NYC Invaded By Insect Swarms Along With Choking Smoke

New Yorkers now face a massive swarm of irritating flying pests to go along with waves of smoke and haze enveloping the city from Canadian wildfires. And all of this came as the city prepared for the busy July Fourth holiday.

Experts say the tiny insects are aphids, though many trying to avoid the bugs believe they are gnats. And while they reportedly do not pose a health hazard, the minuscule invaders are clearly an annoyance to those in the Big Apple.

For many, the combination of smoke and insects appears to be a plague of biblical proportions. The dense haze poured in on June 6 and made the city’s air quality the worst in the world.

Dr. David Lohman, a City University of New York entomologist, theorized that the warm winter brought the pests out earlier this year than normal. He told WNBC that aphids do not regularly reach the city until the fall.

This theory is shared by Cornell University entomologist Corrie Moreau, who explained that the green or white insects swarm as part of their reproductive habits. 

Many have taken to wearing masks again to avoid swallowing the aphids, though experts encouraged wearing them already due to the poor air quality. 

One urban agriculture specialist, Sam Anderson, told the New York Post that the city could deputize lacewings to combat the scourge of the aphids. He said if city leaders wished, they could unleash the native insects onto the plants as a natural pest control.

Some have suggested ladybugs, but their migratory nature means they would not stay in the city long enough to eradicate the aphids.

Another entomologist, Kim Adams of the State University of New York, said that their arrival is likely unconnected to the Canadian smoke. She also observed that the layer of haze had once again enveloped the city.

The Washington Post reported that 23 states are now affected by the expanding smoke, which Stanford University’s Michael Wara called “unprecedented in the modern era.” It will certainly be a consideration for holiday revelers.

Meanwhile, Canada is experiencing its worst fire season on record, and experts say there is no relief in sight. The fires are not clustered in a single region, making them that much more difficult to contain.

It may be months before the billowing smoke stops blowing southward down the eastern U.S.