North Bay's famous shad flies have returned

Love them or hate them, shad flies have returned to North Bay, more aggressively in some areas than others.

On Main Street downtown, there's barely a building without a large swarm of shad flies covering it.

Memorial Drive by the Lake Nipissing Waterfront is also covered, while some homes near the lake have also been hit by the bugs.

While they can be a bit of a nuisance, experts told CTV News it's important for lake health that they keep coming back.

"They actually demonstrate that the lake is in good health," said Meghan Mitchell, a scientist at Science North in Sudbury.

"They're also really important for food chains, as well, both in the aquatic environment and when they emerge as adults. They still feed a lot of fish and other flying predators and things, as well."

Mitchell said the shad fly invasion shouldn't last longer than a couple of weeks.