The life cycle of the midge. How does a female lay her eggs?

There is one period in Astrakhan region- from the end of May to June, which not only fishermen, but also vacationers try to bypass. These days are the peak of the departure of hordes of insects - Astrakhan midge(yes, yes - with an emphasis on the last syllable). At the same time, her eternal nasal companion, the mosquito, also appears, with which the midge will compete until the beginning of July. It should be noted that midges with their appearance affect only the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain and Astrakhan itself, in the lower reaches of the Volga delta this scourge is no longer there, but horseflies, mosquitoes and gadflies are present there.

The same mosquitoes also drink our blood, and in one bite they suck out several times more blood, but the midge delivers people where more problems. If a mosquito can bite directly through clothing, then the midge will curl around and try to find a bare area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe body until it gets into a sleeve or collar. Often midges crawl into the ears, into the eyes, crawl into the nose, from where you want to expel it immediately! Just imagine the buzzing of a mini-helicopter in your ear... It is also not easy to drive away annoying midges, nasty insects hold on to clothes with their tenacious paws.

The saliva of the midge has a toxic effect and often causes allergic reactions. After a bite, this place itches like that. If the mosquito drinks blood with the help of its thin proboscis, then the midge, when bitten, gnaws the skin with its jaws and licks the droplets of blood oozing from the wound. The ugly midge for a bite chooses the most vulnerable parts of the body with delicate skin.

Note that mosquitoes and midges only bite females, the men in the camp of these insects are exceptional vegetarians. Females need blood to start the egg reproduction cycle. If any body of water with stagnant water is suitable for breeding, then give the midge only water major river with fast flow. Especially a lot of midges can be born in years with high floods. The slower it subsides, the more insects will hatch and look for food.

The midge has poor eyesight, so it is active only during daylight hours. Insects look for their prey not so much with their eyes, but by the source of heat and the surrounding energy field. That is why midges are disoriented indoors, unlike mosquitoes, which continue to look for their prey. At air temperatures above 35 degrees, the midge experiences a temperature shock and stops looking for food.

With the onset of the first frost, the flying midge dies. The next livestock hibernates already in the form of eggs at the bottom of the reservoir, from which, after the water warms up to +15 degrees, larvae begin to hatch in spring. Mosquitoes prefer to winter in secluded places, where they fall into suspended animation until spring.

Note that until the eighties of the last century there was no midge in the Astrakhan region at all. It appeared in these parts only after the violation of the hydrological regime of the Volga as a result of the construction of a dam.

The same moth

May 25, the water subsides, flew ...

As soon as the flood in the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain begins to subside, hordes of midges immediately appear. The slower the water falls, the longer the midge period will last on the Lower Volga. The more the water level drops, the more insects will rise into the air from the drying floors. Usually, the decline in insect activity occurs around June 25-30, first of all, cities and towns are freed from insects, and on the coastal territory, midges can annoy vacationers until July 20 (but not in such plentiful numbers). As soon as dragonflies fly out, whose favorite food is blood-sucking insects, the dominance of midges gradually begins to fade.

If one of the experienced anglers tells you that midges do not stick on the water, then this can be called true only if the boat is moving on a motor. The insects attack the boat standing on the water and the fishermen in it without ceremony. Midges rage throughout the day - from early morning until dark.

The local population fights with midges in a funny way - residents of the Astrakhan region cover their heads with special wicker nets, which are pre-soaked in kerosene and even in fuel oil! In this case, the midges are repelled by a pungent smell, but for a person this smell is also unpleasant, because you have to wear such a means of “protection” on your head.

mosquito net

As for all repellents and insect sprays, the effect of them does not last long. It depends primarily on sweating. specific person, the higher it is, the shorter the effect of the use of repellents will be. Bearing in mind the daily Astrakhan heat in June-July, a noticeable effect will last from 20 minutes to an hour.

We will not bore the reader with all possible ways fight against midges (even the most secret), the effectiveness of which in practice is insufficient.

