Ok...Where are the black flies? (Deer Isle: vacation, best time, areas)

[irishmom]

Are the black flies those big swarms of gnatty looking things? If so we have encountered them and they are not that bad. I am allergic to bug repellents (even skin so soft) and I only got a few bites....we usually come to Boothbay in mid June...so I think those are black flies...but if not then I'm scared of black flies too...LOL

[CapeCodder]

Originally Posted by AlisonL

Mosquitos were out in Turner today!

yup, they were out in Readfield yesterday too...gobs of the suckers!

[Coaster]

Got my first blackfly bite day before yesterday sitting on my deck. Itches like crazy even now. Still, I'm enjoyng this while I can. When the salt marsh mosquitoes get busy in another month, the deck becomes intolerable at dusk.

[Coyote_Blond]

My step-twins lived in Bangor and would come to visit us in June every summer thru July. They'd show up pale and covered in blackfly bites! After a week in the AZ sun they were tan and healed up. Poor kids! Ouch!

[maineboy51]

Buy insect repellent laced with plenty of DEET. Use it and you won't have much trouble from the flies. May starts tomorrow and I've a bug spray by every exit from my house. Without it, there's almost no point in going outside.

There's no two ways about it, the blackflies in May are terrible, and after that the mosquitoes take over. But the bug sprays really do work as long as they have a good slug of DEET. I've tried the "natural" stuff...doesn't work for me. As DuPont used to say, "Better Living Through Chemistry..."

[Johnda]

Originally Posted by mollysmiles

I so agree with rabbitlover! My husband gets bit more than I do. There have been times when you can see them around his head, and none are around me. We'll definately try the eucalyptus oil! Wonder if that would work for mosquitos too?

The same happened with my wife. We were in northern Maine, right at the Canadian border, on our way to Halifax for the Military Tattoo and the black flies were really going at it. For some reason they zeroed in on my wife and used her as their aircraft carrier, circling then landing, then biting. It was really bad and she had to take benydril (spelling?) to fight the reaction. Mean lil buggers! A screened in porch is NOT a luxury itemwhen it's black fly season, it's a true necessity.

[irishmom]

Originally Posted by Johnda

The same happened with my wife. We were in northern Maine, right at the Canadian border, on our way to Halifax for the Military Tattoo and the black flies were really going at it. For some reason they zeroed in on my wife and used her as their aircraft carrier, circling then landing, then biting. It was really bad and she had to take benydril (spelling?) to fight the reaction. Mean lil buggers! A screened in porch is NOT a luxury itemwhen it's black fly season, it's a true necessity.

Oh that would explain why almost all the houses I've looked at had screened in porches and highlighted it as such an amenity feature. Good to know.

[maineboy51]

It is very nice in Maine to have a screened porch, yes.

I live in extreme southwestern Maine but grew up in Downeast Maine. From an insect point of view, there are differences, I think. Down here in southern York County, the blackflies are not as fierce, nor do they usually last past the end of May or early June at the latest. And so far this year for whatever reason, they are hardly noticeable. Growing up as a kid in Hancock County, they were horrible.

Mosquitoes are a more widespread and longer-lasting problem throughout the season in Maine. I agree with the techniques of forest beekeeper- preventively spray all standing water (there are bacillus thiurigensis (BT) organic insecticides for the environmentally concerned.)

For people who are sensitive to DEET, try just applying it to clothing. Cutter makes a product that contains a new repellent containing picaridin that has been in use in Europe for some time, but has only been in the US for a couple of years. It has no greasy feel like DEET and works well, although maybe not quite as powerful as DEET. I put DEET on clothing and use the picaridin on skin and hair. With that combination, I can comfortably sit outside at night, walk through the wood, and not worry at all.

Down here in southern Maine, the real danger is from deer ticks. They carry Lyme disease and I know people who have been very sick from it. It can, in fact, kill you. My wife has had tick bites twice for which we kept the tick and had it tested- both times positive for Lyme, so she had to take antibiotics for ten days to prevent trouble. Fortunately, DEET repels ticks, too. My wife uses DEET a lot more now! Put in on socks and shoes, and check yourself over thoroughly after walking in wooded areas. I don't know how far north in Maine the Lyme-carrying deer ticks have moved yet. York County is the hardest hit.

But, I can walk through the woods in Maine and not worry about poisonous snakes. And I can walk through any city in Maine and not worry about poisonous people!

[Elcarim]

I'm surprised to hear of mosquito problems in Maine. Here is Texas, it's so humid and hot 9 months out of the year that they're almost always a problem. I just figured that the long periods of cold there killed them out.

Still don't know about those black flies. Sound pretty ominous to me!

[Toria]

Originally Posted by Elcarim

I'm surprised to hear of mosquito problems in Maine. Here is Texas, it's so humid and hot 9 months out of the year that they're almost always a problem. I just figured that the long periods of cold there killed them out.

Still don't know about those black flies. Sound pretty ominous to me!

mosquitos are horrible in most parts of Maine during most of the summer, especially after dusk (which is a shame, since that summer the season people look forward to the most). In many places, you cannot be outside once the sun starts going down or you'll be eaten alive - we literally could not use our lovely big deck for dinner outside until late August. When the dogs go out at night for their last potty break, mosquitos will hitch a ride back in with them, too!
Irishmom - yes, black flies are seen swarming, but if they are biting they are just gnats, not the notorious black flies. If you are in Boothbay in mid to late June, you are probably not seeing the "real" black flies of Maine as they are usually gone from that area by then.