View Full Version : When is the blackfly season in Maine? How far south on the AT are the blackflies?
John :-)
08-26-2012, 20:48
My son and I are planning a six week, southbound, AT section hike, beginning June 17 next summer. We'd like to hike the north end of the trail, but avoid the blackflies. How far south should we start?
Many thanks! :-)
hikerboy57
08-26-2012, 22:13
end of June is pretty much bug season everywhere. Maine down through Massachusetts the worst and you'll still have some in Connecticut New York. if it's a dry Spring I'd say southern Vermont or Massachusetts.
if you are starting in mid-June.. and want to avoid bug season.. I'd suggest the southern end of trail. Start as far south from Maine as you can get and hike south. In Maine you will experience peak bug season... pack lost of bug repellent!
fredmugs
08-27-2012, 13:32
I hiked over a week during each of the last two Junes in Maine and had no problems with flies whatsoever. I did, however, run into some hikers who were chewed up. The skeeters and the gnats are worse for me.
If you want a hard 6 weeks then start at Katahdin and you will cover all of the hardest parts of the trail. If you want something more enjoyable start at Harpers Ferry. There are no bad parts of Virginia and the Shenandoah's are cake.
Snowleopard
08-27-2012, 16:49
It's all highly variable depending on the weather, altitude, location, etc.
It would be unusual to have no black flies in June at least as far south as Conn or NY (south of there I don't know).
This year we still have a few black flies now (late Aug) in n. central Mass; black flies this late is unusual.
Bring DEET, a headnet, long pants and long sleeved shirt (treat with permethrin or be sure the bugs can't bite through it).
I hiked over a week during each of the last two Junes in Maine and had no problems with flies whatsoever. I did, however, run into some hikers who were chewed up. The skeeters and the gnats are worse for me. ...
I've often wondered: when people from outside New England/Canada talk about gnats being bad, are they really running into black flies? Black flies are much smaller than normal house flies or deer flies. They tend to buzz around your eyes, which I find awfully annoying even if they are not biting. When they are biting, they are awful. When they are really bad, it is unbearable and bloody.
fredmugs
08-28-2012, 09:07
I've often wondered: when people from outside New England/Canada talk about gnats being bad, are they really running into black flies? Black flies are much smaller than normal house flies or deer flies. They tend to buzz around your eyes, which I find awfully annoying even if they are not biting. When they are biting, they are awful. When they are really bad, it is unbearable and bloody.
Nah - when I stopped the flies were on me but when I was on the move they weren't. The hikers I saw in Stratton looked like a swarm of deer flies attacked them. If I had not seen it myself I would not have believed it.