It’s Officially Summer in Luna Pier – The Mayflies Have Arrived!

If you have spent time in Luna Pier, Michigan, during this week, chances are you have seen something odd. Indeed, it is the mayfly season, and Luna Pier is full of warm weather.

These fragile insects have a short life span and come in great numbers, so they can be seen everywhere: covering the ground, hanging on trees and windows, and flying through areas filled with grass. The view elicits mixed feelings in the observer.

“The tiny creatures are on top of it – even in the grass. You whirl like you are in a cloud,” reported one of the children living in the local area, who has started a game trying to capture them.

To the children of Luna Pier, it seems like nature has dropped off some new temporary friends. So whether young ones are collecting mayflies by their wings or are just watching them zip through the air like little helicopters, the insects are now the town’s summer melody.

Even if they are more of an inconvenience to some canceling picnics or forcing people to walk on the path – mayflies are basically a good thing. The biologists categorize the mass arrival of the mayflies as more of a limit on the periodical frequenting of a given water body, meaning that if there are mayflies, the aquatic ecosystem is quite healthy. The reason is that these insect orders are the only ones that can live in the lakes near Erie if the water is pure and oxygenated, so the invasion of the mayflies should be a sign of the new state of the environment at least apart from the necessity of cleaning one’s own porch at regular intervals.

“It’s as if the little ones were given the role of the environment’s cheerleaders,” remarked the colony member. “Their presence gives us an indication that the water is no longer in a bad state.”

Notwithstanding, despite the limited time they spend – usually a day or two post emergence- these insects’ role is still vital in the local food chain and as a matter of fact, in the equilibrium of the freshwater systems. And while some may not be interested in catching mayflies, others especially kids have fully accepted these insects.

A little girl even went so far as to say that she had a mayfly “best friend” after the fly was still flying at the end of the day. It doesn’t matter if it was a fortunate insect or the child’s summer fantasy, the fact is it’s the ultimate proof that mayflies are the most beloved insects of this place.

Although there are some who are not happy. “It’s really quite gross,” said one man to the effect. “They’re all over your hair, on your car, in your food if you’re not paying attention.”

But the majority of the residents took it in their stride. The advent of these insects is just another interesting point in the story of Luna Pier’s life during the season.

So, if you are planning to go there, maybe it’s a good idea to take a hat along, as well as a whole lot of patience. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind when the mayflies arrive; summer in Michigan has just begun.