2011 Black Fly Season Predictions

[Spokes]

My psychic friend (knows all, sees all) predicts the 2011 black fly season will be much worse than last year. I think he's basing this on the early winter storms dumping more snowfall totals than usual so far this year. Those larvae are gonna love it when it all melts!

Did you know there are over 1800 known species of black flies, 11 of which are extinct?

[Blissful]

There were none on July 1 this past summer. It was nice.

[Spokes]

Already confirmation!!!!!!!

[dgaf169]

Yall have nothing to worry about i killed them all...just look outside, do you see any????????

[weary]

I haven't been bitten by a black fly in almost six months.

[Tinker]

Wet springs with moderate to warm temperatures bring lots of black flies. They breed in fast moving water. No prediction necessary. Keep an eye on the weather.

[woodsy]

2011 is going to be real bad for black flies.
Black fly breeders association just got a federal grant to
resume operations after a couple year lay off.
They cited too many people coming to the north woods early and bug dope sales lagging.

[Spokes]

Maybe we can just shake the magic "Blackfly Swarm Dome" for the answer?

[Hobbler]

I sure hope that the Guru is wrong for this upcomming year. This past summer here in the south we did have long spells without precip and here in central Virginia there was a record setting 68 days of 90 degrees or more temperature, most days 95 or better. Yes I agree...Water is the necessary trigger. Without frequent rain, there were fewer cycles of life for the flies. It was nice hiking with the exception of the oppressive heat every day. A trade-off of some sort I guess. Since September, we have been getting large amounts at a time, several 3"+ rainfalls. That should do it! Yeah, I think that they will be back with a vengence this year.

Spokes...With your pace on your thru in 2009, you probably didn't have a concern for them because you were rolling so fast that there wasn't time for the flies to catch up!

By the way Spokes, I like the way you pick your nose!...I will be sure to try it the next time I hit the trail.

[Cookerhiker]

I confidently predict that the black flies will be gone by Sept. 1.

[Spokes]

.....

By the way Spokes, I like the way you pick your nose!...I will be sure to try it the next time I hit the trail.

Thanks. The girls seem to like it.

[weary]

I confidently predict that the black flies will be gone by Sept. 1.

Be careful with those predictions. 35 years ago a "new" black fly emerged on the Maine scene. A black fly that didn't disappear by early summer, but continued in ever increasing numbers until October frost time.

The newspapers and the scientists they interviewed all speculated that this was a "new" breed of black fly, never before seen. Well a nosy person looked back in the newspapers and found similar complaints 35 yerars earlier. Apparently this was not a new breed, but an old breed that for reasons known only to black flys, multiplies into bothersome numbers every 35 years or so.

By 2011 the cycle will be past due. If so, we shouldn't be surprised to see a rash of "new" breed flies next spring, summer and fall. And for the next several years, if history repeats itself.

[Spokes]

Yikes!!!!!!!

[Cookerhiker]

In '09, I hiked the Franconia Ridge in NH and the AT in Maine from Grafton Notch to Rt. 17 after the ATC conference. Don't remember exact dates but I know it went into August and black flies were present. To be sure, not as fierce as Spring but their presence was felt.

Someone in the know - I think the hut Croo at Galehead - said it was a "second hatching."

[MedicineMan]

I'll be finishing Vermont and beginning NH in August so I can gaurantee the black flies will still be there just for me

[4eyedbuzzard]

In '09, I hiked the Franconia Ridge in NH and the AT in Maine from Grafton Notch to Rt. 17 after the ATC conference. Don't remember exact dates but I know it went into August and black flies were present. To be sure, not as fierce as Spring but their presence was felt.

Someone in the know - I think the hut Croo at Galehead - said it was a "second hatching."

Yep. There's a few different species. There's usually a late summer hatch, probably of a different species than the spring bunch, but it's no where near as bad as spring when sometimes they're so thick you can choke on 'em.

[Cookerhiker]

Conventional wisdom says hikers - even thruhikers - slow down their pace in Northern New England because of the rugged terrain. Want to speed up your hike? Just do it in Spring/earlySummer black fly season. You'll never stop to rest more than 30 seconds!

[neighbor dave]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjLBXb1kgMo

[Speakeasy TN]

Not to tip the balance of nature but........... I was promised by my wife that if I tried a thru in 2011, she'd wipe all the bugs off the map! And she'd never lie to me! She even swears she'll miss me!

[woodsy]