Midges can get into the house very easily. It is enough to wait too long to throw out the garbage, not to notice the fruit that has rolled under the refrigerator and is slowly rotting, or to bring vegetables with soil containing midge larvae into the house - and now, they are already everywhere: in the kitchen, in the bedroom, in the hallway. And these are just some of the reasons where they can come from.

In private country house or it’s even easier for them to show up at the dacha. And we need to somehow get rid of the midges. But by what means? There are several good options.

Reasons for appearance

Above were the main reasons why midges come from in a house/apartment, but in reality there are more of them. We need to understand where they come from at home in order to pay more attention to these routes of their arrival in the future. In addition to the above mentioned rotten or dirty fruits, the following reasons can be mentioned:

• aquariums that haven't been cleaned for a long time
• pet cages
• soil in indoor plants
• sewerage and water supply

Basic methods

You can get rid of small Drosophila midges in quite simple ways. traditional methods. But first, we need to ensure conditions so that new Drosophila specimens do not appear again. Throw away all rotting food in the kitchen, and if possible, put those that do not rot in the refrigerator.

Usually this is enough for the midge to gradually disappear without intervention. In a couple of days, there will be no fruit flies in the kitchen, or in the entire apartment. Drosophila lifespan is only a day. They just know how to reproduce very quickly.

But sometimes it is not possible to remove everything, because there are several others quick options getting rid of insects at home:

• Orange and cloves. This combination of odors is extremely unpleasant for fruit flies; they will try not to even get close to it
• Vinegar and soapy water. Three tablespoons of vinegar are mixed with soapy water. Open liquid with this mixture is placed near the midges. They fall into this liquid and drown in it - an excellent remedy for this problem
• Trap. It is very easy to make a trap that will be extremely attractive to midges. To get rid of them, place an open garbage bag in the kitchen and put some rotting fruit or vegetable in it. Its smell will attract midges. When they are there in sufficient quantities, simply tie the bag and throw it away

Other methods

A few more less popular, but still enough effective methods that will help get rid of fruit flies:

• Velcro against flies. This method helps with large flies, and it will also help get rid of smaller midges. They just stick to the sticky surface and then throw away the tape.
• Vacuum cleaner. It may look quite stupid, but if you want to quickly get rid of clusters of midges after you have put your kitchen in perfect order, then you can deal with them simply by sucking them inside

• Bottle trap. You need to cut off the neck of the bottle, turn it over, insert it back into the bottle and secure it with tape. A funnel will come out. Something is poured into the bottom of the bottle that can attract midges. A good option is regular beer. After this, the midges will penetrate into the bottle, but almost all of them will not be able to find their way back
• Geranium. It is recommended to grow this plant in the kitchen, then it will be an excellent way to get rid of midges. They do not like the smell of this plant. An additional advantage is that moths don’t like it either.

Prevention

Getting rid of midges is half the problem. It is important that they no longer appear in the house/apartment. Therefore, we need to do prevention.

By and large, it all comes down to the following actions:

1. take out trash from home regularly
2. clean siphons
3. wash the trash can occasionally
4. Immediately throw away food that has just begun to spoil

Sometimes you can create in the kitchen strong odors, for fruit flies they are unbearable. For example, the smell of incense or garlic can significantly reduce the risk of their occurrence. And the lower the risk of this, the better for you.

Most often, midges live and breed in the kitchen

Why do midges appear in an apartment?

To get rid of midges in the house, it is important to determine where they come from and their main concentration areas:

1. Black, green, and brown midges appear in indoor plants. The reason may be frequent and abundant watering of the earthen clod. The most dangerous are the larvae, which can destroy plants.
2. Small flies settle on fruits, berries or vegetables that have been lying around for a long time and begin to deteriorate. These insects are called fruit flies, fruit or vegetable midges, fruit flies; During the breeding process, they attack sweets and drinks.
3. Stale garbage can become a source of uninvited guests. For example, a rolled berry, an old kitchen cloth that fell behind a bucket, or food for small rodents and birds scattered on the floor.
4. If the deposits on the pipes are not cleaned in a timely manner, sewer midges appear in the toilet. They come out of kitchen or bathroom sink drains.
5. Midges can also appear from the apartment of unscrupulous neighbors (typical of multi-storey buildings).

