Residents in Russia's Sverdlovsk Oblast face a potential surge in midges following recent heavy flooding across the region.
Alexei Gilev, a professor in the Department of Biodiversity and Bioecology at Ural Federal University, issued the warning in comments reported by news agency TASS. He noted that running water creates favorable conditions for midges, although the biting insects typically prefer cleaner water sources.
Recent flooding has already driven up midge activity across the area, creating the widespread impression among local residents that insect populations have multiplied. However, Gilev emphasized that the overall midge population in Sverdlovsk Oblast currently remains at its usual level.
Sverdlovsk Oblast is a major industrial region located in the Ural Mountains of central Russia, centered around the regional capital of Yekaterinburg. The territory features extensive river systems and dense vegetation, environments where midge larvae commonly develop during the warmer summer months.
Rising water triggers aggressive midge attacks
Explaining the behavioral shift, Gilev said that extensive flooding prompts midges to take to the air. The insects normally rest on grass while waiting for potential victims to pass by before launching into flight.
He added that high water levels stimulate the midges by creating the perception of favorable conditions, causing them to begin attacking people and animals more aggressively.
Severe rainstorms caused widespread regional flooding
The threat of increased insect activity follows severe weather that struck Sverdlovsk Oblast in early June, when torrential rainfall caused rivers to overflow their banks. The heavy precipitation triggered widespread flooding across multiple municipal districts.
Data from the Ministry of Emergency Situations showed that the floodwaters submerged hundreds of residential homes and thousands of garden plots across 20 municipalities in the region. In some affected areas, water covered municipal roadways so deeply that local residents were forced to travel to work by boat.
Ural Federal University, where Gilev conducts research, is one of the leading educational and scientific centers in Russia's Ural region. Emergency services in Sverdlovsk Oblast continue to monitor the aftermath of the early June inundation as local communities cope with both structural damage and seasonal pest threats.
