View Full Version : re: bug season...on a thru hike..when will it hit?
Hi,
If I start out on AT Northbound from springer in late march, and plan on roughly a six month pace to finish the trail (ie not aiming for over 15 miles per day)... how soon and how bad will bug season come and be? I suspect I shall hit it at some point. So perhaps a better question is.. bug season is it as bad in the southern appalachians as it can be in New England?
nhhiker
you can count on it by june no matter where your at on the trail........
First, in general, bugs are not a major problem along most of the AT, with the exception of Northern New England during black fly season. If you are from NH, then you know when that is (like now).
Second, there are areas that seem to buggy no matter when you are there. Primarily, Southern New England. But, probably worse in June.
Elsewhere, bugs were not a big issue.
Just finished my Vermont section hike June 1 thru June 9th. Almost no black flies this season but plenty of mosquitos!!
Baltimore Jack has said on several occasions to be armed with bug spray north of Kent, CT......I agree.
superman
06-12-2005, 10:13
Good news from NH. I noticed the sewing needles were flying about yesterday and we've had three days in a row over 80 degrees. That means the black flys are about done. Now all you'll have is mosquitos, horse flys and a hundred other little biting things. :datz
Mr. Clean
06-12-2005, 16:29
I was in the Great Gulf this a.m. and was attacked by primarily mosquitos, which were even biting thru the Deet that I was wearing. They didn't seem to like elevations above 2,000', though, or maybe they didn't like the heat. Either way, it seems like the black fly are done for a while.
Kerosene
06-12-2005, 16:30
you can count on it by june no matter where your at on the trail........I just finished the 140 miles from Catawba south to Atkins, Virginia (the Narrows) and surprisingly had no real problems with mosquitos or other biting insects. Flies were a little intense in some places, but the bugs overall were surprisingly tolerable. Of course, the temperatures ranged from 50-70F each day, so the hot muggy weather is still to come.
The Skeeters have been a major pain in the A$$ here at the shelters in Jerzee every night. I'm tenting out nightly from now on. Have slept much better because of it.
The Cheat
06-13-2005, 15:56
This past weekend was hot and muggy in the NY area, the mosquitos seem to be loving it. We couldn't get into or out of the tent without letting in entire squadrons of the things.
The ticks are going real strong too.
Hi,
If I start out on AT Northbound from springer in late march, and plan on roughly a six month pace to finish the trail (ie not aiming for over 15 miles per day)... how soon and how bad will bug season come and be? I suspect I shall hit it at some point. So perhaps a better question is.. bug season is it as bad in the southern appalachians as it can be in New England?
nhhiker
I didn't even carry bug spray until Mass. I started from Springer on March 20th and hit K on Sept 20th, so it sounds like our schedules are similar. I did have bad bugs in Jersey in the low areas and swamps, but once on the higher ground in Jersey they didn't seem to be a problem, so I just kept moving through the low lands.
In Mass though they literally drove me off the trail (with a "thank goodness no one else is around to see my tempertantrum" moment) and into Great Barrington where I picked up 30% deet, which worked great. Pretty much only used it though Mass and into southern VT... bugs went away shortly after I bought the stuff.
Hope this helps!
I'm out on the trail right now, and bug season just hit this past week! I'm in Waynesboro, VA right now and the bugs showed up maybe five days ago, as it got hot and humid. They're eating us alive now, but weren't a problem up to this point. I'm taking a week of the trail for other commitments, but I'll be armed with DEET when I return next week!
Footslogger
06-14-2005, 14:35
What's the name of that wild life reserve in NY ?? You walk all the way around it and are covered with mosquitoes the entire time. That is the only place on the trail that I remember stopping to put on some bug repellant. Course by the time I got at my bug repellant I was already one big welt.
'Slogger
AT 2003
What's the name of that wild life reserve in NY ?? You walk all the way around it and are covered with mosquitoes the entire time. That is the only place on the trail that I remember stopping to put on some bug repellant. Course by the time I got at my bug repellant I was already one big welt.
'Slogger
AT 2003
You talking about the Walkill Wildlife Refuge in Northern Jersey, south of Pochuck? Bag bugs there
Footslogger
06-14-2005, 23:18
You talking about the Walkill Wildlife Refuge in Northern Jersey, south of Pochuck? Bag bugs there=======================
Yeah ...that's it, the Walkill. I think I still have scars from some of the bites. Funny thing is that it's supposed to be a Wildlife Refuge but the only visable inhabitants are skeeters.
'Slogger