Bugs continue to cover cars on Causeway, homes in New Orleans East

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Photo credit 22kay22 via Getty

People crossing the Causeway this morning reported the bug swarms are still leaving vehicles covered in insects as the cross Lake Pontchartrain.

"So many I ran out of washer fluid," one driver said in a text to 870870.

Another said it was so bad that they were constantly bouncing off the windshield.

"Those bugs on the Causeway Bridge... it sounds like it's raining," they described.

One driver texted, "Apparently the midges are still feeling frisky because they're still on the Causeway."

Experts say the bugs are non-biting midges that have emerged from the water to mate.

The New Orleans Mosquito, Termite and Rodent Control put out a news release after the bugs initially showed up Friday after "an unusual amount of phone calls."

Residents along the lake were reporting bugs everywhere.

"Large numbers of mosquitoes or termite swarmers that were clinging to the walls of houses, apartments, vehicles and vegetation in New Orleans East" were reported.

Officials say it turns out that the insects were midges.  They said in the news release:

  • An inspection of the sites where the calls were coming from, namely around the Hayne Boulevard area in New Orleans East, revealed that the swarming insects were in fact non-biting midges, family Chironomidae, a fly that superficially resembles mosquitoes.  
  • Non-biting midges breed in water just like mosquitoes, but prefer polluted waters that are high in organic material. The larvae grow in the bottom of bodies of water, which may be lakes, ponds, streams, canals or even containers, and are usually red in color and are called bloodworms. 
  • The adults mate in swarms soon after emerging from the pupae, after which they lay eggs on the water. Because the adults do not feed, they die after only 3 to 5 days.

The midges were found clinging to homes, businesses and trees in New Orleans East.

"Fortunately there is absolutely no need to control them as they are not a health risk and the problem will resolve itself after a few days or weeks once the swarms die off," the release explained.

So hopefully the bugs will finish their short lives that consist of nothing but mating in the next couple of days, and the swarms will go away.