[Summerz]

Originally Posted by NYLIER

Vermont has a lot of insects but some of them are really beautiful. Some of the dragonflies have the most vibrant neon colors of blues, reds and purples. The grasshoppers are pretty too. I guess you have to take the good with the bad. I wouldn't base my decision to move to VT on bugs. If you want to live in the country, insects come with the territory. Other then the flies swarming around my head, I enjoy seeing the bugs. It reminds me of my childhood. Oh, what about the fireflies at night.....it is like a light show. It looks like thousands of people are walking outside your house with flashlights!! I have never seen anything like it!

Good points. And I love the crickets at night.
The Fireflies are another thing for our Dog to bark at that won't listen to her lol.

And we get lots of Hummingbirds...is it Spring yet???

[NYLIER]

Originally Posted by GypsySoul22

I would also like to know what those small bugs are that hang around all summer! I thought they were black flies. (they are like gnats and get in your eyes, hair, mouth). Yuck.

We had wasps at our last place, too.

The bugs are big and so are the crows here in VT! (lots of road kill I guess).

We still having stopped hiking or doing outside things, though, because of the bugs. Like I said, the mosquitoes are minimal where I live (lack of water, I guess). I hated those damn things on Long Island. Here, we get less of them.

If I walked outside (when I lived on LI), it looked like I didn't shave my legs for a month because they were covered with mosquitos.

Have you seen any bald eagles yet? I have seen three so far. I was on Route 4 on my way to Rutland when I saw the first one. He was absolutely gorgeous. Just recently we were on our way to Brandon and a few ravens seemed annoyed that this bald eagle was in their territory.

[GypsySoul22]

Originally Posted by NYLIER

VERMONR, I Oh, what about the fireflies at night.....it is like a light show. It looks like thousands of people are walking outside your house with flashlights!! I have never seen anything like it!

Your comment reminded me...the fireflies are amazing here, too. Huge! And you see more than 2 or 3 of them. Last summer it was quite impressive.

Oh, and for the OP, the first time you look up and SEE THE STARS, really see them (not blotted out by light pollution) you will have an OH WOW moment in VT!

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by NYLIER

If I walked outside (when I lived on LI), it looked like I didn't shave my legs for a month because they were covered with mosquitos.

Have you seen any bald eagles yet? I have seen three so far. I was on Route 4 on my way to Rutland when I saw the first one. He was absolutely gorgeous. Just recently we were on our way to Brandon and a few ravens seemed annoyed that this bald eagle was in their territory.

OMG! Where about were you? I'm in northern Suffolk near a harbor; while we have our fair share of pesky mosquitos, I have never seen anyone covered that badly. You must have the kind of blood mosquitos love! (You have my sympathy!)

I have to keep my eyes peeled for bald eagles -- that had to have been an incredible sight. Late last summer my Jack Russell was outside. I headed out to light the grill and startled a very large hawk who must have been watching the dog and waiting for the right moment to snatch him

Going back to bugs and such --

There have been lots of 'good' insects brought up -- dragonflies, fireflies, butterflies and moths or all colors, Lunas, woolies, etc. One year we spotted moths landing on (and from what it appeared, ingesting) dog droppings. We have referred to them as 'PooperFlies' ever since.

[arctichomesteader]

There's nothing quite like being out in the woods at night with a coleman lantern burning...and watching the bugs swarming it. Actually kind of enjoyable, but stay at least 3 or 4 feet away from the lantern, and watch yourself when it need pumping.

Yes bugs are an issue, to varying degrees, in VT. Seems to be less of them in the mountains, but obviously, they're bad around lowlands/swampy areas. Those little black flies are the worst, I'll often wear a bug net over my face when those are bad if I'm in the woods or swamps. But they're not out in large numbers all summer either, the population dies way down after a while (month at most). Worst I ever got eaten up by bugs was after washing up out in the woods while camping, getting wet seemed to attract even more of them bugs. Ouch. Mosquitoes I prefer over those black things. Bug spray will actually keep them off of you. Those black flies, well, even a strong spray will work maybe a few minutes at best, then they're back. Tough little devils. And they go right for your eyes, mouth, and nose. Yellow jackets are bad late in summer when they're hot, dry, and hungry, and so, just mean. I've never had any real issues with honeybees or bumblebees, but those yellowjackets are nasty insects sometimes...

One thing though: you have to learn to deal with everything nature has if you want to enjoy the outdoors. The bugs can make things painful or annoying sometimes, but don't dwell on that, besides, they're there for a reason. And besides, the fireflies make up for it.

[NYLIER]

One night I woke up suddenly from a sharp pain in my finger, going up my arm. I must have been bitten by a spider but I was so tired that all I could remember thinking was "Wow, I hope that spider wasn't poisonous!". Then I fell back to sleep. Come morning I thought it must have been a bad dream until I noticed that a small piece of skin was missing from my finger. I can still see the scar and that was about four years ago. Never found the little bugger.
My daughter was bit by a Brown Recluse spider. Her general practitioner sent her to a specialist because the venom was eating away where she was bit. She was in terrible pain. I felt so bad for her.

[GypsySoul22]

Originally Posted by NYLIER

If I walked outside (when I lived on LI), it looked like I didn't shave my legs for a month because they were covered with mosquitos.

Have you seen any bald eagles yet? I have seen three so far. I was on Route 4 on my way to Rutland when I saw the first one. He was absolutely gorgeous. Just recently we were on our way to Brandon and a few ravens seemed annoyed that this bald eagle was in their territory.

My sister's place in Shirley(NY) is like this (you get swarmed and she can't even let her kids out there in summer sometimes!)

Here, nothing like that, thankfully. I will remember that as I wade in hip deep snow till March.

I actually did see a bald eagle with my husband and son near the water in Wilder. We were just in the park and I looked up for a semi second it was there...really, really awesome but fleeting site. I had to go home and google whether there are eagles here!

I saw crows mob a hawk in the Fall.

The spiders are quite bad here...big suckers. In our last place, we had a lot of these big ones.

[68vette]

We live on Malletts Bay and we do have bug problems. It starts with the black flies in the spring. They are so small but bite so hard and leave a nice big welt. During the summer in early morning and in the evening the mosquitoes are horrible. When I lived in Central Vermont the mosquitoes were not as bad, but we had the same issue with black flies and massive amounts of cluster flies. I am not kidding, every morning I would go around with the vaccum and suck up about 100 of them. They squeeze into the smallest crack or opening to get in the house. They don't bit, they just fly around real slow and hundreds of them hang out near windows. I'm so happy I don't have to deal with them anymore.

[quickdraw]

Bugs in VT, NH and Maine are bad, no doubt about it. My blackflies only hang around for about a month and cause me very little trouble. Deerflies are my
arch-enemies. They swarm around your head like electrons around an atom. You only need 4 or 5 in your yard at one time to drive you bonkers.

Good website on killing deerflies. Check out the hat in the middle, I use one.
Trolling Deer Fly Trap





Bugs are the only thing I hate about Vermont.

[veggieck]

Vermonr~ my husband is considering a job opportunity in Burlington.. we are thrilled with the possiblity! Thanx again for all your info...let you know if I need to make an investment in deet or not!!!