Mayfly hatch dates

muskiemike · Member

Fish Flies?

walleyebry · Member

Which kind? There are some that have been hatching for weeks!

Walleyebry

muskiemike · Member

The Big Hatch of the lake flies. If you have been around the lake long enough you will know what I'm talking about. I have not seen them thick on the web cams yet so I'm pretty sure it hasn't happened yet.

Glen Ertl · Gray Goose Captain

I would guess the 2nd weekend in June... everything is behind. Should be right around the Electricians (IBEW) Tourney !!

RussDaBuss · Member

I'm With Glen on this one- 2nd week of June or so with things behind this year. Typically it is around Memorial Weekend for the big blast. I remember '06 or '07. They were BAD that weekend. Very bad. Could not go outside without getting a good mouth full!

MCallies · Malmo Bay Bomber

The common term for the hatch is 'Mayflies' on Mille Lacs Lake...get out the power washer for your home or cabin!

but there are actually several types of the criiters across Minnesota...

Bobber (bob Carlson) has psoted this info on the Red Door Resort site:

Mayfly hatch dates

The bug hatch's start around Memorial Day Weekend and last off and on through July. They last sometimes around a week or so and we can have up to 6+/- hatch's...........a summer!!!!

Bummer from Malmo Mike. They are a mess and hard to say how much they effect a normal walleye biote. We better ask Walleye Wanda?

tat2jonnie · Senior Member

Okay, guys. (and gals)

Here's a fish fly

and here's a may fly

In contrast to mayflies, which are small and live only 24 hours as adults, Fishflies are quite large, eat aquatic plants as well as smallish animals including vertebrates like minnows and tadpoles, and may live up to seven days as adults. Their entire lifespan is several years, but most of this time is spent as larvae

There always seems to be some confusion there. confuse

Oh, yeah! And then, this is what they look like on your truck..

http://www.youtube.com/v/ayHZUDtuII0?version=3"><param

-- Edited by tat2jonnie on Thursday 26th of May 2011 05:27:37 AM

Bobber · Admin / Moderator

no...here's a ton of lake flies!

tat2jonnie · Senior Member

Pretty nasty.

This is the first one (besides the white gnat, which is already filling the spider webs) to watch for:

The Caddisfly.........

Their larvae are on your graph right now!

MCallies · Malmo Bay Bomber

Nice photos Bobber and Jon.

Geez.

The Malmo Bay brothers reley on the power washer equipment pretty heavily most of the summer to clean thousands of the so-called Mayfly BUGGERS off our houses.

A ton of them is about correct! disbelief hmm

Mayflies and their cousins are a pain in the butt. Even the squirrels do nto like them.

walleyebry · Member

Sorry Dude, Guess living 2 blocks from the lake for the last 15 years doesnt qualify me to know anything about Mille Lacs and all the different insect hatches. There are hundreds of major hatches throughout the year. Also many different types of so called fish flies. But I guess you are the expert muskiemike!

Walleyebry Malmo, Mn.

Doug Ertl · Website Admin

LOL, living two blocks off the lake you know them very very well. doh

muskiemike · Member

Well having a place on the north end since 1948 must disqualify me then. :)

Glen Ertl · Gray Goose Captain

I think we all can agree, there are multiple hatches.... I gues the one's I think about, when they say "The Big Ones" are they mayfly hatches, that are so thick, so constant flying into you, covering the roads and making bug clouds in the sky... and oh yeah, cover the webcam lense...LOL

walleyebry · Member

Big difference between being somewhere everyday versus a couple days a week.

Walleyebry

muskiemike · Member

-- Edited by Doug Ertl on Friday 27th of May 2011 10:03:08 AM

Muskymadness · Veteran Member

Alright. It was a good question and some some very good information to follow.

Lets not turn this site into a bashing site like alot of the others. We have a good thing here. Lets keep it that way.

RussDaBuss · Member

MuskieMike- You got Midges in your shorts? Your last post got deleted. Its all fun man. Good Question and good discussion! Lots of good answers out there. No one is really right or wrong. Go change them undies biggrin

-- Edited by RussDaBuss on Friday 27th of May 2011 12:27:35 PM

muskiemike · Member

That there is the critter I'm talking about Russ! Luckily they were few and far between this weekend.