Drosophila love to perch on vegetables and fruits

How to get rid of small midges?

After finding the location of the midges, you can begin to destroy them.

Chemicals

When removing small midges from an apartment with special chemicals should be considered general rules:

• Everyone must leave the premises except the person carrying out the treatment;
• carry out the procedure in a respirator and rubber gloves;
• put all products in the refrigerator;
• The treatment is carried out in the morning so that the smell has disappeared as much as possible by the time the family returns.

Before starting work, read the instructions from the manufacturer.

Manufacturers have released completely new drug Dichlorvos Neo, which does not have a pungent odor, contains active ingredients of the same toxic group.

Dichlorvos - a simple means to combat midges

Spraying should be done in an even layer at a distance of 30 cm from surfaces, special attention should be paid to the trash can. Windows must be kept open during treatment and for 1 hour after it. After the procedure, be sure to wash all surfaces with detergent.

The drug is available in the form of an aerosol in a metal container. A volume of 350 ml is enough to treat a room of 30 square meters. m. A stream of the drug is sprayed for 5-7 seconds around the entire perimeter of the room. Toxic components instantly act on midges, causing paralysis and death of insects. Long-acting spray, effective up to 3 weeks after treatment.

Raptor effectively destroys house flies

The spray clears the room of all types of midges. A fairly effective composition gets rid of midges in just 1 application. To combat midges, you should purchase Reftamid-Strengthened or Reftamid-Maximum. The effect of the drug lasts for 4 hours when sprayed in the air and 15 days when treating surfaces or fabric.

Reftamid fights all types of midges

Treatment should be carried out at a distance of up to 25 cm from surfaces, spraying time - up to 1 minute. The aerosol has a rather pungent odor with notes of sweet vanilla.

One of the best means against midges. The spray in a 300 ml can has a depressant effect on the nervous system of insects, leading to paralysis and death of midges. Affected midges transfer the toxic effect of the reagent to their relatives, increasing the penetration area of ​​the drug.

Raid - the most effective remedy from midges

Spraying in the room should be carried out from the center to the walls no closer than 1 m from the surfaces for 7 seconds. The effect lasts for 2 hours after treatment.

How to fight with folk remedies

Traditional methods of fighting fruit flies:

Clove decoction has a negative effect on midges

You can apply a trail of any wine along the entire length of the adhesive fly tape. Only 10-20 g of drink will be required. Midges will instantly flock to your favorite scent. For greater effectiveness, several baits should be placed in the room. If midges appear in cereals, tapes must be hung inside the cabinets.

Midge traps

Traps made at home are effective.

1. Place the sweet fruit in a small container. Then you need to cover the neck with polyethylene, leaving several small holes. The smell will attract wine midges. The trap can be left overnight. Midges will fly to the tasty bait through the holes. Once filled, the container should be hidden in plastic bag and throw it away. If necessary, you can repeat the procedure several times.
2. Wine vinegar with a drop detergent- the favorite delicacy of midges. The mixture should be poured into a saucer and left for a while, then washed off along with the midges under running water.

You can also use a special trap for midges “Raptor”. One device is enough for an area of ​​12 square meters. m. The action continues for a month. The composition includes a special liquid, cardboard, on the surface of which is applied adhesive composition, and instructions. The aroma attracts midges, the sticky surface prevents them from getting out.

Other effective ways

1. A modern way to deal with uninvited neighbors is a vacuum cleaner. Pipe without brush on maximum power remove the places where midges settle the most. It is important not to release them back after the process is completed. Therefore, it is better to immediately remove the garbage bag and pack it in a bag.
2. A fumigator used against mosquitoes. If you turn it on in the habitat of midges all night, in the morning there will be no trace of them left.

You can fight midges using a fumigator

With a spray bottle and humidifiers, you can achieve good results with periodic use. Wet wings will prevent midges from flying. The room should be constantly moistened.

Prevention of small insects

Keeping your apartment clean, especially in the kitchen, is the most effective way to combat midges. Set the frequency of home manipulations.

