They are OUT and they are MEAN

[yellowcanoe]

insert name of your favorite seasonal canoeing insect.. We had a good snow pack a good cold spring and the little round surgeons with wings are out in massive amounts. If you are coming this way in the next month be aware.
I now am wearing a bug jacket at home.

 

[Robin]

The mayflies are out here in southern New England, but I guess that's better than black flies.

 

[dougd]

Ticks, need I say more? Hate those buggers!

 

[deerfly]

sorry to hear, all the flying teeth have been out around these parts for a while now :Once the ENP permits are free you know its on down here

 

[yellowcanoe]

I think the sandflies were boggled by Irma. Usually in March I live in bug wear in the Everglades
not this year!
i will never be in Florida after March. Just too hot
I know more room for you native hardy souls

 

[pblanc]

I despise ticks, mosquitoes and black flies but when they are out in force deer flies surpass all the rest for sheer misery.

 

[Boatman53]

Black fly season did factor into our choice of a house in Maine. If all goes well we close next week. Can't wait to have a functional shop again. Boy do I need to unload some tools before I close up my shop.
Jim

 

[yknpdlr]

Black Flies started appearing one at a time about last Wednesday in the SW Adirondacks. I did some work clearing trails on Saturday deeper in the Adirondacks near Old Forge with temp around a nice 55 or so, and some light wind. no bugs there (maybe one or two outliers), very pleasant.

Yesterday I had a canoe race in the Saranacs. Still was a bit chilly and breezy. No bugs to speak of on land, none of course while on the water.

 

[Roybrew]

I guess I don't have anything to complain about. Here in this part of Tennessee the skeeters aren't that much of a problem. We have no natural lakes. All our lakes are dam controlled for power producing. The rivers are a little buggy late evening, but the mosquitoes don't even come close to what I remember in Michigan. We do have to wartch for ticks and snakes. We have copper heads and rattle snakes, but they try to avoid humans. I sure don't miss the black flies and hoards of skeeters from northern Michigan.

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[Roybrew]

We were hiking with the grandson yesterday on a mountain trail of local park. He was wading a small stream looking for crawdads, so I strung my hammock to relax and watch him and mammaw. Not one bug bite. Sure was nice. I need to get him out in the canoe.

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[Mihun09]

I suppose the upside of 6 weeks without rain would be the total lack of biting insects.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Black fly season did factor into our choice of a house in Maine. If all goes well we close next week. Can't wait to have a functional shop again. Boy do I need to unload some tools before I close up my shop.
Jim

We had a few flies last week. Surprisingly they must have gone into hiding when it froze overnight Friday.. Saturday was a windup day where it went from 28 to 80 and that might have brought on the explosion.. It was cooler and windier later yesterday and they left.
today it is cool. No flies. The temp is going back to the low 50's.
Yes there are blackflies on the water unfortunately. If you skirt an island closely you will find them hiding on the backside of islands. They hate the wind.. We have two small islands on our lake..both about two acres.. No flies on the windward side of course and a black cloud on the leeward side of the island. They don't go far over the water. maybe 200 feet.

Far better than stable flies who lurk in the bottom of your canoe to bite your ankles. there seems to be no catching them.. When you do kill one there is a replacement and they will pursue you long ways over water.

We live on a lake and the blackflies are just an annoyance for a little while.. But a reminder to set up a spare fan on the deck for nice comfortable outside eating.

i wonder how blackfly larvae survive droughts. I know they have the ability to start up again if the first round of sex fails to produce offspring..

the upside of blackflies and mayflies is FISH.. And our loons are happy!

 

[DayTripper99]

I saw one mosquito and two black flies from May 16th to the 21st in northern Ontario, Canada. Eat your heart out!