Q: A swarm of flying pests seems to have taken over Jacksonville. You\u2019ve probably seen them hovering near lights or damp areas. Sometimes they buzz around your eyes and ears.<\/p>\n
Where did all these gnats come from anyway?<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve noticed that gnats seem to be more abundant and annoying this year than in the past,\u201d writes Jacksonville Today reader Karen F. <\/p>\n
\u201cAre there more gnats this summer? And if so, why?\u201d<\/p>\n
A: Yes, there do appear to be more gnats this year, experts tell Jacksonville Today.<\/p>\n
Anthony Rossi<\/a>, a biology professor at the University of North Florida, confirms that people are seeing more gnats than usual, in some areas.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir numbers tend to swing from year to year, and one of the biggest drivers is weather, especially rainfall,\u201d Rossi says.<\/p>\n Gnats and mosquitoes rely on moist environments<\/a> to reproduce, Rossi says. Their immature life cycle stages develop in wet soil, standing water or damp organic material.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen a season brings above average rainfall, more standing water or higher humidity, their populations can spike dramatically,\u201d Rossi says.<\/p>\n Recent heavy rains have created ideal breeding conditions, which is why people are noticing more gnats hovering around \u201cand generally being a nuisance,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n The gnat family includes lots of insects in Northeast Florida, like biting midges (aka \u201cno-see-ums\u201d), eye gnats, fungus gnats and buffalo gnats (black flies).<\/p>\n