![]() To avoid bloodworm infestations, operators should focus on encouraging circulation and limiting food sources. The hemoglobin that gives bloodworms their red color also allows them to live in low dissolved oxygen (DO) conditions. Once the eggs hatch, larvae will likely sink to the bottom to feed on organic matter and sludge. Midge flies prefer to lay their eggs in still, high-nutrient water with fixed media, floating scum, or algae. The wastewater operator found sticky clumps of eggs had congested the system’s pumps while larvae had eaten away at his mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS).įacultative lagoons and secondary clarifiers are a favored breeding ground for these pests. ![]() In one small town a bloodworm invasion wreaked havoc on an activated sludge plant over a single weekend. An infestation will cause sludge clumping, rising solids, or foaming issues. Under the protection of these cocoons, they can consume considerable amounts of sludge, bacteria flocc, and nitrifying bacteria. Their sticky red bodies cling to suspended solids encasing them in a cocoon of decaying organic matter. When it comes to maintaining treatment systems, wastewater operators may be most concerned with the larvae stage of midge flies. ![]() Chironomids can also cause quite a startle to the public when bright red larvae make their way into drinking water systems. (2013) found that wastewater operators can develop allergic reactions from midge fly exposure. Swarms annoy both local residents and operators by flying into unsuspecting mouths and flooding outdoor lighting. Though midge flies do not suck blood like mosquitos, they disrupt communities in other ways. After dormancy in the winter, midge flies emerge in the summer ready to lay between 100 and 3,000 eggs per female. Adult males can be distinguished from females based on their feather like antennae. ![]() Also known as Chironomids or bloodworms in their larvae stage, these insects resemble mosquitos without the blood sucking proboscis. Midge fly infestations can pose considerable challenges for activated sludge systems and lagoons. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |