Black Flies
 

Hi everyone,

We are coming to the lake this weekend to open camp... :D. I havent seen any reference to the black flies this season. Are they out yet ?

Thanks

A few are around
 

I'm near the Weirs and yesterday I saw a few on the outside of the screens while looking out the windows. There are only a few, and they are not that hungry yet, but if it warms up this weekend, I think the numbers and appetites will both be up.

Enjoy your visit!

R2B

Its supposed to be kinda wet & warm friday & saturday... perfect for those little buggers to hatch!

Woodsy

Oh, they are out in force in Alton, at least in the woods! They came early this year - they've been around here for about 2 full weeks. :(

They have been brutal in the Concord area for the past week or so. So yeah...they are heading your way! :laugh:

They have been out in Tuftonboro for about ten days. We live about a quarter mile from the lake. Last week we went out in the boat and attempted to drift for lunch in Melvin Bay. Yikes! they came in swarms. We tried to find a place to lunch from there to Cow Island and were unsuccessful. The good thing is they should be gone in another couple of weeks.....then the state bird arrives. :laugh::laugh:

They seem to be worse this year. In number and ferocity. Normally 2-stroke exhaust from my chainsaw keeps them away. Not so this year. Guess I'll have to go with a heavier mix to thicken the exchaust. :laugh:

I skimped on raking the lawn this year 'cause of them. Just a quick once over to mitigate any winterkill.

They're not bad if you keep moving at a walking pace. Bug spray keeps them down.

don't worry.,
 

No need to worry, you should all be safe. They were all in my yard this past Saturday while I did yard work. You guys owe me

Yeah, I got mauled on Saturday while working in the woods, and also while fishing near shore. Sunday was much better -- if only because the high winds kept the little buggers away. Once that sun comes out, they are abundant and voracious. The net-hat works wonders.

...who'd a thunk that painting a canoe would result in the death of maybe one hundred black flies, today?

Have a forty year old aluminum canoe, so's decided to roll a fresh coat of grey oil paint over the 17' canoe....quickly noticed the wet paint seemed to attract numerous black flies...their tiny feet & bodies would become stuck in the fesh paint....stuck to death....tomorrow will probably have to scrape the dead flies away and roll a second coat ....no fool'n...couldn't make this up :D

It was a 16,99 quart of Ben Moore paint, reduced down to six dollars, so's maybe the black flies just have expensive tastes?:D

lots of them
 

were out yesterday-all those little no-see-'ems, too-made gardening twice the chore!!

Great time to paint your dock
 

and get an instant no slip surface! :D

Black fly update wanted
 

Looking for an update on how the black flies are more so around the Alton area. I can't tell you how much I'm looking foward to the long weekend and the forecast looks great.:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Black Flies near the Weirs
 

I was out doing some work in the yard and up on a ladder installing a new lamp.

They are out in force today here near the Weirs!

I'm hoping this Thursday's heat knocks them back a bit.

R2B

Report from Mrs. Merrymeeting, who is on that lake today, is that the black flies are not too bad, but the mosquitos could carry you away!

Oh...my eye!
 

I was gardening this morning and felt a "little" sting on the corner of my eye...that was at 9 a.m....tonight it looks like someone hit me with a baseball bat...they are out there...believe me.

Seems like a transistion from Black Flies to Mosquitos here in Alton the last couple days.

I think the black flies are terrible this year. We usually don't have that many. I don't remember them being this bad. I have been wondering why.

They were bad this week up in Moultonborough. But tonight I noticed, not so many as last. Put on the Cutters and I planted some shasta daiseys around the rock garden, until the mosquitos started their concentrated attack.:eek:

oh my..my eye..
 

