A swarm of small, winged insects has infested New York City, prompting some locals to compare the infestation to a biblical plague. The small bugs, which were believed to have surfaced in Manhattan and Brooklyn around Wednesday, have been an annoyance to those who are running, biking, or strolling on the road. (https://experience.afrotech.com/) Social media videos show them infiltrating train platforms.
“These swarms of bugs are taking over the city. They are in the subway platform too,” a Twitter user wrote alongside a clip of the flying critters.
Several New Yorkers reported finding the microscopic gnat-like insects in their hair, clothes, and even their noses.
Some Twitter users have observed that the bugs appear green, though this is difficult to notice with the naked eye.
According to the Associated Press, Professor David Lohman, an entomologist at City University, believes they are winged aphids rather than gnats.
According to the New York Times, the sudden aphid invasion is “unusual” but caused by the weather.
“The interesting thing about aphids is they are typically parthenogenetic, which means the females give rise to females so their populations can explode under the right environmental conditions,” said Jody Gangloff, who is part of the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program at Cornell University.
High temperatures, increasing humidity, and recent rainfall have all been blamed for the invasion.
“While this may be annoying, these insects do not present a known public health risk,” the New York City Department of Health said in a statement. “We are looking into these bugs and will share any important health information.”