If you want to protect yourself from bites, then remember one simple rule - dress in special equipment! Now in specialized stores you can find mosquito suits, they cost up to 2000 rubles. Hands must be protected with gloves or exposed areas should be treated with repellent. But keep in mind that when in contact with water, all repellents are quickly washed off! If you could not buy a mosquito suit, then you can wear: light pants, socks over pants, a long-sleeved shirt and mosquito net, the lower edges of which must be wrapped under the collar. If the sleeves of the shirt do not fit snugly enough to the wrists, then they can be pulled with a string or elastic band. Fortunately, the midge cannot bite through even the most light fabric, unlike the same mosquito.

Anti-mosquito suit

As for unprotected areas of the body, one proven remedy works better than any repellent. It is necessary to mix any fat cream (for example, children's) with vanilla and spread on bare parts of the body. This composition works up to 4 hours. You can also use the Reftamid spray, however, it lasts for 2 hours, then the treatment must be repeated.

Mosquito at work

If you are still bitten...

As we noted above, midge saliva is toxic because it contains hemolytic poison. During a bite, a substance enters the wound, which gives a temporary analgesic effect. In addition to it, midge saliva contains enzymes that prevent blood clotting. After some time, itching, soreness, and a burning sensation appear at the site of the bite. The skin around the bite turns red, the temperature of the bitten body area rises. Gradually, the area swells, and the swelling can persist for several days, and this place can itch for several more weeks. It is very difficult to resist the temptation to scratch the bite site, but you still should not do this in order to prevent the formation of sores into which infection can be introduced.

As for medications, it can be recommended to treat the bite site ammonia. The effect of it will not be immediately, and on fishing it is usually not kept at hand. The gels "Fenistil" and "Psilo-balm" show themselves well, not only from the bites of the midge, but also from the bites of horseflies or wasps.

If an allergic reaction occurs, antihistamines should be taken. It is better not to take Suprastin, Tavegil for fishing - they cannot be mixed with alcohol, and they dull the reaction ... In this case, it would be better to use Kestin or Zirtek, which are devoid of the above disadvantages.

Life during midges

I would like to erect a monument to those heroes who, during the flight of midges, go to the banks of the Lower Volga or Akhtuba as a savage and are going to live in tents. They will tell their friends about this heroic experience for a long time to come. After all, during the moka period, not only eating in the open air, but also coping with large or small needs turns into a whole problem. Midge sandwiches are quite edible, only crunchy (just kidding).

As for staying at the fishing base during the period of midges, everything here is much more optimistic. Indoors, the midge loses its orientation, but it’s still not worth letting it inside! Well, if annoying insects nevertheless climbed inside the dwelling, then the Fumigator will quickly calm them down.

Fishing during midges

The bite of a predator during the flight of midges is simply outstanding, this must be experienced at least once in a lifetime. In June, fishing for spinning near the leaks is very exciting.

Asp, catfish, zander, perch and pike are perfectly caught. Even the sabrefish gathers in huge flocks near the leaks, where it exterminates the rolling fry.

So it remains only to gain courage, take care of the appropriate equipment, and come to our fishing base in June. For the period of departure of the midge, we provide special discounts on accommodation. By the way, you can read a review about midge fishing, which was left by one of our clients in 2011.

A little video about fishing in the Astrakhan region during the midge period

Drosophila - no matter how much you look at this creature, it seems that it is harmless, which does not bring harm to a person. But it only seems so, including about harmfulness. When midges curl in a column in the kitchen, this is already an unpleasant situation.

They lay their eggs in spoiled food, so over time they only become more, and if you do not start getting rid of them, these creatures themselves will not go anywhere. On the contrary, over time there will be as many of them as it is difficult to imagine.

Flying around the house, fruit flies can get into dishes and drinks on the table. This is the worst thing that can happen, because then adults and, for sure, children will eat this food and liquid. That is why it is necessary to get rid of the flying misfortune immediately.

