Gimli blanketed in fish flies
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/07/2017 (3027 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The fish flies have landed in Gimli.
The clingy winged insects that attach to buildings, light standards, store fronts, vehicles and hapless humans are back.
Known as fish flies or sand flies, these insects are actually adult burrowing mayflies which emerge around this time every year.
About three centimetres long, fish flies have a life span of less than two days but make themselves quite a nuisance while they’re around.
In Gimli on Sunday during the annual Cruzin Gimli Beach car show, fish flies annoyed classic car enthusiasts and visitors by coating many fine vehicles, landing on people as they walked about, blanketing boats in the harbour and swarming buildings such as the Lakeview Hotel where they nearly covered one wall.
When the pesky critters die off, their remains emit a stinky fish-like odour.
They are unique insects in that they moult as adults. They are often seen in two colours: first cream-coloured and then more reddish brown after they shed their skin.
Burrowing mayflies begin their lives by hatching from eggs on lake and river bottoms.
Experts in past years have said more fish flies can be a sign of healthier water as their eggs need oxygen and organic material from the bottom of lakes and rivers to survive.
Mid-July through late July is usually the peak season for fish flies which are often gone by Islendingadagurinn, the annual Icelandic Festival of Manitoba in Gimli set this year for Aug. 4-7.