RussDaBuss · Member

Yes Sir- I saw none this past weekend either!! They look like a huge Mosquito. Only good thing is they do not bite! They make one heck of a noise when hovering in the trees by the Trillions

walleyebry · Member

Theyre here!!!!! Woke up this morning and had the one RussDaBuss had pictured all over the house. Seems we always get a good hatch when we get hard SW or West winds for a day or two. Watch out for the Cyclones of this Flies hovering over the roads soon!

Walleyebry

Glen Ertl · Gray Goose Captain

A little earlier than I thought !!! Hopefully they are done by the weekend !!!!

tat2jonnie · Senior Member

I'll say they're here! Russ and Glen called it pretty close.

Midges by the billions. (make sure you have windshield washer fluid)

Steve Fellegy · Veteran Member

3 inches deep along the back side( down wind) of the house this morning on the sidewalk. It is as bad as it gets.

Steve Fellegy · Veteran Member

Had to get snow shovels out as leaf blower wouldn't move the piles.

RussDaBuss · Member

Well I say a BIG BIG north wind is in order!! Enough of this south wind crap hmm

Glen Ertl · Gray Goose Captain

Snow shovel !!!! OMG !!!! What would the snowblower do ??? LOL

tat2jonnie · Senior Member

Might end up with bug burger.........mmmmmm.

MCallies · Malmo Bay Bomber

In Malmo Bay we have the Power Washer team on this problem right now. We blow 'em all to North Dakota. Malmo Mom says we got em too.

UGH. disbelief hmm confuse

MCallies · Malmo Bay Bomber

Monday June 6th: the day of the Fish Flies in Malmo Bay.

We had a big hatch move in last night and today. We got a heckuva a dose of those buggers. UGH. UGH A BUG.

I have asked Tat2Jonnie to order a stiff sout/west wind to blow them to McGrath and down County Rd 2.

PLEASE Jon Push the WIND button NOW! blankstare wink disbelief hmm

Fife · Formica Flat Vet

i spent two hours scrubbing those bugs out of my boat seats, floor, and everywhere else on my boat.

tat2jonnie · Senior Member

Hunter's Point has the brightest harbor light on this side of the lake, so you could just about imagine how the cleaning house was at 10:00 on Saturday night!

It took the cleaning crew 5 hours to get it clean Saturday morning!!! And another 5 on Sunday!!! So starting last night the harbor light is off til the bug hatch is done

Should only be another day or two, hopefully. Me and Nate didn't have any trouble seeing our way in at 10:00. It's still pretty light out and the breakwater lights are there, too.

They love lights and these'll be next, I bet. The little Mayfly. Even though I missed the call on the Caddisfly(Army worms don't count, cuz they aren't born in water)

Click on this:http://www.youtube.com/v/ayHZUDtuII0?version=3

MCallies · Malmo Bay Bomber

Howdy Fife, Bummer -- A boat load of Flies in your nice boat!

Dude, get a good boat cover from Eddie at Lyback's Marine and then park that thing in a sealed garage. That is what I did at Malmo Storage with my firend Jeff the owner there....

Of course, when you take the boat cover off, the wind blows the pine needles into the boat around our place -- but anything is better than those damn may flies/ fish flies!

Good luck, Malmo was here.

MCallies · Malmo Bay Bomber

Jon, Turn out the lights, the Party is over. (as they say.)

At Castaways, near us -- Steve uses a blinking Blue Light beacon (K-Mart Blue light special?). The flies still come and stick to everything....

Oh well, the walleye fingers at Formica Flats are still good. smile

smile wink wink wink smile

MCallies · Malmo Bay Bomber

Jon...I went to that May Fly YouTube link. Too Funny....

It is true that May Flies make people NUTS.

Stay outta trouble until I get there... 2 weeks from tomorrow Dude.

Fife · Formica Flat Vet

MCallies wrote:
Howdy Fife, Bummer -- A boat load of Flies in your nice boat!
Dude, get a good boat cover from Eddie at Lyback's Marine and then park that thing in a sealed garage. That is what I did at Malmo Storage with my firend Jeff the owner there....
Of course, when you take the boat cover off, the wind blows the pine needles into the boat around our place -- but anything is better than those damn may flies/ fish flies!
Good luck, Malmo was here.

confuse Its hard to fish with a cover on the boat.

MCallies · Malmo Bay Bomber

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dude, get a good boat cover from Eddie at Lyback's Marine and then park that thing in a sealed garage. That is what I did at Malmo Storage with my firend Jeff the owner there....