1. Regular wet cleaning of the premises, daily removal of food waste. Hob should be wiped weekly with special compounds. Wash the trash can periodically using disinfectants.
2. Avoid food spoilage and throw it away at the first sign of spoilage.
3. The sink and washbasin must be cleaned using household chemicals, for siphons and pipes to use special means. You can use baking soda and vinegar for cleaning. The reaction will help remove internal deposits.
4. You can insert matches into the soil of indoor flowers with the sulfur heads facing down. In addition, it is important to follow the watering regime. You can sprinkle the ground with a small amount of ground pepper. You should not water flowers with tea leaves - this can also become a source of damage. The top layer of soil from flowers affected by larvae must be replaced with fresh ones.
5. Clean your pets' feeding and toileting areas regularly.
6. You can prevent the occurrence of midges by planting geraniums in advance. This beautiful plant has a specific aroma that midges cannot stand. This will prevent the appearance of fruit and flower guests.

Clean your kitchen regularly

If midges are found in cereals, they should be thrown away immediately and the storage container should be thoroughly rinsed. If you find onion midges, you need to completely sort out the vegetables and throw out the rotting heads.

If the advice does not help, you should call representatives of the sanitary service. They will treat all rooms with stronger compounds.

Timely identification of the source of spread and the use of effective methods guarantee a positive result. Home hygiene, storing food in the refrigerator, periodic cleaning sewer pipes will not allow midges to appear. In addition, they simply will not have anything to eat. And if it appears effective ways will come to the rescue.

The question “how to get rid of midges in the kitchen” is very relevant. Little creatures get annoying and get in the way, sit on food, bite, which can lead to allergies, in worse situations they even end up in ready-made dishes. There are several ways out of this situation. You can go a simple but chemical route, or you can use folk and safe wisdom, showing ingenuity and patience.

• • Where do midges come from at home?

Where do midges come from at home?

Initially, it is important to get to know the enemy in order to understand his strengths and weaknesses. Although the flies are small, they are no worse than a real army of conquerors who have set their sights on your home.

If you think that they come out of nowhere, then this is not so. Female insects called fruit flies lay their eggs on ripening fruits and vegetables. We bring them home without even realizing it.

At room temperature, insect larvae hatch and their number begins to increase rapidly

Swarms of small flies appear from several sources:

• Rotting fruits and vegetables;
• Soil in pots or indoor plants themselves;
• Food waste;
• From the neighbors.

It is worth noting that in summer time year, they reproduce especially quickly, since food decomposes faster and the air heats up, which is a favorable environment for them. In winter they die or hibernate.

Midges in the kitchen: how to get rid of them and what to do first

If midges are infested and you need ambulance To destroy them, you need to take several important steps.

Find, if possible, where they appear (spoiled fruit, trash can, sink drain). Look carefully, because a small rotten apple may even be behind the refrigerator. Get rid of this item. If you do not remove it, there will remain a source of new small midges.

If insects are found in any product, it should be disposed of immediately

Insects also feed on animal feed. Therefore, give your pet only the necessary dose of food, and if he still leaves some, hide it, and do not leave it in plain sight.

Put everything that spoils in the refrigerator, and tightly seal cereals, nuts, dried fruits and other products with bags or cover them with lids. Bread should be stored in a bread bin.

Take out the trash and clean the trash can and sink drain with a few detergents or cleaners.

How to get rid of midges in the kitchen (video)

Folk remedies for fruit flies

There are quite a lot of methods invented by people. Each one will take a little time to implement. You can use only the most effective of them.

Horseradish root repels insects. It needs to be cleaned and placed in a ventilated and visible place.

Check bulk products periodically for insect larvae. If midges or their larvae are detected, it is better to get rid of the product

You can try to get rid of midges using a steam bath. To do this, put a frying pan on the fire, let it warm up and pour in the camphor. When steam appears, remove the frying pan from the heat and walk with it through areas where the enemy has gathered. The smell is absolutely harmless to humans, and small midges die almost immediately.

