Black Fly Report?

Grant · 05-11-2004, 09:10 AM

What's the current black fly situation around the Lake?

My brother and I are heading up this week for a few days of spring cleaning, raking, hauling, etc., and as I look at the calendar, I realize that we might be hitting peak black fly time.

Woo-hoo!

Pepper · 05-11-2004, 09:15 AM

Spent half the day Sunday and all day Monday working in the yard, have polka-dots to prove it!

Black flies everywhere, and boy are they hungry! Bring your favorite repellant!

Chris Exley · 05-11-2004, 10:10 AM

We were up last week. After about 10 minutes outside, we realized we couldn't go anywhere with out the deep woods off (which worked for us).

Grant · 05-11-2004, 10:30 AM

Nothing like them down here in greater PHL, huh?

Although we *are* supposed to see those 17-year cicadas any day now.

We'll be working up in the woods a lot Fri through Sun, so I'm planning on bringing the long sleeves, gloves, and the hat with the netting. My brother has never really experienced the joy of the NH State Bird.

tricia1218 · 05-11-2004, 10:49 AM

We were up the lake this past weekend opening up. I would recommend a hat, maybe gloves, oxygen tank, safety glasses, nose plugs and knee high boots!

Grant · 05-11-2004, 11:56 AM

Okay then, looks like the complete SCUBA set-up will be brought along for the rare topside expedition.

fatlazyless · 05-11-2004, 12:44 PM

The Black Flies are alive & well in the Buoy 3 area. Isn't this very early in the season for them to arrive. Like, I thought that starting in the end of April, we get the May Flies, which do not bite, and then the black flies start to roll in on June 1. But that's not the way it is happening this year.

How do you say; Where's the After Bite, a product made right here in NH?

SIKSUKR · 05-11-2004, 01:17 PM

Hey FLL,I always thought they were one in the same.We always called them either black flies or may BUGS and thought they were always here for 2-3 weeks in May.Always seem to be battling them when I'm doing the spring clean-up(Cleaning flower beds and spreading mulch) in early May. SS

madrasahs · 05-11-2004, 09:30 PM

FLL is back! Nice to see another Junior Member! (Ever get your engine sorted out?)

I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I've spent all week outdoors hauling, scraping and painting (weather permitting), and haven't seen any black flies. I always associated May with black fly "talk", though.

A friend stopped by and described them to me. I think I've seen two. Perhaps because my woods are left natural -- and I don't have flowerbeds, grass, or mulch?

The bats have been flying around for about a week. I thought May flies came out later -- like mid-June.

mcdude · 05-14-2004, 11:27 AM

The general rule of thumb that I have always heard is that they are out from Mother's Day until Father's Day. Speaking of bugs.....check out this link and turn up the volume! click here to squish some black flies use your mouse to control the swatter!

hazelnut · 05-16-2004, 08:14 PM

To me it wasn't the Black Flies this weekend but the MOSQUITOES that were driving me NUTS! Especially today Sunday, after the rain subsided.

Merrymeeting · 05-16-2004, 09:58 PM

Good News: The black flies seem to be done.

Bad News: Mosquitoes are as big as helicopters and there are LOTS of them!

I always heard that once you see mosquitoes, the black flies are done. Seems to be holding true this year. As mentioned earlier, they were really thick this weekend. Bring DEET!

Grant · 05-17-2004, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merrymeeting

Good News: The black flies seem to be done.

Bad News: Mosquitoes are as big as helicopters and there are LOTS of them!

I always heard that once you see mosquitoes, the black flies are done. Seems to be holding true this year. As mentioned earlier, they were really thick this weekend. Bring DEET!

Done? DONE?!?! AIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! No way. This morning, my brother and I were MAULED as we canoed from Melvin Village toward Specticle Island. It was the first time all we'd neglected to use any Jungle Juice, and we REGRETTED it. Granted, those flies out on the islands don't have as much human blood (or any other blood) to harvest, so they were MORE than a little hungry. But rest assured, the flies are alive and well as of Monday (at least on the eastern side of the Lake).

gfe

Grant · 05-17-2004, 09:23 PM

Nice loon pic from this morning...

http://www.pbase.com/image/29092451

Lin · 05-18-2004, 09:47 AM

Thanks for posting the loon photo. I hope to see more up there this year.

