Thursday, March 25, 2010

An Early Blackfly Season?

I was talking to my friend Edna the other day and learned that the blackfly larvae are already active. Edna is one of our local Bti agents - folks who apply Bti to the streams and waterways as part of an on-going effort to control blackfly larvae. You all got to meet her last year here.

I had stopped by Edna's two days earlier to drop off photos of the beaver pond, so she could see how it had changed since last summer when she treated it (before beavers). At that point she said that the larvae they were finding were still torpid - not active. But two days later she was telling me that they (the larvae) were squirming and wriggling in massive clumps to beat the band. Treatment had begun.

Does this mean an early blackfly season? Or a longer one? Only time will tell.

22 comments:

  1. Aaaargh!!! Blackflies are my nemesis. Just when the forest flowers are awakening, so are those *#@+ing flies, chewing chunks from my face and neck and raising welts that take 6 weeks to heal. God, but I hope they serve some great ecological function! Otherwise, they're just spawns of the Devil.

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  2. Jackie - HM...let me do some research on that (I see a potential Almanack post here). I think that the larvae are filter feeders, so they help keep our streams and such clean and clear. And the larvae are also food for fish and other invertebrates further up the food chain, as I'm sure you know.

    Meanwhile, the best you can hope for is a good bug shirt and quickly warming waters!

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  3. UGH! I'm with Jackie, here. I was hoping to get a few Adirondack spring hikes in before they start swirling in Satanic swarms about my head, but perhaps not this year. I repeat, UGH!

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  4. Well, it IS just the larvae right now. You've probably got 4-6 weeks before the adults are a problem!

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  5. Will the cold spell we are having help or hurt them?

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  6. Tourpro - I imagine the current chilly temps will have little effect on the larvae. Water doesn't heat or cool as rapidly as the air, so the changing air temps probably have little effect (over the course of a few days) on the water's temp. And if the water should freeze (only a few degrees colder than it is when unfrozen at this time of year), it will likely only be icy at the surface and will probably melt during the day. If it gets too cold, the larvae might go back into torpor until things warm up again.

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  7. I admit it - I have this morbid fascination with black fly season. I'm dreading it because I've heard the horror stories, but I'm also kind of curious about it. How bad does it REALLY get? Will I be housebound for a month or will it be a minor nuisance? I'm kind of looking forward to having these questions answered. Crazy, I know. And I'm sure next year I'll be singing a different tune.

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  8. Jess - you must be new here, then! Actually, I think the rumors are worse than the reality. Although, there are some years when the BFs are pretty bad. Still, if one knows how to deal with them, one can cope. We just have to remember that we share this world with millions of other organisms and our own needs shouldn't dominate theirs. Adapt - that's the key. In this case, that means a bug shirt, some bug dope, and learning to accept a few bites now and then. :)

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  9. Yes, we're new here - my husband and I relocated from Boston a few months ago. We survived our first winter, fingers crossed we'll get through black fly season intact. :)

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  10. From Adirondack, NY--It is my understanding that the larvae become active when the streams' temperature get to 42 F. Maybe this warm weather will start them sooner and their cycle will finish sooner. Possibly a hope in vain.

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  11. Im planning on going camping in the adirondacks i dont want to wait until the middle or end of summer. I was thinking the end of june. Are the black flies usually dying down by then ? I have an itch to go camping but dont want to spend my trip itching bug bites the whole time ?

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  12. William - water temp does play a big role in how soon the black fly season ends. THe faster it warms up, the sooner they die off. Who knows what will happen this year!

    Anonymous - Black Fly season traditionally runs from Memorial Day through the 4th of July. In theory. I suspect they will start biting long before Memorial Day this year. Last year they sort of lingered throughout the summer because things never really got hot hot. With the crazy weather we've been having this year, I wouldn't even hazard a guess as to what the black flies will be doing come summer. All I can say is bring a bugshirt and hat, bring your bug dope if you use it. And hope for the best.

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  13. Does any one have a report that the blackflies have hatched yet?

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  14. Anonymous - I haven't heard of any adults out yet. After our week or two of balmy weather, we've gone back to more seasonal weather - frost, snow, chilly, damp. I have seen mosquitoes, though.

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  15. And when does the black fly season usually end? Or doesn't it? What about deer flies and mosquitos? I have a friend that would like to visit to go birding, but she is terribly allergic to biting insects. Is there any hope that she can visit the Adirondacks?

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  16. Mona - the general rule of thumb is Memorial Day through 4th of July. But in truth, it all depends on the weather. Once the streams get really warm, the larvae cannot survive. Last year we had multiple hatches throughout the summer. So, you just never know. Tell your friend to invest in a good bug shirt and hat, and bring her bug dope. The best birding is late May or early June - that's when the warblers are at their peak. It's also the peak for insects.

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  17. Anyone have an update on the black flies in the Southern Adirondacks. Am looking to backpack next weekend (5/1).

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  18. Eunhee - According to a woman I spoke with yesterday (4/24), they have started to bite in Schroon Lake. This is east of Newcomb, and probably a bit north of where you are planning to be. If they are biting in Schroon, they may be biting further south. By next weekend, unless we get another cold snap this weekend, expect to have a few bites.

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  19. Any update on how bad the black fly season is as we come into Memorial Day?

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  20. Mike - I think it all depends on where you are standing! I've been out almost every day this week, and while I have a few bites, I have yet to apply bug dope or break out my bug shirt. While out gardening, I haven't had them flying up my nose or in my mouth, bouncing off my face and basically being a wall of black. But, I've also heard others complain about how bad they are. I suppose it all depends on your tolerance, how good you taste, and where you are standing. Not much help, but it's the best I can do.

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  21. are they gone? we're planning a trip next week!

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  22. girasole9 - There are still blackflies around, but they are not too bad now. Deer flies and mosquitoes are the troublesome ones now, and in the evening the noseeums might be problematic, although I haven't felt any myself for about a month - it's been cool and rainy. Now that it's warm/hot again, they may be back.

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