If midges appear on flowers, stick a match head down into the soil. Unwelcome guests don't like sulfur. From now on, sprinkle the soil with sand or cover it decorative stone, then the midges will not disturb the plant.

Traps for small flies

The people also came up with traps. They are not entirely humane to insects, but this does not prevent them from being used successfully.

Creating a trap takes place in several stages:

Take a jar or glass.

Pour into the container any liquid with a pleasant smell that will attract and serve as bait for midges (wine, compote, juice, jam).

Insert a paper cone on top, tip down. There should be a tiny hole at the tip. You can also stretch cling film on top with holes made with a needle.

Place it in a place where midges accumulate.

They will climb into the container, but will not be able to get out. All you have to do is fill a jar or glass with boiling water and pour the enemies down the drain.

There are many different traps, the principle of which boils down to the above. For example, you can pour a bait liquid into a container and add a few drops of detergent to it. There is no need to cover with a cone or film. Dishwashing detergent reduces the surface tension of water, causing midges to drown.

Industrial methods of fighting small enemies

There are a lot of household chemicals that allow you to quickly get rid of insects.

You can install special plates on the window, use various fumigators and sprays. The products of the Raptor brand cope best with this task.

A good and fairly safe option for household members is Raptor glue traps.

The industry also has midge traps that can be used in the home.

Ultrasonic traps are also sold. By turning them on regularly, you can protect your home from midges. They do not harm people.

To avoid insects, it is advisable to ask the question differently. Not “how to get rid of midges in the kitchen”, but “what preventive measures what needs to be done to prevent them from happening”? It is always better to predict a problem than to fix it.

How to make a midge trap with your own hands (video)

Prevention is extremely simple. Take out the trash regularly, keep the kitchen clean, ventilate the room, do not leave food on the table and immediately throw away spoiled fruits/vegetables.

Where it is clean, there are no midges.

This cute creature does not tolerate loneliness and does not come alone - fruit flies start in flocks and arrange noisy parties in rotting fruit, stagnant water in vases, and waterlogged indoor plants. There they feel great, breed and reproduce, lay eggs and tolerate your presence in their life…. The appearance of these creatures does not at all mean that there is no perfect cleanliness or you are not clean. They have their own habitat, their own views on life and you have nothing to do with it!

Important!!!

Drosophila - insects up to 4 millimeters in length, yellowish or brown in color with red eyes, which have a rather short life cycle- no more than two weeks - but one can envy their love of love and fertility. They live mainly in putrefactive plant debris, flowing tree sap, and wine and beer wort.

Looking for the root cause

If outwardly everything is decent: the garbage is taken out of the apartment regularly, there are no unloved fruits on the table that are not eaten at the same rate as favorite ones, no berries have rolled under the sofa, the stems of flowers given a week ago are regularly washed under running water and the vase is often cleaned of plaque and mucus, and they are still flying - let's move on to the sewers and vents!

Secret passages

Ventilation systems, plumbing, sewerage, heating and even basements– favorite places for the accumulation of flies – Drosophila.

The bottom line is that breeding sites - in accumulated stagnant water with the remains of waste products - are the most favorable environment for such insects. Heat a kettle of boiling water and pour in any of the punching agents offered in the store. water pipes from blockage. Proceed according to the instructions, just use boiling water instead of regular water room temperature– it will also get rid of accumulations of fat stuck to the walls of the water drain. Repeat the procedure later, but without the cleaning agent. Carefully examine the external joints of the pipes and fittings to see if the fumilent has lost its elasticity or if water is oozing out, creating a breeding ground for mold and midges.

Fly traps

The very first in the popularity rating for catching fruit flies is homemade trap, consisting of a bottle with a narrow neck with sweetened water or the remains of fermented compote, wine - they will get inside easily, smelling a delicious smell, but getting out is quite problematic. Regularly change the contents of the bottle by flushing the spoil down the drain or, screwing it tightly with a cap, throw it in the trash, using a new container to replace the used one.

Advice

Baits, so to speak, “for live bait,” consist of placing rotting pieces of fruit or vegetables in a container covered with cling film with small holes. Stupefied by the treat, the flies fall into the trap through the holes, and will no longer be able to get out. In the morning, change the traps, getting rid of the fly corpses...

