Reminding everyone that it’s midge season, Cedar Point visitors shared a video of themselves after encountering a swarm of the insects on a roller coaster.
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In a post on the Cedar Point subreddit, the visitors were seen covered head to toe with midge after sitting front row on Top Thrill Dragster 2.
“I have ridden Top Three [2] in front row before, and by all means, it’s amazing, but with the bugs at night, oh my gosh,” they wrote. “It’s actually ridiculous.”
“I had to cover my face the whole time,” they continued. “Especially on the pull out from the top, I literally thought something might have broke because I just got slammed in my whole body by bugs. It was crazy.”
They then noted, “Waited two and a half hours because it kept breaking down. But yeah, I’ll stick with the back row for now or maybe the front row [when] there’s not too many bugs.”
Midge is described as a non-biting fly that resembles mosquitoes in size and appearance. While they are known to be a “nuisance” because of their swarm behavior, they are considered “harmless” to humans. Their presence is considered an indication that there’s “good water quality and a healthy ecosystem.”
The insects emerge from Lake Erie when the water temperatures reach around 60°F. Their lifecycles are generally short, with adult lifespans lasting only a few days.
Several Cedar Point Visitors Share Their Midge Stories
Also in the subreddit, numerous Cedar Point visitors shared their own midge experiences.
“I had a similar experience on Millennium,” a visitor stated. “I think it was gnats that time, though, but year, not a fun time.”
Another Reddit user pointed out, “Yeah, not the time of year to ride front seat on any coaster IMO… unless you want the extra protein.”
Other Cedar Point visitors noted that mayfly season is just around the corner.
“Mayflies aren’t out yet,” one shared. “If that’s within the last week, they are muffleheads/midges. Mayfly is a slight misnomer – they come out a tad into June. I’m guessing they are born or start to emerge in May.”
Mayflies are larger than midge and typically emerge and create swarms during May and June. They have a life expectancy of 24 to 72 hours and are also considered “harmless” despite how they look.