<p>My daughter and I are on a road trip taking a look at colleges (a preliminary college trip). Anyway, we were all set to explore the Lawrence University campus, but were unable to because of the swarms of fungus gnats EVERYWHERE. Anyone able to put this in perspective? It was like Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, with insects.</p>
<p>My daughter refused to apply to Stanford because it was swarming with caterpillars during her visit. What’s a fungus gnat? (scurrying off to google it…)</p>
<p>They seemed a bit bigger than other gnats I’ve seen. They have the heft of a mosquito. When we’ve asked people here about these pests, they’ve all been very evasive, as if the Appleton Chamber of Commerce has issued a gag order! We’re trying to determine if this is something one can count on all spring, or whether their numbers decrease. It was truly impossible for us to comfortably traverse the campus.</p>
<p>The gnats you describe are a 1-2 day phenomena–probably each spring after most of the snow has melted. There are very small “clouds” of them–4 feet in diameter spaced around 80-100 feet apart. They seem not to like to stay on the people who happen to encounter them. Except for the fact that you might end up walking through a small cloud, they are harmless. They are slow moving clouds and can be avoided. (I usually just close my eyes, hold my breath, and walk through–when avoiding them is inconvenient.)</p>
<p>Watchthis–Thanks for the perspective. I’ve heard they appeared somewhat early this year because it has been a warmish winter. It was very strange. After our day in Appleton, we journeyed south to Beloit College. Beloit as a town does not compare favorably to Appleton, that’s for sure.</p>
<p>My daughter and I are visiting this weekend. I’ll be curious to see if they’re still there. She’s somewhat insect-phobic (gets it from me!), so if this were more than a few days in spring, it would be a problem. Lol about the chamber of commerce comment…I picture them at the end of their meetings, “Now if there’s no more new business, we’ll adjourn and remember…ums-may’s the erd-way on the ats-gnay!”</p>
<p>We used to have the brief spring Mayfly invasion when I attended many years ago. Substantially larger than gnats, but brief in duration as well. Comes with having a river running past the campus. Just keep the screens on the dorm windows.</p>
<p>Gnat Update 4/2</p>
<p>They’re still there – a few greeted me as I opened the door when we arrived on campus – but theeir numbers have seriously dwindled from what op reported. Also helped that iw was VERY windy today. They really didn’t stand a chance. Quite glad we weren’t there last week, though!</p>
<p>I was at the campus on monday, 4/5, dropping off daughter, and did not notice these gnats. Yesterday was bright and sunny and I felt the campus and the environs looked extraordinary. The white cupola of main hall and the white memorial chapel looked especially fresh and sun washed after the winter. I came in from college av from the east, coming across the new curvy fox river bridge, a route I rarely take. I liked the campus view that I saw.</p>
<p>That was 4/5, this is 4/8, today (taken with a cheap phone camera)…</p>
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<p>That should take care of the gnat problem.</p>