Sticky plates stuck into flower pots and ribbons hanging on the ceiling are inevitable death for small insects. Their weight, strength and size do not allow them to get rid of the sticky mixture, saturated with fruit aromas that imitate their favorite foods.

"Velcro" will help get rid of flies

Use store-bought aerosols and sprays chemical composition which are destroyed by flying “guests”, sales consultants will always tell you what is more effective from the arsenal, what is discontinued, and what will help best. But you also need to go to them prepared, so that they don’t give you stale goods that no one has taken for years!

Advantages similar means the fact that they leave no traces and disappear quickly enough. Actually, it is also a disadvantage of its kind. But unlike pastes and gels, which are then difficult to remove and wash off stains after them, aerosols are better. Everything is relative…

A “mass grave” for fruit flies is guaranteed

If there are children in the house

If your household includes small children and pets who cannot be isolated during treatment chemicals in aerosols to get rid of the annoying neighborhood of flies, improvised means in the form of apple (or white) vinegar with the addition of detergent (liquid soap) are suitable. Add a couple of drops of household chemicals with a lemon or fruit scent, vinegar, wine or compote - reducing the surface tension of the liquid with soap will not allow the midges to remain on the surface and they will drown. Place such “cocktails” in hard-to-reach places, away from children - on shelves, in the refrigerator, kitchen cabinets to avoid tasting it.

Houseplants- breeding ground for midges

Midges in the soil of indoor flowers are not uncommon, and we suggest fighting this in the following ways: first of all, stop watering! Let the top layer of soil, in which fruit flies store their eggs and larvae, dry. Without moisture they will die. If it is not possible to completely replace the soil in the plants, remove the top layer. Afterwards, treat the foliage with a soap solution, ideally with a lemon scent, leave for a couple of hours, and rinse thoroughly with streams of shower to avoid damage. sheet plates plants. We remember the need for drainage in flower pots - they protect against excess moisture and rotting of the root system, which attracts midges.

"Dangerous" purchases

Carefully inspect vegetables when purchasing at the market and in supermarkets. Hundreds of tricks of unscrupulous sellers lead to the fact that only at home, when we unwrap a bright wrapper or package, we see stale or rotten root vegetables, sometimes containing rot and insect larvae. Be careful! No overpaying for low-quality goods, no suffering from midges getting rid of them long time- we think this was not part of your plans! Review vegetables in bags and nets that were purchased in good quality, but are stored for a long time due to lack of eating - they can spoil due to timing, storage conditions and temperature environment. Make a regular inventory of vegetables, remove wilted leaves and spoiled root vegetables.

Conclusion:

It is easier to prevent the appearance of midges than to get rid of them, therefore, remembering the basic rules of hygiene and household management, we do not allow their appearance, we store fruits in special caps from flies and midges - and we live happily ever after!

Aesthetic and practical!

Midges are arthropod insects that belong to the order Diptera, suborder Long-whiskered, family midges (lat. Simuliidae).

Midges - description, structure and characteristics.

The body length of midges varies from 1.2 to 6 mm. The smallest species live in the tropics, the largest are common in the northern temperate and subpolar latitudes.

There are 3 main sections in the structure of midges: head, chest and abdomen. The rounded head of females has a wide forehead; in males it is narrower. The antennae of midges consist of 11 (sometimes 9 or 10) segments; they are very thin, rope-like and covered with short hairs. The color of the antennae varies from dark yellow and brownish to dark gray and black. The antennae of females are thicker and shorter than those of males, and also have a slight flattening and taper towards the end.

The eyes of the midge are faceted, in males they usually touch along the frontal seam, in females they are separated by the forehead. Horizontally, the eyes of males are divided into a larger upper part, where the large facets are located, and a smaller lower part, where the small facets are located. In females, all facets have same size, and their number exceeds the number of facets in males. Additional simple eyes are not developed in midges.

The chest of insects is strongly convex. Hairs grow on the back, and there may also be various spots of dark or silver color. The color and shape of the spots vary depending on different types midges

The abdomen of midges is oval-shaped, slightly pointed towards the end and consists of 11 segments. The dorsal part of the first segment protrudes upward and backward, forming a kind of collar covered with a brush of long hairs.