Where do midges come from and where do they live

It always seems that little creatures appear literally from nowhere. As if they are just waiting for spoiled food to appear in the house - and right there. The fact is that adult females begin to lay eggs even at the time of ripening fruits and vegetables. Getting into warm conditions, the fruits begin to deteriorate. At the same time, the midge begins to grow, since this is an ideal habitat for it. As a result, a larva is obtained from an egg, and then an adult insect. These midges are also called fruit midges, and now it’s clear why.

Drosophila live not only in spoiled fruits: they can also become pests for indoor plants. All they need is constantly moist soil, so look for a source not only in the kitchen.

What is the lifespan of Drosophila

How long do midges live? Actually, not for long. How better conditions the longer they will live. For example, in winter they can exist for almost three months. At a temperature of 18 degrees above zero - about 20 days. And if the mark on the thermometer rises to 25 degrees - 10 days.

The process of their development is in the following way: the fly that found optimal conditions lays eggs. Once in the nutrient medium, half-millimeter eggs produce larvae. The latter are up to 3.5 mm long, white color. The main period in the process of their development begins. The viability of Drosophila depends entirely on how they live at this moment. Young midges appear after four days, and after another eight hours they are ready to become mature and also begin to lay eggs. As you can see, this process happens very quickly, therefore, no matter how many of them there are now, it is better to destroy them immediately.

For your information - the female lays (it's scary to imagine) up to 80 eggs at a time!

How to prevent the appearance of insects in the apartment

• Store fruits and vegetables in a cool place where they will not spoil.
• Before putting dirty dishes into the sink, clean it from the remnants of food, jars - from the remnants of berries and fruits.
• Take out the trash regularly, and wash the bucket every time after that if it is dirty.
• Monitor the condition of the site near the house (relevant for private development) so that there is no debris left there, since midges can initially start in the grass.
• Don't leave open banks and bottles of beer, compote, wine, jam, syrup, and so on. All this can cause the appearance of small flies.

How to deal with apartment mosquitoes

Although prevention is always easier, getting rid of it will not be difficult either. To do this, you need to take only a container and bait (and it doesn’t matter how much), and a person can already be said to be on the way to destroying a flying swarm. When fruit flies gather for sweets, you will need to close the lid and place the box or jar in the freezer. They will die in 10 minutes. You can also warm them up microwave oven- a few seconds will suffice.

You can collect them periodically and with a vacuum cleaner from the ceiling, walls and other surfaces where they like to sit down. After collecting, it is enough to clog the inlet of the vacuum cleaner pipe for several hours, and the midges will not disturb anyone from there.

First you need to determine the place of "residence" of insects and understand how many of them there are in the house. For example, if a crowd of small flies has accumulated on the balcony, clean it well and treat the places with a special solution. The bathroom is simpler: something sweet can be poured directly into the bath, and when fruit flies accumulate there, just rinse with a shower.

Choose a way to fight insects: using a jar, a cup, a bag, Velcro:

• In a jar of compote or other liquid, you need to insert a paper funnel with a tiny hole at the end. So it turns out that they can easily get inside, but they will not be able to get out.
• Bait (specially bought in the store) can be poured into a plastic cup. Also, some fruit or even a recently used tea bag can be used as bait. From above, on the neck, a cling film is applied and strengthened with a thread or elastic band. On it you need to make a lot of small holes. It will work according to the same scheme: they will not be able to fly out.
• Pieces of fruits and vegetables can even be simply put in a bag, no matter how much it is a pity, and left for at least a day. When they accumulate there, the bag is closed as quickly as possible and thrown out. Preferably, immediately on the street, away from home.

You can buy and hang around the apartment the usual flypaper bait for flies.

STONE ERECTION! In order for potency to be in order, stir natural in water.

Folk recipe for psoriasis! Psoriasis goes away in 10 minutes if you lubricate the skin.

