Posted on 05/27/25
| News Source: WBAL
Baltimore, MD - May 27, 2025 - The Bowleys Quarters neighborhood is abuzz over annoying little bugs.
The bugs, called midges, were seen snared in spiderwebs on light posts at a Middle River marina. The aquatic flies swarm and breed near water and marshy areas.
Baltimore County Councilman David Marks, R-District 5, told 11 News that residents are frustrated because in the evening hours the bugs just take over.
“They really aren’t dangerous, but they are incredibly annoying,” Marks told 11 News.
“When I walk out in the mornings, there’s a cloud of these things as soon as I walk out. I almost have to hold my breath sometimes so they don’t get in my mouth,” said Justin Pugh, of Bowleys Quarters. “There’s a bunch that get in my car as I’m driving. They are flying all around on my windshield. It’s a real nuisance.”
“A complete and utter nuisance,” said Todd Pratt, a resident. “They are out of control. They coat just about every surface. There’s plenty of them, for sure.”
It’s not the first time 11 News has reported on the problems with midges. A few years ago, county and state efforts to reduce the bug population involved spending millions of dollars on spraying and other eradication programs at the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant in Baltimore.
“We’ve had a consistent problem of nutrient management at that plant that created the initial midge problem, and now, we’re seeing that spread to other bodies of water in the area,” said Baltimore County Delegate Ryan Nawrocki, R-District 7A.
The local lawmakers said a new species of midges has been discovered, and the concern now is migration to the areas of the Middle and Bird rivers, as well as finding funds to combat it.
“People should not be lured into a false sense of ease. These may go away in a few weeks, but one of these midges can lay up to 1,000 eggs, and then, next year, the problem gets worse,” Marks told 11 News.
Marks told 11 News that the issues are both quality of life and economic, and he worries about the impact on businesses.
“There are places in Middle River that depend on outdoor seating for dining, for example,” Marks told 11 News.
“No one wants to go sit and have a crab cake if they are swarmed with a huge hoard of midges. So, we have to get this right,” Nawrocki said.
Nawrocki suggests money to fix the problem could possibly come from Chesapeake Bay restoration funds.
UPDATE: Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier sent a letter to Maryland Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks on Tuesday, seeking state resources and proactive measures to mitigate the midge infestation, citing an “unprecedented infestation” this year to the county’s Chesapeake Bay shoreline. The letter cited the county’s partnership with the state on midge treatment as being successful in the past.