Hundreds of Tiny Flies in Paugus Bay

[gslpro]

While boating the last couple of weeks, me and my wife noticed that whenever we stopped in Paugus Bay, or even slowed down in the no wake areas, we ended up with hundreds of these tiny little flies on us and on the outside and inside of the boat. They appeared about the same size as a flee. We first saw them after stopping near the margate sandbar area. They were everywhere. I didn't see them flying as a group, just looked down and they were all over my legs and all over the boat. I could kill probably 20-30 of them at a time on each leg. The swim platform of the boat had a hundred or more on it within a minute. Took me forever to get them mostly dead and gone, but when we came through the channel, we ended up with them yet again during the no-wake area.

Funny thing is that we slip in Paugus Bay, and we don't have them at the dock.

What are they little buggers?? Anyone else experiencing them?
Thanks.
-Gary

[Dave R]

Seen them in Braun Bay. They like white and congregate on white surfaces. No idea what they are.

[gslpro]

Seen them in Braun Bay. They like white and congregate on white surfaces. No idea what they are.

Exactly. I didn't even notice that until you wrote it, but yes, they only landed on the white portions of my seats, gelcoat, coolers, and my untanned white legs :D. Real PITA's.

[tis]

I think they are all around the lake. They seem to like to land on the boats. You clean it and then they are all over it again. I have no idea what they are but I hate them!!!!! When we put sunscreen on the other day (when it was nice, will it ever be again??) they stuck right to the sunscreen on the skin. They only seem to stay right close to the water though. Someone must know what they are.

[Jonas Pilot]

I have heard them called phantom midges.

[Lakesrider]

Yep. Midges....Or no see-ums.
Just a really tiny mosquito.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midge

[gslpro]

Okay, so we have a tentative identification of these little bastards....so, now more importantly, does anyone know if these is a yearly thing, and how long they will be around? I do not ever remember seeing these in this numerous a clumping in my 43 summers up at the lake. I am hoping they will be a short-run pest whose time is just about up!! :)

[AKADQ]

Okay, so we have a tentative identification of these little bastards....so, now more importantly, does anyone know if these is a yearly thing, and how long they will be around? I do not ever remember seeing these in this numerous a clumping in my 43 summers up at the lake. I am hoping they will be a short-run pest whose time is just about up!! :)

As I recall, they usually come out much earlier than June and last for about 2-3 weeks...

[tis]

Yes, I agree. They come out in the spring and gradually disappear. I am wondering if wet weather makes them last longer. The mosquitos are unusually bad this year too. We don't usually have many.

[Newbiesaukee]

We have noticed the same thing lakeside on Long Island. They are so tiny they render screens useless. I am no entomologist, but the term "no-see-ums" probably encompasses a number of different insects. The ones I am more familiar with definitely bite, these do not appear to. I have seen them before but not nearly the avalanche of this year.

[VtSteve]

We have those little ba$$tards over here every year as well :( Mainly in a beach cove area. Usually in May, early June, but maybe later this year. They attach themselves to the boat, EVERYWHERE. You just have to leave, because they won't. It lasts 3-4 weeks here early season. Then, they're gone.

[gslpro]

It sounds like they might be on a timeline. We have the typical mayflies and "no-see-um's" but I had never seen these tiny-tiny ones before. I hope they are gone soon. Thank you everyone for your replies.

[Greene's Basin Girl]

Please don't send them over to Green's Basin. I haven't seen them yet.

[gslpro]

Please don't send them over to Green's Basin. I haven't seen them yet.

I would never do anything to that beautiful hideaway. Love it up there.

[Lakesrider]

They were all over our boat in Wolfeboro this morning.:(

[tis]

I never noticed it before until someone mentioned it here, but they do seem to like white! The white part of the boats is covered while the darker colored parts have none. Very interesting. I was told that is why fishermen wear dark colors, bugs don't like the dark colors. I didn't know that either. Do you fishermen think it is true?

[Dave R]

I never noticed it before until someone mentioned it here, but they do seem to like white! The white part of the boats is covered while the darker colored parts have none. Very interesting. I was told that is why fishermen wear dark colors, bugs don't like the dark colors. I didn't know that either. Do you fishermen think it is true?

I used to fish constantly when I was an adolescent. I didn't wear white while fishing due to the blood and guts...