Rattlesnake Gal · 05-18-2004, 11:04 AM

I thought May flies and black flies were one and the same. Turns out they're not. Mayflies

Facts about Black Flies: Black flies
Small humpbacked flies that develop in clear running water, unlike mosquitoes
The adults live for about 2-3 weeks
Females feed on blood, males on nectar
Black flies bite in the middle of the day and like dark colors
As the female bites, she injects saliva into the skin, which is highly irritating and leads to swelling and itching
Females deposit from 150 to 500 eggs in submerged vegetation. The eggs hatch in four to five days.

Lin · 05-18-2004, 01:30 PM

LOL, Rattlesnake Gal the black flies are the ones that bite us, the mayflies are the ones the fish bite. Thanks for that website on bugs though. Nice photos and info in it.

lakegirl · 05-19-2004, 10:04 AM

Thanks for the info on flies rattlesnake gal....makes me not want to go outside!!! The ticks have been pretty bad this year too!!!! I'm pulling them off the dogs... and last week I pulled a few deer ticks off myself!!!!

05-11-2004, 09:10 AM	#1
Grant Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Pennsyltuckey, Tuftonboro, Moultonborough Posts: 1,505 Thanks: 385 Thanked 232 Times in 126 Posts	Black Fly Report? What's the current black fly situation around the Lake? My brother and I are heading up this week for a few days of spring cleaning, raking, hauling, etc., and as I look at the calendar, I realize that we might be hitting peak black fly time. Woo-hoo!

05-11-2004, 09:15 AM	#2
Pepper Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Laconia, NH Posts: 1,284 Thanks: 409 Thanked 155 Times in 40 Posts	Yikes! Spent half the day Sunday and all day Monday working in the yard, have polka-dots to prove it! Black flies everywhere, and boy are they hungry! Bring your favorite repellant!

05-11-2004, 10:10 AM	#3
Chris Exley Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mirror Lake, NH and Royersford, PA Posts: 134 Thanks: 26 Thanked 15 Times in 7 Posts	They were bad last week We were up last week. After about 10 minutes outside, we realized we couldn't go anywhere with out the deep woods off (which worked for us).

05-11-2004, 11:56 AM	#6
Grant Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Pennsyltuckey, Tuftonboro, Moultonborough Posts: 1,505 Thanks: 385 Thanked 232 Times in 126 Posts	Solution Okay then, looks like the complete SCUBA set-up will be brought along for the rare topside expedition.

05-11-2004, 12:44 PM	#7
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,888 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 304 Thanked 1,045 Times in 762 Posts	Black Fly Report The Black Flies are alive & well in the Buoy 3 area. Isn't this very early in the season for them to arrive. Like, I thought that starting in the end of April, we get the May Flies, which do not bite, and then the black flies start to roll in on June 1. But that's not the way it is happening this year. How do you say; Where's the After Bite, a product made right here in NH?

05-11-2004, 10:30 AM	#4
Grant Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Pennsyltuckey, Tuftonboro, Moultonborough Posts: 1,505 Thanks: 385 Thanked 232 Times in 126 Posts	Nothing like them down here in greater PHL, huh? Although we are supposed to see those 17-year cicadas any day now. We'll be working up in the woods a lot Fri through Sun, so I'm planning on bringing the long sleeves, gloves, and the hat with the netting. My brother has never really experienced the joy of the NH State Bird.

05-11-2004, 10:49 AM	#5
tricia1218 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: MA/Paugus Bay Posts: 155 Thanks: 31 Thanked 4 Times in 3 Posts	We were up the lake this past weekend opening up. I would recommend a hat, maybe gloves, oxygen tank, safety glasses, nose plugs and knee high boots!

