In
some parts of the county, including the
city-wide area of Bonners Ferry, the air appears
to be thick with a small, winged, bluish looking
insect. They have increased in numbers to the
point that at times it is difficult to walk
around without having dozens of the insects land
on one's clothing, hair, exposed skin, and
risking even getting into one's mouth and nose!The University of Idaho County Extension Office has identified the insects as Prociphilus americanus--the Smoky-winged Ash Aphid.
According to the Washington State University Extension Office in Pend Oreille County, Washington, the life cycle of these aphids alternates between two different host plants. For most of the summer, they live underground around the roots of fir trees. In the fall, however, winged forms of the aphids emerge from the ground around the firs, take flight in search of ash trees, where they mate and lay their eggs in the crevasses of the ash tree bark. Those eggs will hatch in the spring, at which time the baby aphids feed on sap around the ash leaves until early summer, when they move back to the fir tree roots to start things all over again.
How long will they be around? Apparently that depends a lot on the weather.
Although they can be numerous and a nuisance, a
freezing night will generally devastate the
swarm.They are not considered to be harmful to people or to plants.