What causes random swarms of gnats to accumulate?

[phucheneh]

Never been able to figure this out; never been offered any common knowledge about it. I know stagnant water is responsible for shitpiles of mosquitos being in an area. But gnats come out of nowhere.

Sometimes when I run trails, I'll happen upon a random swarm. With sunglasses on, especially without my contacts in, which is common, they can be invisible until you run through them and swallow a good dozen or so. D:

But now they're in my backyard by my fence, at the edge of my driveway. Massive amounts. No standing water. That's where cars sit when I pull them inside my fence to work on them. It is becoming a bother/disgusting/fucking infuriating.

What do I do, ATOT?

 

[IronWing]

It's probably your body odor. Try showering, use soap.

 

[phucheneh]

This makes no sense:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnat

In British English the term applies particularly to Nematocerans of the family Culicidae. The common gnat is the species Culex pipiens.[1]

Male gnats often assemble in large mating swarms or ghosts, particularly at dusk.

'Culex pipiens' links to mosquitos. But if they were newly hatched mosquitos, why would they be in 'mating swarms'?

 

[moonbogg]

Sometimes if I don't bathe my kids for a few weeks, then the gnats come around.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

In my experience, bull balls or dog peckers.

 

[zinfamous]

take a shower, you filthy hippie.

 

[wischeez]

As you undoubtedly know, "gnat" is an imprecise term referring to several species of small flies, most often the fruit flies of the family Trypetidae. The swarming is part of a mating ritual common to many insect species wherein the males hover en masse and await the females. It's believed the insects orient themselves over or near some easily recognizable topographical feature — a white object against a field of green, for example, or a tall bush — rather than some "imaginary fixed point." Their uncanny persistence in doing so may be attributed to the fact that they have to propagate the species (and get in what giggles they can) in an extremely short time — gnats only live for a few weeks. Keep all this in mind next time you're tempted to spoil some little flys fun by waving your hand through his orgy. Creep.

 

[2timer]

Male gnats often assemble in large mating swarms or ghosts, particularly at dusk.

Ohhh yeah, you just ran into a big ol gnat fuck fest.

Bow-chicka-wow-wow.

 

[SP33Demon]

Ohhh yeah, you just ran into a big ol gnat fuck fest.

Bow-chicka-wow-wow.

So are you saying gnats came in his mouth when he swallowed them?

 

[jagec]

The likelihood of a gnat swarm forming is inversely proportional to the local concentration of flamethrowers.

 

[SphinxnihpS]

Hahaha, he figured it out on his own, cute.

 

[colonelciller]

if you feel like they are congregating around you when you work outside, it is because they are. they are qttracted to CO2 (your breath)

lots of insects are attracted to CO2, including mosquitoes and ticks.

ticks hang on high branches and let go when they detect CO2, and id they fall on you then they've found themself a nice meal.

 

[FelixDeCat]

lol

 

[Agent11]

Good breeding conditions and lack of predators.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Spring causes it. Fuck Spring.

 

[_Rick_]

I attribute it to a lack of randomness in gnat swarming.