Midges have well-developed halteres, which are club-shaped. The halteres are paired appendages of the thoracic segments of insects; in midges they are located on the metathorax and are modified wings. During flight, they help the insect maintain balance, vibrate and make a characteristic sound. That's why insects buzz. Stalk of haltere in midges middle length, at the end of the club there is a slight impression. The color of the halteres varies from white-yellow, yellowish and ocher to brown and black. The club is usually lighter than the stalk. In addition, males have darker and brighter halteres than females.

The wings of midges are wide, round-oval, transparent, with longitudinal venation, length from 1.4 to 6 mm. The surface of the wings is covered with small tubercles. When at rest, the wings fold horizontally, covering one another.

The oral appendages of midges consist of palps and a complex proboscis of the piercing-sucking type. The proboscis is short and thick, it consists of an upper lip and epipharynx, hypopharynx, 2 mandibles (upper jaws), 2 maxillae (lower jaws) and a lower lip. The upper lip, mandibles and maxillae of blood-sucking females have teeth of the tearing-cutting type. In males and females that do not drink blood (for example, Prosimulium alpestre), the teeth are replaced by hairs. The maxillary palps consist of 4-5 segments; on the third segment a special sensory organ is developed that performs sensory functions. The palps are used by midges to orient themselves on the body of a person or animal when choosing a place for an injection. The upper lip also has the same functions, but first of all it serves to pierce the skin of the victim. After the bite, the wound is sawed off at the ends of the mandibles, which move from top to bottom. Maxillae, when immersed in the wound, tear the tissues and walls of the victim’s blood vessels. Next, the midge plunges into the wound upper lip, epipharynx and hypopharynx and drinks blood. In the hypopharynx there is a channel through which saliva enters the wound, preventing blood clotting. The lower lip has a sensitive function and is used for licking. Like other bloodsuckers, midges pass water and liquid carbohydrate food through the esophagus into the crop, and blood flows directly into the midgut.

Midges have 3 pairs of fairly powerful limbs, each consisting of a coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia and a five-segmented tarsus. The paws of midges are equipped with claws: in males, at their base there is a wide cup-shaped tooth, in females the claws can be simple (short or long) or also have a tooth (large or small). Most often, the limbs of midges are black, although in some varieties individual segments of the legs may be yellowish or brown in color or covered with silvery spots. The coloring, pubescence and shape of the limbs depend on the type of midge.

How long do midges live?

The lifespan of a midge depends on the species, weather conditions and nutrition. Herbivorous species live very short lives - only a few days (less than a week). The average lifespan of blood-sucking species is 3-4 weeks, although some females of certain species can live up to 3 months.

Where do midges live?

Midges live on almost all continents, with the exception of Antarctica and the Sahara Desert. These small insects live in North and South America, Australia, Mediterranean countries, Russia, Central and Central Asia, Japan, Indochina, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan and Taiwan, Far East and the Caucasus, the Baltic States and North Africa.

Particularly many midges are found in taiga regions, in deciduous forests with high humidity, as well as near bodies of water. Availability of water nearby necessary condition habitat of midges, because three of the four life stages of development (egg, larva, pupa) of these insects take place in water bodies or in the immediate vicinity of them. Only adult imagoes live on land.

What do midges eat?

The nutrition of these insects depends on gender. The females of most species of midges are a large component of midges (in addition to mosquitoes and midges) and prefer to drink blood, attacking people, animals or birds. With their painful bites, they cause a lot of unpleasant sensations in the form of itching, local redness, swelling of the skin and even serious allergic reactions. Goats, roe deer, buffaloes, and geese become victims of annoying midges. But they practically do not suffer from midge bites.

Male midges are avid vegetarians and feed exclusively on nectar and plant juices. Among midges there are also completely non-blood-sucking species.

Types of midges, names and photos.

Today, approximately 1,800 species of midges are known. Below is a description of several varieties.