Of course, when you take the boat cover off, the wind blows the pine needles into the boat around our place -- but anything is better than those damn may flies/ fish flies!

Good luck, Malmo was here.

confuse Its hard to fish with a cover on the boat.

-----------------------------------------------------

Howdy Fife,

Good Point, Dude.

Obviously -- I thought you were on shore -- preparing the boat to go launch when the fly hatch hit you. Geez. What a bummer trying to fish.

Mille Lacs May Fly / Fish Fly survival contest fishing? 

Sounds like 'Formica Flats' might not be too bad when I come to Mille Lacs soon.

Ya know?

Have fun anyway, Malmo Mike was here.

Steve Fellegy · Veteran Member

Bugs might be a lot less now with the cold front in place. But next weeks warm humid weather will trigger another hatch but hopefully not so big. Here is a scene out one of our windows 2 days ago.

Pics are looking through a screen so a little blurry.

-- Edited by Steve Fellegy on Wednesday 8th of June 2011 06:49:40 AM

-- Edited by Steve Fellegy on Wednesday 8th of June 2011 06:50:20 AM

-- Edited by Steve Fellegy on Wednesday 8th of June 2011 06:51:44 AM

Sutty · Member

I spent the weekend cleaning out the garage with the help from the previous owner. I noticed a few may flies mixed in, I wonder if that is the start of a big hatch or just a few normal oddballs. I also saw out in the mud another type of bug in big numbers smaller more like the size of a mosquito. This fun is all new to me as I am a new resident to the lake. Hey Bobber I hear I live a couple doors down from ya (Sorry about your luck!) I bought the G. P. camper garage setup. Stop by and say Hi sometime if you see me wandering around.

RussDaBuss · Member

Steve- Looks like from a Horror Movie- THEY ARE COMING TO GET YOU!!! furious

Jon that video is very funny but so real! I was on the flats a few years back at midnite or so and I swear the mayflies were as bad as they were in the video when the guy is pumping gas!! Nuts- we had to pack up and beat feet BIGTIME!! biggrin

Good Stuff- Well Kinda

muskiemike · Member

There are different sizes of midges that hatch through out the year. This last hatch was the big one. There will be a couple more midge hatches that will be sizeable. Then there is those critters that are little white moth like creatures. Makes you want to keep your boat lights off. disbelief The Mayflies usually have their big hatch around the 4th of July.

-- Edited by muskiemike on Wednesday 8th of June 2011 07:42:23 AM

tat2jonnie · Senior Member

Yeah, I figured out why they're called mayflies (they don't hatch 'til July).

It's cuz some may fly but all the rest just stay in the water and wash up on shore and make a mess out of the lake.

MCallies · Malmo Bay Bomber

Malmo's Rule Number 1:

They may fly -- but it is more fun to stick to your house, windows, walks and boat.

Malmo's Rule Number 2:

Always remember Rule # 1.

cry cry cry blankstare disbelief smile

MCallies · Malmo Bay Bomber

Malmo Bay Evening Report 06/08/09 from Malmo Mike:

It appears that the warm temperatures throughout Mille Lacs eastside and north shore aera (as well as Saint Paul and Minneapolis) resulted in another very large fly hatch.

This an eye witness report from Malmo Mom...aka Jackie.

UGH a BUG. UGH a BUG.

At our place on Malmo Bay, the latest hatch is very thick and they are everywhere. We had some exterior painting that was being attempted after new sliding door was installed and the painting had to be post-poned until the bug hatch subsides.

The Fish fly / May fly buggers are thick and they are everywhere. I think this latest hatch are the shorter term May Flies.

The Northwest winds were working for awhile and then a new hatch comes along.

Go Figure.

Bugs are Us right now.

jamesmina · Member

Mayflies can indeed be a nuisance, especially when they swarm in such large numbers! For those dealing with similar issues, like the Malmo Bay brothers, it might be worth considering professional home cleaning services in the Pittsburgh area. These services often come equipped with powerful tools and specialized techniques to handle tough seasonal cleaning challenges, including stubborn bug debris. While power washers are effective, professionals can save you time and effort, ensuring your home stays clean and protected throughout the summer. Plus, they might even have tips to prevent future mayfly invasions. Anyone else rely on pros for seasonal cleaning?