A forgotten method to restore vision to 100%. You need to take a drop before bed.

A penny recipe will smooth out wrinkles in one night! Just apply before bed.

Midges are a fairly common phenomenon that almost every housewife faces. They appear suddenly in the room, so you need to know how many midges live and what measures to take to prevent their spread.

In appearance, the midge looks like an ordinary humpback mosquito. In length, it reaches six millimeters, has short legs and a proboscis. At rest, the wings of an insect are stacked one on top of the other. Articular antennae have eleven sections.

Features of the life of midges

A close relationship with determines the similarity of the conditions in which pests live. For an ordinary midge, it is important to have aquatic environment, because it is there that they lay eggs, from which its larvae develop. Insects descend under water and equip large colonies there, numbering up to two hundred larvae per square centimeter. Midges have an amazing ability - they breed all their lives.

Interesting! Food is of particular importance to them. Warm-blooded blood is preferred. Their proboscis has a structure that allows you to easily bite through the skin. Males feed mainly on the nectar of flowering plants.

To a certain extent, they pose a danger to people and animals. The liquid injected into the wound is poisonous and can cause severe itching and an allergic reaction. The lifespan of midges, according to scientific research, is about 96 hours. During this short period of time, the individual must find food for itself, find a partner, lay eggs in a secluded place and then die. There is evidence that the male immediately dies after fertilization.

Drosophila midges

Seemingly harmless insects live next to a person, which do not bring him much harm. The presence of midges in the kitchen is unpleasant event. They lay their eggs in rotten food, which is a breeding ground for the development of larvae. If you do not start getting rid of pests in time, then a great many of them will divorce. Moving around the apartment, they get into drinks and ready-made meals that are intended for people. For this reason, it is necessary to destroy midges at the first sign of their appearance in the kitchen.

Fruit flies or Drosophila lay their eggs on the surface of fruits, berries or vegetables even at the time of their ripening. Once in warm rooms, the fruits begin to deteriorate and become a favorable environment for the development of larvae, which reach sizes up to 3.5 mm. The viability of Drosophila depends on the degree of comfort of the living conditions of the larvae. fruit midges live not only on spoiled vegetables and fruits, they can eat indoor plants. To do this, they only need a well-hydrated kidney.

life span of insects

In the microclimate of city apartments and houses, midges live all year round. Depending on the time of year and the temperature outside, there may be more or less of them. The better the conditions, the longer the Drosophila fruit flies live. The most favorable habitat for and food products are well-heated city apartments, in which they can live from one to two months.

• If the temperature environment reaches 18 degrees and above, then they live for about 20 days.
• With more high rates thermometer this period is reduced to 10 days.

Scientists have determined at what temperature midges die. Cold frosty weather with temperatures below 0 can kill a large number of flies of this species. Even with short-term contact with snow and ice, Drosophila dies.

Many are concerned about the question of how long midges live without food. If the pests have nothing to eat, and they are indoors, they will last for several days. Lack of food will lead to the death of adults and larvae.

The life expectancy of midges, which fairly begins to annoy vacationers every summer, averages about a month. Put it in a jar. This must be done with the tip down. Thus, it will be easy for fruit flies to climb into the jar, but they will not get out in any way. Find the place where they are most concentrated. How long do Drosophila midges live? This is where they feel at their best.

Set the traps in other places where they can be found.

However strong winds and other weather factors significantly shorten their outdoor lives.

20 days is the answer to the question of how long midges live on the street. In the garbage dumps, it is quite easy for them to find something to eat.

Approximately 20 days. The most massive place of their life is vineyard plantations, because no one will fight the influx of such insects over vast areas.

The life cycle of the midge consists of postponing the maturation of eggs - this occurs under water and lasts about two weeks. Larvae and pupae of some species of midges are used as a substrate for other aquatic arthropods - crabs and larvae of mayflies. The second such formation is located on the thoracic “leg” and serves to crawl along the substrate. Wherein most time the larvae are attached to the substrate (stones, aquatic plants, trash) special education- rear attachment organ, consisting of many rows of hooks.

