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View Full Version : 2005 BLACKFLIES are here



Moxie00
05-06-2005, 20:16
May 5, 2005. I live in central Maine not real far south of the AT. Last afternoon, May 5th and aprox 3:30 pm the first swarm of this years crop of blackflies attacked me. For those who say they only come in June check your calander. They were out in force today when I walked through the fields and woods near Litchfield. They will be out in Maine in unbeliveable numbers until hot weather and the dragon flies come out in late June. Around Katahdin there will be a few well into August, always are. They are a part of spring in Maine, if you are from here you live with them and their awful bites. If you are from away and meet them for the first time you will wonder how we can stand them. It is spring though and my wife and I picked a huge basket of fiddleheads tonight despite the blackflies and they were wonderful for our dinner. The peepers are also peeping in the swamp so I guess winter is gone even though I did find alot of snow under my wood pile.
:welcome TO MAINE, the way life should be.

neo
05-06-2005, 22:42
how are blackflies in early september in maine,are bugs in general bad from early to mid september.:cool: neo

plodder
05-07-2005, 02:48
No bugs by to speak of after Labor Day. I can confirm the blackflies. Mine have not yet figured out how to bite, still in bump mode, but they will. Kinda glad to see them this year, was a hard winter.

Pencil Pusher
05-07-2005, 05:03
Mine have not yet figured out how to bite, still in bump mode, but they will. Kinda glad to see them this year, was a hard winter.
While many men shuneth the biteth, this man seeketh.

Moxie00
05-08-2005, 11:49
how are blackflies in early september in maine,are bugs in general bad from early to mid september.:cool: neoSeptember and October are our most beautiful months. The water that takes half the summer to warm up takes half the fall to cool off. There are no bugs, the foliage is spectular starting in mid September. There is alot of game moving about trying to fatten up for winter. I finished my thru hike on October 7th and the weather was crisp, the foliage was brilliant, no bugs, just ideal hiking conditions. On October 8th of that year there was a blizzard, Katahdin closed for the winter and several hikers were stranded for a few days. September is a great bet for maine.
:welcome to Maine, the way life should be.

Mr. Clean
05-09-2005, 06:37
Lots of blackflies in Southern Maine, but none are biting yet. It's going to be a bad year for them with all the rain we're getting. Can you say "deet"?

walkin' wally
05-10-2005, 21:32
I spent the last two weeks ( april 25 and May 2nd) north of Monson Maine. We had sleet, snow, rain, and a few mosquitos, thats all. The black flies are not far away though.

attroll
05-11-2005, 01:20
Well they made there way out here in Litchfield Maine this week. But they are not biting yet. Give it another week and they will start biting. They never seem to bite when they first come out for some reason.

plodder
05-11-2005, 03:02
They do learn to chew, don't they. How's water level and muck inland?

walkin' wally
05-11-2005, 10:40
The water levels are going down slowly in the brooks and streams. I would say most of the AT fords would be a challenge right now. The back roads are drying up now and I would not worry too much about sinking in if we don't get a lot more rain. This is more or less near the end of mud season.

Moxie00
05-14-2005, 12:32
BLACKFLIES DON'T BITE, THEY SUCK
:sun

TOW
05-14-2005, 14:54
i'll never forget hiking thru the wilderness in June '02 from Kathadin to Monson. i stopped at whites camping landing wilderness and the blackflies were horrible from the trail to the landing, much worse in the open. i was running to get there. when i grabbed the horn to signal my arrival i played the thing a long while to let them know to get there in a hurry. i was tempted to jump in the water and swim there. once i got over there i fashioned the ultimate clothing together against the critters with duct tape covering every opening. them damn things still managed to get in. then I met Si and Oto who were doing a flip to Kathadin and they were'nt bothered the least with them? i don't know? i'll not hike up there again till mid summer or later again. i saw a moose that was covered with them all over his head and tail and man was he crazy. i made sure i stayed very still until he made a big splash in the river and went under to get away from them. i think he was ready to attack anything....wanderer

petmac
05-15-2005, 18:50
i'll never forget hiking thru the wilderness in June '02 from Kathadin to Monson. i stopped at whites camping landing wilderness and the blackflies were horrible from the trail to the landing, much worse in the open. i was running to get there. when i grabbed the horn to signal my arrival i played the thing a long while to let them know to get there in a hurry. i was tempted to jump in the water and swim there. once i got over there i fashioned the ultimate clothing together against the critters with duct tape covering every opening. them damn things still managed to get in. then I met Si and Oto who were doing a flip to Kathadin and they were'nt bothered the least with them? i don't know? i'll not hike up there again till mid summer or later again. i saw a moose that was covered with them all over his head and tail and man was he crazy. i made sure i stayed very still until he made a big splash in the river and went under to get away from them. i think he was ready to attack anything....wanderer\



sweet deal, i'll be in the middle of it all soon. ahhhh!!!! leaving SOBO june 4th.

pete

walkin' wally
05-17-2005, 20:38
Today I went up to Rainbow Lake in the northern part of the 100 mile wilderness to clear blowdowns in 'my' section. There were very few bugs of any kind. The weather was cool and there was still some snow along the roadsides here and there.
The blackflies are not very far away in this area.

Katahdin has a lot of snow on its slopes so it looks like it will be a while before all of that is gone.

It was nice to be out along the AT again even if I could not get to my section because of high water and no wading gear. The small footbridge at Rainbow stream is far downstream somewhere.
:datz

Moxie00
05-30-2005, 11:14
Good Blackfly news: I cleared my section on Saddleback yesterday.May, 28th. Water, mud, snow and ice, trees across the trail to cut but NO BLACKFLIES. I guess there is some advantage to a cold rainey spring. I have flocks, swarms, and herds of blackflies around my garden and woodlot in the valley but I found NONE in the mountains, Last Memorial Day weekend they were so thick on Saddleback I had to keep my chainsaw running just to cut a path through them. I have never been on the AT in Late May, early June without blackflies until yesterday. I don't know what tomorrow or next week will bring , Blackfly wise, but right now there you have clear sailing. (if you don't mind the mud, water, ice and snow)
:datz How to swat a blackfly on your forehead

Smile
05-30-2005, 11:35
Any suggestions for keeping them away? Menthol products? Anybody know of anything other than DEET, perhpas some natural oil.. I've seen those hats with the little patch of "glue" on the top, that supposedly works, would like some opinions on this.

Moxie00
05-30-2005, 14:00
Avon "Skin So Soft" and "ShooBug" by a company called Biorganic work for me. I live and work outdoors much of the time in Maine. Nothing is 100% effective, even those screen jackets that cover your head, hands and body but a combination of those two worn together provides great protectionfor me.
:sun

TOW
05-30-2005, 16:19
May 5, 2005. It is spring though and my wife and I picked a huge basket of fiddleheads tonight despite the blackflies and they were wonderful for our dinner. The peepers are also peeping in the swamp so I guess winter is gone even though I did find alot of snow under my wood pile.
:welcome TO MAINE, the way life should be.I'd love to have me big ole bowl of fiddleheads right about now!.All we got to look forward to is polk greens here