Today my daughter took one look at me and said "OH MY GOD..WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR EYE?, followed by my son who said 'WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?" My eye is swollen (both top and bottom lids), has a blue/red/brown color and is really quite attractive. I swatted whatever the heck bit me and killed it on my face and it was so tiny you couldn't imagine something that small could cause so much damage. It doesn't itch, but hurts like a toothache. I did call my doctor and he said to pack it with a baking soda compress and have a nice day. THEY ARE OUT THERE. I bought some Cutters and that is my new perfume.

Dear Meredith Lady....
 

I feel for you, My Dad was allergic to them pesky critters and had to ware a net-hat when out of doors, not to be confused with modern times, my Mom and the rest of us, 11 children, well I guess they, (black flies), couldn't get along with the rest of us so as they stayed away.
Go figure. :confused:

The mosquitoes ate them.

We can blame White Nose Syndrome.

Out In Force In Gilford
 

The black flies were really pesky the past few days (with the exception of Thursday - it was too windy for them!).

My son and I had been taking care of the finishing touches on our boat before we launched it (we launched it early yesterday evening and it's now at its slip) and the black flies made it an unpleasant experience. At least the high winds on Thursday let us work unmolested, but Wednesday and yesterday afternoon weren't much fun.

Black flies situation
 

My mom is leaving in a few days for NH next weekend and was wondering about those awful black flies. Are they out biting in full force?

M

Have not been biting at all for the last week as they can't hover around you in very windy conditions.The wind does have its advantages.Recleaning my yard from all the new downed branches is not one of them.:(

On the web cam
 

I'm looking at the web cam now at Weirs and there is a huge black fly or other insect on the lens. Looks like a MONSTAH !!! :eek: lol.....maybe I'll wait a couple weeks before I come up.

They'll be baaaack...
 

Here at our farm in Gilford, the black files haven't been too awful bad, due to the windy days, I'd say. Even so, I got my worst black fly bite ever last week, but the swelling has gone down now. Now it's supposed to be warming and settling down, so I expect we'll have our quota.

Here's one of them now...
http://bigbanana.org/images/blackfly.jpg

Down on Long Island it was black fly season I think Saturday two weeks ago. But I killed both of 'em.

sooo.......
 

how have the black flies been???
whats the report from the Moultonborough people?

Black Flies in Moultonboro (5/25/10)
 

On Sunday I made the mistake of mowing the lawn around 4:30 (when lawn is in the shade) ... did not wear long pants. Didn't really notice getting chewed up, but am covered with black fly bites. Using Benydryl clear cream, the white Benydryl in a tube, but in middle of night, before scratching my foot completely off, I got up and made my grandmother's recipe: baking soda and water into a paste. Slathered it on my feet/legs and it really does help. Only problem is the paste dries and breaks off in little bits all over everything!!

THANKS for the update!

OJ and BS...
 

My mother often did something similar when one of us had been stung. She made the paste with orange juice for the anti-inflammatory benefits, and once the paste was slathered on, she'd wrap saran-wrap around it to keep it moist. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it worked like a charm! ;)

Orange Juice cure?
 

Hey Pepper: I never heard that orange juice had any curative influence... unless it was mixed with vodka or champagne!! However, I like the plastic wrap idea. Last night, once again, I was sitting at home with my arm and ankle/foot slathered with baking soda paste... it really does help, but the mess it creates is vexing. Thanks for the tip!!

Mix it up!
 

Donnamatrix, perhaps it would be best to combine the methods. First make your paste and then wrap it in the saran. THEN, Mix the orange juice with some vodka or champagne. This way, you've attacked the scourge both externally and internally. Surely you'll get the maximum curative benefits of the juice and the baking soda that way. :D:D:D:D:D

feeding time
 

I am actually heading out to the graden right now to fed the black flies:emb:

Weekend Fly Status?
 

Heading back up this weekend. (Meredith Area)
How bad are they? Are they getting better or worse?

I guess we are really lucky, we don't have many around our house. I hardly see any. But we went somewhere else yesterday and they were pretty bad.

For immediate relief from a bee sting, make the paste out of aspirin and rub on the bite. Works great.