Spawns of satan. These things are EVERYWHERE. So annoying when walking on the Quad or anywhere near vegetation. It's all I can think about in class because I'm worried they are all over my face.

I say we nuke 'em. Every day I go to class looking like one of those sticky fly traps. And if I can't go to class without getting bug juice all up ma' grillz, I don't know how I'm going to be able to survive.

Lol@ the 3 girls all wearing the same shorts

Does anyone know why they took this route this year? I don't remember such a swarm of aphids in years past.

I literally have to leave class early so i can get to my next class early enough to go to the bathroom and wipe all these things off my face and body.

Biking to class has never been such a disgusting challenge. They get in my eyes, my ears, and fly down my mouth if I try to even breathe. I arrive to class only to shake them out of my clothes, my hair, and flick them off of my skin. I don't ever remember them being this bad here in my 4 years. I think they should take efforts to exterminate them, whether they are "harmless" to humans or not.

Please tell me what farmer grows plants buckthorn in his field. Buckthorn is a tree/shrub. They are not migrating to fields of buckthorn.

I guess they're annoying, but why did that girl have to miss class to wipe them off her bike? That excuse is simply bullcrap.

A chest of gold to the man that manages to get rid of them! One flew up my nose earlier.

Had to clean them off her bike? Really? When I was down there and didn't want to go to class, I just simply said I didn't want to go. You're better off saying that than using such an awful excuse.

Re: exterminate them. Even if it was possible to poison all the countless billions of them without killing a few humans as well, it's preposterous in this economy to drop a million bucks on exterminating harmless little bugs that are going to vanish in a week. Make like the guy in the picture and wear a ski mask if it bugs you so much (no pun intended). Sheesh. Is anyone else bothered by all this whining?

.......Shutup

I either get them in my eyes, my nose, or all over my clothes, especially when biking downhill. I used to love biking home after class, but I've been dreading it lately. Four or five actually got into the cabin of my car and rode all the way up to Chicago with me! Migrate already, would you?!?!

I had a Stat exam last night in Greg Hall and the whole lecture room was filled with them, I could barely concentrate on my exam. We would all be swatting at them, then there would be guts just wiped all over our exams. It was so disgusting!

I say we get all the pledges from all the frats to exterminate them... thats whats up

Your replay certainly added to the conversation. You have completely convinced me to believe your viewpoint.

For all the people who are saying it really isn't that bad...IT IS! I'm not one to complain over bug problems here and there. We've had our issues with the beetles in the past, which was terrible, but this is just ridiculous. I went to the university as an undergrad and currently work as an academic professional, so I've been here 6 years and this is by far the worst I've ever seen it with these little bugs. While, I don't think extermination is the solution, there has to be something that can be done to held reduce/prevent this reoccurence next year. One literally got stuck in my eye lashes today and I could barely make it to my car from the grocery store without them being all over my bags, clothes, and hair...yuck.

This is really bad and I would also like to know what's different about this year than others in the past.

Im for buying flamethrowers for the U of I grounds keepers... they can just walk around and incinerate the little devils... sure a few humans might be harmed, but I am sick of picking them out of my arm hair.

Who's with me?

at least its not an infestation of african killer bees....it could be worse, seriously.

they may not be harmless but they are irritating when in your nose, down your throat, and in your ears. and my poor dog too, she gets them absolutely all over and then is itching for an hour. ive been here 6 years too, i have never ever seen them bad like this. funny-odd thing is that they are not really around the mall or north prospect area, it is pleasant to walk and wait for the bus up here on north side of town. but the campustown and the quad are absolutely horrible with all those bugs. so why are they so much worse in the quad than on north prospect? well maybe insecticides are extreme, but is there some kind of plant or environment around the quad or south farms that are making it worse there than on the north side? and, i am looking for anybody that sells sunhats with mosquito netting to cover my face (kind of like a beehive keeper). or maybe a meshed burqa.... somebody could make a killing by selling wearable mesh screens around here.