Swarms of insects have descended on New York City and made their presence known to local residents, according to multiple reports.
New Yorkers began noticing the swarms of green-looking bugs on Wednesday, and by Thursday, the clouds of insects upstaged the Canadian wildfire haze with city residents, according to ABC7 New York. (RELATED: New York City Surges To Top Of World’s Most Polluted Cities List)
Some Twitter users drew parallels between New York City and how Egypt is depicted in the Bible. “The end is nigh,” John Haltiwanger, a journalist, tweeted. Another journalist, Nick Rizzuto, tweeted, “Plague of gnats has arrived. Can three days of darkness be far behind?”
A tweet, from a self-described freelance photographer included a video clip of the insects all over his shirt and glasses, causing im to wonder if the Biblical Apocalypse had begun.
can anyone explain what is happening in nyc right now with these bugs/gnats?
I thought it was debris from the bad air quality at first, but then I realized that all these small particles all over my body are BUGS pic.twitter.com/gwjeWwVzcS
— jerm (@jerm_cohen) June 30, 2023
“This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the LORD had said.
Exodus 8:16-19#NYC #gnats #bugs #swarm #plague
— Katie S. 🐇 (@katietighe) June 30, 2023
New Jersey is currently experiencing an aphid invasion, causing concerns among residents. Aphids are small insects that feed on plant sap, weakening plants and reducing crop yields. While not dangerous to humans or animals, their rapid reproduction and plant damage make them a… pic.twitter.com/GSQwZ8qg8j
— HudPost (@hudpost) June 30, 2023
The insects are likely to be aphids, non-stinging insects that feed on plant juices and often are wingless. Aphids can grow wings and swarm in search of new food sources and to coordinate reproduction, according to The New York Times (NYT).
Dr. Corrie Moreau, an entomology professor at Cornell University told the outlet “[i]t is unusual that there are so many of these aphids swarming this year. It is because of the mild winter.”
More plants and flowers have grown due to the mild winter and recent rainy spring, and this could have made the aphids go into reproductive mode, NYT reported.