Bugs of Antelope Island
by Jeremy Shaw
Everyone knows about the critters of Antelope Island. The bison, the mule deer and the pronghorn are the stars of the show. People will stop traffic and create lines just to get a look or snap a quick picture of these majestic critters. But there are some critters that, although they are much, much, smaller, have just a profound an impact on the visitors to Antelope Island. I’m talking about BUGS!
Millions and millions of bugs call Antelope Island home, some go less noticed than others but all have their place. I will focus on the ones that are the most noticeable and may have the largest impact on your visit.
Spiders
In the fall, visitors will notice spiders by the thousands. Most of these are Orb Weaver spiders and are pretty much harmless. If you do happen to get a bite from one it will likely not feel much more painful than the bite of an ant. They hatch and grow like crazy, peaking in August. They cover every inch of particular parts of the island and in some areas the sagebrush looks alive as they move through the bush making webs and catching food. There is an entire festival dedicated to the spiders of Antelope Island. SpiderFest, it usually occurs in August and is dedicated to these amazing arachnids so I will guide you to the Antelope Island webpage for more info on these guys and urge you to attend a SpiderFest if these critters interest you.
Midges
If you drive out the Davis County Causeway and happen to see great swirling columns of what looks like smoke you may be witnessing a midge hatch. As you approach you will quickly notice that it is not smoke as they begin to bounce and splatter on your windshield. At times there are so many midges that it sounds like rain hitting your vehicle as you drive the causeway. The midges come and go throughout the year and there really is no telling when they will be at their peak. If you are lucky enough to see it the columns can sometimes reach as high as 50 or 60 feet in the air and line the entire length of the causeway. Also if you are lucky enough to see it, you will need to hit the first carwash as you leave the island as they will cover your vehicle top to bottom. If you look closely at the vehicles that belong to the employees you can see that over the course of the summer some of them will be growing a “beard” comprised entirely of midges. Midges may look similar to mosquitoes but they do not bite, they may however, fly up your nose and into your ears. There is a small percentage of people that may be allergic to them as well, but for the most part they are harmless.
Brine Flies
A hatch that may rival that of the midges is the hatch of the Brine Flies. Brine Flies are the small black flies that live on the edge of the salty lake. The females lay their eggs in the lake, the eggs sink to the bottom and wait to hatch. After hatching the larvae feed on the algae and other stuff floating in the lake until they turn into flies. Flies begin to hatch in April and May and will continue all summer and fall. Peak numbers of adult flies have been estimated in the billions, not that hard to believe if you have ever walked the beach of Antelope Island in the summer months. Walking the beach the flies will part around you and then land again right behind you moving as you go. Often times you can watch the California Gulls feed on the flies as they run down the beach with their mouths open sucking flies in as they go. The black headed gulls will sit back, head in the air, and pick them off one by one. Sometimes you may see a gull on the side of the road or down by the beach so stuffed with flies that they cannot fly. As with all of the bugs of the island, Brine Flies are a very important part of the ecosystem of Antelope Island and Great Salt Lake.
No-See-Ums
No list of Antelope Island bugs would be complete without a mention of the No-See-Ums. These are perhaps the most notorious of Antelope Island’s bugs and certainly the most memorable. No-See-Ums are very small biting flies or sand flies. There are many species of no-see-ums and nearly all of them are terrible little critters. These are very small biting flies that will swarm you and bite you especially in your ears, and your hairline. They are small enough that they can get through a mosquito net so a net for no-see-ums is needed if you are to brave the no-see-um hatch. You will see the park staff out working in their nets while the no-see-ums are bad. So, here’s the good news, they only stick around until the weather gets hot. The rule of thumb is three days in the 90’s and they die off. The no-see-um “season” is usually mid-April to mid-June, before and after that the island is a wonderful place to visit. If you are going to visit during this time, bring a no-see-um net or purchase one in the island gift shop. There is no repellent that will effectively work on these little guys, and it’s pretty rough to enjoy the island with them chewing on you.
Come visit the island, enjoy the wildlife, the scenery, and the outdoor recreation opportunities that it has to offer. Enjoy it all, even the bugs, hopefully this article will help you be prepared for what is sure to be a memorable visit!