05-11-2004, 01:17 PM	#8
SIKSUKR Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,075 Thanks: 215 Thanked 903 Times in 509 Posts	Hey FLL,I always thought they were one in the same.We always called them either black flies or may BUGS and thought they were always here for 2-3 weeks in May.Always seem to be battling them when I'm doing the spring clean-up(Cleaning flower beds and spreading mulch) in early May. SS __________________ SIKSUKR

05-11-2004, 09:30 PM	#9
madrasahs Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 381 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	FLL is back! Nice to see another Junior Member! (Ever get your engine sorted out?) I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I've spent all week outdoors hauling, scraping and painting (weather permitting), and haven't seen any black flies. I always associated May with black fly "talk", though. A friend stopped by and described them to me. I think I've seen two. Perhaps because my woods are left natural -- and I don't have flowerbeds, grass, or mulch? The bats have been flying around for about a week. I thought May flies came out later -- like mid-June.

05-14-2004, 11:27 AM	#10
mcdude Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Rock Haven Lake - West Newfield, ME Posts: 5,367 Thanks: 374 Thanked 1,057 Times in 495 Posts	Those Darn Black Flies The general rule of thumb that I have always heard is that they are out from Mother's Day until Father's Day. Speaking of bugs.....check out this link and turn up the volume! click here to squish some black flies use your mouse to control the swatter!

05-16-2004, 08:14 PM	#11
hazelnut Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 1,348 Blog Entries: 3 Thanks: 508 Thanked 462 Times in 162 Posts	Mosquitoes To me it wasn't the Black Flies this weekend but the MOSQUITOES that were driving me NUTS! Especially today Sunday, after the rain subsided.

05-16-2004, 09:58 PM	#12
Merrymeeting Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Merrymeeting Lake, New Durham Posts: 2,228 Thanks: 305 Thanked 801 Times in 369 Posts	Good News / Bad News Good News: The black flies seem to be done. Bad News: Mosquitoes are as big as helicopters and there are LOTS of them! I always heard that once you see mosquitoes, the black flies are done. Seems to be holding true this year. As mentioned earlier, they were really thick this weekend. Bring DEET!

05-17-2004, 09:23 PM	#14
Grant Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Pennsyltuckey, Tuftonboro, Moultonborough Posts: 1,505 Thanks: 385 Thanked 232 Times in 126 Posts	Loon Nice loon pic from this morning... http://www.pbase.com/image/29092451

05-18-2004, 09:47 AM	#15
Lin Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Massachusetts & Moultonborough Posts: 673 Thanks: 41 Thanked 15 Times in 11 Posts	Grant's Loon Thanks for posting the loon photo. I hope to see more up there this year. __________________ Lin

05-18-2004, 11:04 AM	#16
Rattlesnake Gal Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Central NH Posts: 5,253 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 1,455 Thanked 1,357 Times in 476 Posts	I thought May flies and black flies were one and the same. Turns out they're not. Mayflies Facts about Black Flies: Black flies Small humpbacked flies that develop in clear running water, unlike mosquitoes The adults live for about 2-3 weeks Females feed on blood, males on nectar Black flies bite in the middle of the day and like dark colors As the female bites, she injects saliva into the skin, which is highly irritating and leads to swelling and itching Females deposit from 150 to 500 eggs in submerged vegetation. The eggs hatch in four to five days.

05-18-2004, 01:30 PM	#17
Lin Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Massachusetts & Moultonborough Posts: 673 Thanks: 41 Thanked 15 Times in 11 Posts	the bugs LOL, Rattlesnake Gal the black flies are the ones that bite us, the mayflies are the ones the fish bite. Thanks for that website on bugs though. Nice photos and info in it. __________________ Lin

05-19-2004, 10:04 AM	#18
lakegirl Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Gilford-Northern MA Posts: 38 Thanks: 3 Thanked 5 Times in 2 Posts	Thanks for the info on flies rattlesnake gal....makes me not want to go outside!!! The ticks have been pretty bad this year too!!!! I'm pulling them off the dogs... and last week I pulled a few deer ticks off myself!!!! __________________ Lakegirl Never leave home without your camera

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