Westside : WHERE’S HITCHCOCK?

Bodega Bay had the birds. Ballona Creek has its midge flies.

Each year, hordes of the pesky pests invade the mile-long storm drain between Centinela Avenue and the Marina Freeway near Westchester. The area is a particularly lush breeding ground for the gnat-like insects.

Although the flies pose no health risk, residents are irked by the critters, which continually get into eyes, hair and clothing and swarm over back-yard barbecues.

The county’s solution is a battle of the bugs.

County insect control officials are treating the infested areas with a naturally occurring bacteria known as Bti, which sinks below the creek bed where the midge flies breed. The larvae eat the bacteria, which causes them to die before maturing.