There’s grabbing a quick dinner, and then there’s accidentally starring in what looks like the opening scene of an insect apocalypse. One Ohio woman recently found herself going viral after documenting an unforgettable trip through a Taco Bell drive-thru.
What should have been a routine fast-food stop quickly became something far more dramatic when she was met with an overwhelming cloud of mayflies. As the video begins, the woman sums up the situation perfectly. “Just trying to get my Taco Bell but it’s mayfly day.”
That may be one of the biggest understatements on the internet this week. The Ohio footage shows what appears to be a staggering number of the insects swarming around a nearby gas station, hovering around vehicles, and collecting on buildings.
Ohio Woman Documents Swarming Mayflies And The Internet Is Shook
As she waits in the drive-thru line, the car ahead of her becomes surrounded by the bugs. The insects can be seen buzzing everywhere, while the exterior walls of the Taco Bell and even the drive-thru window appear heavily covered. For anyone unfamiliar with Ohio’s annual mayfly season, the scene almost looks fake.
Unfortunately for locals, it’s very real. The video quickly attracted attention online, with many viewers reacting as if they had just witnessed a natural disaster. “I’d rather die than see another mayfly,” one commenter wrote dramatically.
Another person admitted, “This is a shelter in place situation for me.” Others couldn’t believe what they were seeing. “I would think the world was ending,” one viewer joked. When it came to whether a taco was worth braving the swarm, many people had a clear answer.
“Yeah I got food at home,” one person wrote. “Absolutely not. I am not that hungry,” another added. To be fair, they may have a point. While mayflies don’t bite, sting, or spread disease, their sheer numbers can be shocking. The insects are known for emerging in enormous groups during certain times of the year, particularly around bodies of water.
Ohio experiences some of the largest mayfly swarms in the country thanks to its proximity to Lake Erie and other waterways. The insects spend most of their lives underwater as larvae before emerging as adults for a very brief period. In many cases, adult mayflies only survive for a day or two.
What Are Mayflies?
Their sole mission is reproduction before they die, which explains why they often appear suddenly and in massive numbers. The phenomenon has become a familiar summer event across parts of Ohio, but that doesn’t mean residents enjoy it.
Videos showing roads covered in insects, buildings coated in bugs, and vehicles plastered with mayflies frequently go viral every year. For people who aren’t used to seeing it, the images can be genuinely shocking.
Still, while the woman in the video may have been grossed out by the swarm, she also managed to capture one of the most Ohio moments imaginable. Because apparently, in Ohio, even a simple Taco Bell run can turn into an unexpected encounter with thousands upon thousands of flying insects.
Dylan Cook 
Kendra Quinn 
