Tourists heading to Put-in-Bay, Ohio, might expect lake views and summer crowds rather than a doorway coated with insects.
However, the area's Aquatic Visitor Center is completely covered in mayflies, which the Ohio Division of Wildlife touts as a good thing, WHIO-TV reports.
What happened?
As the organization noted in a Facebook post with video of the scene, Northern Ohio is in the middle of mayfly season.
This is the time when these short-lived aquatic insects emerge in enormous numbers around the lake, the post notes.
That seasonal burst was on full display at Put-in-Bay Aquatic Visitor Center, where the nearby sidewalk and entrance to its visitor center, including steps and the door, were nearly completely covered with mayflies.
Fortunately, that is a positive development for the area.
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"They are a strong indicator of good water quality, as mayflies require clean, oxygen-rich environments to thrive," the post said.
They added some more context on the lifecycle of the bugs.
"On Lake Erie, mayflies spend the first few years of their lives as aquatic nymphs burrowed in the lakebed, using gills to breathe and feeding on organic matter," they wrote. "Adult mayflies, the winged stage, emerge from the lake to reproduce and only live for hours or days."
Why does it matter?
Because mayflies can only thrive in clean water with plenty of oxygen, a large hatch can suggest a freshwater ecosystem is in solid condition.
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That has implications far beyond the insects themselves, since healthier lake water can support fish populations, recreation, tourism, and the communities that depend on all three.
If water quality declines, it can damage local economies, make outdoor spaces less enjoyable, and threaten a region's natural resources.
Large mayfly hatches can be inconvenient for businesses, residents, and travelers when insects coat doors, walls, and walkways. Officials linked that short-term nuisance to the same clean-water conditions that allow mayflies to flourish.
The overall story was a positive one. In a comment on their post, the Ohio Division of Wildlife noted that "mayfly populations in western Lake Erie plummeted in the mid 1900s due to poor water quality."
They credited the Clean Water Act and conservation efforts with delivering a rebound since the 1990s.
What are people saying?
Commenters on Facebook reacted to the massive gathering of mayflies.
"Someone needs to tell the Mayflies that it's June!" one implored in reference to June bugs.
"I can hear the crunch of this," another commenter said.
"I've seen them use snow plows to clean the streets of dead mayflies," a user revealed.
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