• The length of the insect is from 3 to 4.5 mm. A silver border is visible on the back. The coloring of the legs, antennae and abdomen depends on the subspecies. The body length of the larva is 6-11 mm (depending on the subspecies), the size of the pupa is 3-5 mm. Different subspecies of the ornate midge live throughout the Palaearctic, north to Greenland, Novaya Zemlya and the outskirts of Europe and Asia, south to the Mediterranean and southern India, and also found in North America.

• Horse midge (lat.Wilhelmia equina) is represented by several varieties. The length of the midge reaches 2.5-4 mm. The back and abdomen are covered with silvery-golden hairs; males have silver spots on the shoulder fields. The body length of the larvae is 5-7 mm. In its posterior sucker there are 80-100 rows of hooks with 17-24 hooks in each row. The length of the pupa varies from 2.6 to 4 mm depending on the subspecies of the midge; the cocoon has a shoe-shaped shape. The habitat of the horse midge extends from the Kola Peninsula and Karelia to Kamchatka. The southern boundaries of the range have not been determined. Larvae and pupae are distributed in different rivers and can even live in heavily polluted water bodies. Preference is given to bodies of water with vegetation. Females are bloodsuckers and attack people and animals. In horses, accumulations of midges can be seen in the ears. During the year one thing develops (in northern regions) or several (in the south) generations of horse midges.

• Boophthora sericata. The body length of the midge is 3-3.5 mm. A pattern in the form of silver stripes is noticeable on the back of males. In females there is a presence on the legs yellow. The size of the larva is 6-7 mm, its color is whitish-yellow. The length of the pupa is 3-4 mm, the cocoon is simple, opaque. This type of midge lives in the European part of Russia and Eastern European countries. Midges develop in rivers and channels of large rivers that are silted and overgrown with vegetation.

Taken from: science.mnhn.fr, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

• Tundra midge (lat. Schoenbaueria pusilla). The length of males is from 2.5 to 3 mm. The tentacles are short and thin. The back is velvety black, has a silver tint on the sides and back, and is covered with sparse golden hairs. The abdomen is brownish-black on top, with dark hairs. The legs are black, the halteres are brown, darker at the base.

Female tundra midges are about 3 mm long and have black-brown tentacles and antennae. The forehead and crown are grayish, covered in dense hairs. There are no silvery spots on the back of females; the back itself is black and gray, covered with silvery hairs. The halteres are light yellow. The front veins of the wings are white and yellow. The legs of the female midge are brown-black. The claw is small, with a thickening at the base. The abdomen is black above, dark yellow below, covered with sparse hairs.

The dimensions of the larva are 4.5-6 mm, its color is yellow-white, the dorsal side has transverse brown stripes. In the posterior sucker of the larva there are 70-72 rows of hooks, 11-13 hooks in each row. The length of the light yellow pupa is from 2.5 to 3 mm, the cocoon is simple, with loose weaving, without windows on the sides. Tundra midges are common in the northern regions, from the Kola Peninsula to the Yenisei River basin. Mass pupation occurs in June-July. The flight of adult individuals is observed from July to the first half of September. The tundra midge is a vicious bloodsucker that attacks people and animals.

• The length of the adult is approximately 3 mm. The body is black, but there are silver spots on the back. The length of the larva is from 5.5 to 6 mm, the pupa is from 2.8 to 3.6 mm. This species of midges lives en masse from Karelia and the Arkhangelsk region up to the Moscow region and the territory of Transbaikalia. The habitat depends on the subspecies.

Taken from: www.boldsystems.org

• The length of an adult insect is from 3.5 to 3.8 mm. Narrow silvery spots are visible on the back of males; these spots are dark on females. The antennae and palps are black, although in females the antennae may have a brownish tint. The limbs of males are mostly black, although there is a silver spot on the middle tibia, and the hind tibia has a yellowish tint. The legs of females are brownish-black, with silvery spots on the outer side of the fore and middle tibia, and also with a light yellowish tint at the base of the hind tibia. The halteres of females are yellowish-white. The length of the larva is from 7 to 8.5 mm, the size of the pupa is approximately 4 mm. The cocoon is simple, with an edging along the front edge. Silver midges live in Russia, North America and Western Europe. They inhabit small, overgrown, silted rivers in the forest zone, and in the tundra in the north. Adults are found from early June to September, depending on latitude. Silver midges are vicious bloodsuckers that attack people in the taiga and tundra zones.

