Ponchartrain Causeway. Here's what wgno.com says:

"Over the past week or so, hundreds of residents travelling across the Causeway Bridge have had to battle a uncommon pest referred to as a “midge” fly or small, non-biting, smelly pest.

These small flies have swarmed by the thousands over the past week with reports of the smelly bugs in New Orleans East, the Lakefront near West End, and along the length of the Causeway Bridge from the Northshore to the South Shore."

Experts say the flies, which have a relatively short lifespan, could plague the region through the end of July.

 

 

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