Lakeshore Mayor Tom Bain has a message for whoever is shutting off street lights in the town; stop.
Bain said it has been an ongoing issue the past few years whenever the fish flies come ashore, but so far the culprit has evaded town officials and the Ontario Provincial Police.
They could be charged if they are caught.
Fish flies, like many insects, are attracted to any source of light and are known to swarm around street lights, but Bain said shutting them off is dangerous.
Bain suspects the culprit has some experience as an electrician but said it isn't just dangerous for the person fiddling around with the wires in the street light, but to others too.
"Not only in that they could electrocute themselves, but it's leaving some of our intersections in the dark," explained Bain. "It's a danger for pedestrians that they could get hit by a car."
In the meantime, turning street lights back on is costing the town money.
"We have to pull some of our employees off the job to go check this stuff or else we're hiring electricians to come in and put the lights back on," Bain said.
Fish flies only come ashore for a few weeks in the late spring and early summer. After spending up to two years buried in the mud beneath Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair, they usually ascend to land in Mid-May. Their season lasts through June and into July most years, but cooler temperatures this spring delayed their ascent.
Now, enjoy a video listener Joe Cichon sent BlackburnNews.com of the fish flies on his property.
https://www.facebook.com/joe.cichon/videos/10156898336406865/
