Balaton Under Siege: Unprecedented Midge Swarms Blanket Popular Hungarian Lake

LAKE BALATON, HUNGARY – August 18, 2025 – Residents and tourists around Lake Balaton are currently experiencing an unprecedented natural event: a massive invasion of non-biting midges, locally referred to as árvaszúnyogok. A video uploaded on August 18, 2025, documents the extent of the swarm, showing countless insects covering walls, ceilings, and ground surfaces, particularly attracted to artificial lights. The footage, reportedly captured on August 17, 2025, illustrates the overwhelming numbers of these insects. One segment shows a person sweeping large piles of dead midges from a paved area, accumulating them into significant mounds. The sheer volume of the insects has raised concerns among the public, with many expressing surprise and discomfort. While non-biting midges are a natural part of the lake ecosystem and serve as a food source for fish and birds, their current numbers are unusually high, attributed by some to the recent heat. Local authorities have not yet issued official statements regarding the phenomenon or potential mitigation efforts, but the visual evidence suggests a significant and widespread presence of the insects across the Balaton region.

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