Swarming Bugs Force Iowa To Call Out The Snow Plows

A few weeks ago, it was Rapid City, South Dakota, that had to call out the snow plows. This week -- and yes, it's still the middle of summer -- Iowa highway crews near Dubuque have had to bust out the snow plows, as well.

In Rapid City's case a few weeks ago, snow plows were needed to clear about 4-inches of hail that had quickly accumulated on area highways and was making travel difficult.

But this week, Iowa highway crews near Dubuque had to call on snow plows to clear swarms of may flies that had piled up ankle thick on a bridge spanning the Mississippi River. Yuck!

According to KTTC.com,  "The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports the insects on Saturday night swarmed to the Savannah-Sabula bridge, connecting Iowa and Illinois. The bugs covered the bridge so thickly, and caused such slick conditions, that crews plowed the bugs off the lanes and then applied sand for traction."

Now that's is a lot of bugs. May flies have been know to be thick at times in these parts, though. Each year during their hatch period, Hastings, Minnesota gets swarmed with may flies, some years worse than others. And near La Crosse last year, the swarm of may flies was so thick that it actually appeared on various weather radar reports.

All of which just goes to show that, even in July here in the Midwest, you never know when you might need that shovel or plow-- even if it's not to shovel or plow snow!