• The length of the midge is about 4 mm. The antennae of males are black, the limbs are also black with a lighter shade at the junction of the femur with the tibia, as well as on the first segment of the hind tarsus. The antennae of females are light yellow at the base. The female mandibles are evenly sloping and serrated on both sides. A bright silver pattern is visible on the back. The limbs of females are brown-black, with a lighter shade in some places. The size of the light-fronted midge larva varies from 7 to 9 mm, its color can be red or gray-yellow. The large fan of the larva contains 47-57 setae. The rear sucker has 68-80 rows of hooks with 10-15 hooks in each row. The length of the pupa is 4 mm, the cocoon has loose weaving, with numerous holes on the sides and top. Light-fronted midges live over a vast territory that extends from the countries of northeastern Europe east through Russia to Transbaikalia. In the south, the range reaches the middle of the European part of Russia.

Taken from: www.biodiversity.ubc.ca

Reproduction of midges.

The life cycle of midges consists of 4 phases:

1. Larva
2. Doll
3. Imago (adult)

After fertilization by a male, the female simply needs blood for normal growth and maturation of eggs. With sufficient nutrition and favorable weather conditions, the eggs will fully mature within 5-7 days; otherwise, the laying process may be delayed for up to three weeks. The female midge lays eggs in one layer in rows or groups of 50-100 pieces each, gluing the eggs together with a special secretion. Sometimes several females of the same or even different species lay eggs in one place. Midge eggs are laid on a constantly wet substrate next to a body of water, on stones, snags or vegetation protruding above the surface or completely submerged in water. The development of eggs, and then larvae and pupa, occurs in running water.

Midge eggs can have a rounded-triangular or rounded-rectangular shape, resembling an oval. The egg shell is very thin, sometimes translucent, and absolutely smooth. The length of the eggs varies from 0.15 to 0.4 mm. The color of the newly laid clutch is light ocher, then the eggs begin to darken and their color becomes dark brown.

Taken from: www.researchgate.net

The midge larva is worm-shaped and consists of 11 segments. The color of the larva is light yellow or ocher, interspersed with greenish, brown or brown spots. The thoracic region of the body is noticeably thickened and equipped with a kind of “leg” for movement. The posterior end of the body has a strong swelling and a special organ (the so-called sucker) with numerous hooks, with the help of which the larva fixes its position. The ventral part of the body is often flattened. The head of the larva is large, separated from the body by a clear bridge, and is most often darker in color than the body, often black. The larva has developed long antennae on its head, oral apparatus with a pair of powerful mandibles, as well as special chitinous formations - fans, which help the larva filter food consisting of plankton and algae. In addition, the larvae have well-developed arachnoid glands that secrete a secretion with which they can move. But basically their lifestyle is semi-sedentary.

The midge pupa is completely, and sometimes only partially, covered with a cocoon, which has a round exit hole - through which the breathing process occurs, carried out with the help of respiratory threads. The cocoon is woven from spider threads secreted by the larva, and can be different shapes: hut-shaped, shoe-shaped, boot-shaped or goblet-shaped. The body of the pupa is sometimes covered with hairs, short bristles, various growths resembling plaques, tubercles, tiny cones, spines or cylinders. During its development, the midge pupa does not move or feed: it only cares about a comfortable water temperature and oxygen flow. After one to two weeks, an adult is born.

Depending on the type and temperature conditions In a reservoir, the rate of development of midges varies significantly. The overwhelming number of midges wait out the cold season in the egg stage. This method of wintering is especially typical for species living in latitudes with harsh climates where water bodies freeze. It is very rare that midges survive the winter months in the larval phase, and this is most likely the exception to the rule. In places with a warm climate, where water bodies are not covered with a layer of ice, midges overwinter in the larval stage, although their development may slow down during this period. Over the course of a year, different species of midges can develop from 1 to 3 generations.