Place the jar in a conspicuous place or near the habitat of insects.

Sometimes insects can live in a container from under some chemical agent like a paint can.

One fly lives in a warm room for a month, but their numbers can grow exponentially.

The midge, although small, is a rather unpleasant insect. How long do midges live in the kitchen? 35-45 days. Such a long period of residence is explained by a sufficient amount of food and a warm, well-lit room. How long do midges live in a trash can? Small colonies can live there for up to four months. Usually the larvae turn into full-fledged fruit flies early in the morning, so they accumulate a lot in the first half of the day. Toward evening, the activity of annoying insects gradually fades away.

The most favorable habitat for midges is our apartments.

How long do midges live indoors when they have nothing to eat?

Even with short-term contact with snow and ice, the midge dies.

GROM 2…sprinkle a little earth in a pot, loosen it and water…. Don't put vegetables in cupboards. Regularly take inventory of the refrigerator and pantries. Rinse out the bin, even if you use bags. Wait for the drosophila to fly and close the bag abruptly. Take it out to the street dumpster. Package. Take one trash bag. Open it as wide as possible and put a few slices of fruit in the middle.

Spring comes, and people seem to wake up along with nature. Smiles appear good mood, expectation summer holiday… At the end of May, blossoming trees and early flowers delight us. It's a shame that our mood changes when midges, annoying bloodsuckers, appear in late spring or early summer. Every person is waiting for the time when midges disappear.

Most of them happen in Astrakhan and Siberia. People during the appearance of these bloodsuckers walk in special masks,

try to cover the body with clothes.

The midge is an insect that develops in flowing waters: fast rivers serve as a place for the development of its larvae. It differs from mosquitoes in shorter strong legs and a short proboscis. The midge has short antennae and wings. The length of her body is no more than 6 millimeters. Together with mosquitoes and midges, midges form hordes of midges that attack animals and humans.

Adults feed only on sunny, hot days. Cloudy weather and night twilight is the time when midges disappear. Only females are bloodsuckers, males collect food on flowers. I wonder if there has always been a midge that bites people and animals? It turns out that scientists have proven that its activity depends on how their larvae developed: if they were formed in adverse conditions, they did not accumulate a supply of nutrients.

The Astrakhan midge replenishes such substances with the blood of living beings. So different years differ in the activity of midges. But among them there are species for which bloodsucking - necessary step. It is no coincidence that you should carefully meet these "guests", because they can be carriers various diseases, and their bites in many people cause an allergic reaction. The saliva of midges is poisonous. Sometimes external or internal swelling appears at the site of the bite, signs of poisoning, the temperature rises, hemorrhage occurs, which can lead to death. If they bite small midges, then in this place the body burns and itching appears.

In Russia, such bloodsuckers are common in the taiga zone. As soon as the midge is not called! "Horror flying on wings", "bloodsucker", "murderer". Pharmacies offer many remedies that promise to alleviate the suffering of people. In the fight against midges are used folk remedies, for example, vanilla, cologne, chemical - spray, gels, aerosols and lotions. Know - when midges disappear, dragonflies appear! After all, they feed on these harmful insects.

It should be remembered that children and allergy sufferers most often suffer from midges. You need to try to reduce the number of walks during their greatest accumulation. When the midges disappear, danger and discomfort seem to leave the city, the streets are again filled with people and domestic animals.

It's good that this period passes quite quickly. In the 80s, the midge was not so active. Due to improper work on the rivers (construction of canals, dams, etc.), her life has changed. Currently, areas are being processed, where there are especially many midges, but chemistry kills not only midges, it damages flora and fauna.

When midges disappear, only mosquitoes and ticks keep us company until frost. Stock up on the right supplies, build up your defenses, and don't let the little things ruin your summer!