Mayfly Control: How To Get Rid of Mayflies

This page is a general mayfly control guide. Using the products and methods suggested, you will reduce the likelihood of mayflies. Follow this guide and use the recommended products; you should see a reduction in mayflies.

If you enjoy spending time outdoors for a picnic or swimming at the local lake, a few annoyances can get in the way of a good time. One such annoyance is the mayfly. These little flying irritants can damper your outdoor experience since they love gathering in lakes, ponds, and parks.

Mayflies, also popularly known as shadflies or lakeflies, are aquatic insects that belong to the Ephemeroptera order, the same as dragonflies and damselflies. There are at least 3,000 species of mayflies found across the world. They frequent around bodies of water, and during adulthood, their only objective is to mate and lay eggs, which only lasts a few hours before they die off.

Mayflies develop in ponds, lakes, and rivers. While they are a pesky pest in the aquatic ecosystem, they are an important food source for many aquatic animals, such as fish, frogs, and other water-based insects. Some fishermen use fake mayfly larvae and adults to try to catch trout.

While mayflies do not create health hazards to humans or transmit disease, bite, or sting, they can invade conducive areas in large numbers. Mayfly swarms can be so massive that they completely cover roads, structures, cars, sidewalks, stores, and houses.

If you want to know how to get rid of mayflies, follow our guide below to learn more about the mayflies and how to control an infestation on your property.

Identification

Before you can proceed with a treatment program, you need to identify and make sure that the pest you are dealing with is, in fact, a mayfly. Careless identification can lead to using the wrong treatment methods, costing you time and money. Below, we will share with you some traits, so you know what Mayflies look like:

• Mayflies are six-legged insects that vary in size from 1/32 of an inch to over 1 inch.
• Depending on the species, mayflies can vary in color, but wings are usually clear-colored.
• Unlike most flying insects, mayflies have 2 pairs of wings, four in total.
• Mayfly wings have two to three long appendages or tails extending from their bodies' posterior ends.
• When resting, mayflies hold their wings upright and do not fold them like most flying insects.
• They invade in swarms, sometimes in the thousands.
• The number of mayflies that hatch each year indicates water pollution near the bodies of water.
• Mayflies are found throughout the United States, especially near freshwater sources.
• Mayfly eggs are deposited in water, and once hatched, the nymphs live at the bottom of the stream, pond, or lake, where they feed on small aquatic plants, animals, and organic material.
• Typically, mayflies produce one generation annually, and the adults of a particular species emerge in large numbers simultaneously.
• On occasion, the emerging swarms of mayflies are so large that after the mating period where they die off, they cover the ground or water surfaces.

Use the image and description above to identify mayflies properly. If you are not sure, contact us, and we will assist you with mayfly's correct identification.

Inspection

Before proceeding with treatment, you must know the areas attracting mayflies. You're most likely experiencing an infestation because your home is close to a body of water, and the lights of your structure attract them at night.

During the inspection, you will look for conducive conditions attracting mayflies. 

Where to Inspect

While mayflies like to primarily stick around bodies of water, they can be found in other areas. Mayflies are very attracted to light, which can result in massive swarms of mayflies hanging around buildings at night. In the mornings,  piles of dead mayflies can be found below lights and windows. Mayflies could affect driving conditions and visibility in areas that see large swarms.

Standing water attracts mayflies when they hatch, which they need to deposit their eggs, and lights at night also attract them. 

Search your yard for excess moisture or standing water. If you have a pool, search there. Outside your property, look for outdoor lighting in front doors, porches, patios, and anywhere else lights are turned on at night.

What To Look For

You're looking for outdoor lights and excess moisture. If you have a pool, keep it covered, especially during the months when they hatch. Also, look around any outdoor lighting for signs of mayflies.

If you have discovered any excess moisture (besides pools, ponds, or large bodies of water) or locations in the house where lights illuminate, especially at night, we will apply treatment there. Be sure to eliminate standing water and excess moisture before proceeding with treatment.

Treatment

Once you have confirmed conducive conditions that attract mayflies, it is time to begin treatment. Remember to read all product labels, follow the application instructions on these labels, and stay safe by wearing personal protective equipment.

To successfully keep mayflies away from your property, use Supreme IT Insecticide to create an insecticide barrier.

Step 1: Outdoor Treatment with Supreme IT

Supreme IT is an effective insecticide concentrate that targets more than 70+ insects. It will create an insecticidal barrier around your property that repels or kills mayflies and other pests if they come into contact with the treated areas. Supreme IT has excellent residual control, remaining effective for up to 90 days.

Measure the square footage of your yard and property to determine how much Supreme IT you will need to mix in your sprayer.

To find the square footage, measure the length and width of the treatment area in feet, then multiply them together (length x width = square footage).

Apply 1 ounce of Supreme IT with a gallon of water to treat 1,000 square feet.

You will then do a perimeter treatment by spraying 3 feet up and 3 feet out from the foundation of your structure and outside perimeter of your structure. While spraying in this manner, you will also spray door frames, window frames, eaves, soffits, and electrical/plumbing penetrations. Also make sure to spray around light fixtures as it is a common spot where mayflies congregate.

Do not let people or pets enter areas treated until 2 to 4 hours have passed.

Prevention

Prevention is the best cure when it comes to mayflies infesting your property. You can do many things around your structure to prevent mayflies, but the best way to control them is during the months when they hatch and are active. 

• Keep all outdoor lights turned off and block light inside with curtains or shades. If you can not turn off outdoor lights, consider switching to yellow bug light bulbs.
• Also, do your best to eliminate bodies of water around your property. Of course, if you live near a lake, this is impossible, but if you have a pool in your home, cover it during the months when the mayflies hatch, as they will be looking for bodies of water to lay their eggs.
• And finally, spray Supreme IT a month before the mayflies are expected to hatch to protect your home before they arrive. Mayflies are in full force in May (hence their name), so conduct an application in early April.

Key Takeaways

What are Mayflies?

• Mayflies are flying insects that commonly infest residences because of their attraction to freshwater areas and lights.
• Mayflies like to mate as adults and deposit their eggs in standing water. In the summer months, particularly in May, large swarms of Mayflies hatch out of these eggs, which can be disturbing.

How To Get Rid of Mayflies

• Apply Supreme IT around the perimeter of your structure to keep mayflies away from your property.

Preventing Mayfly Reinfestation

• Preventative applications of Supreme IT, such as reducing light at night, changing to yellow bug bulbs, and reducing standing water areas, can keep mayflies at a distance.