Well it looks like the black flies are back in full force. I’ve been know to wear a face mask when mowing the lawn so as not to inhale them. They are that bad. On the bright side, unlike mosquito, they don’t come inside houses. I’ve no idea why but I’ll take what blessings I can get.
I’m not a big fan of using bug repellent but there are times of the year I make an exception. Thanks to my lung damage I can’t deal with bug repellents made from natural ingredients. For quite a few years I got by not using bug juice at all. No matter how hot it got I was wearing long sleved shirts, long pants and head nets.
Then I discovered that for some reason DET doesn’t set off my chemical sensitivities. How my lungs can tolerate a chemical so nasty it can strip varnish is a mystery. I use it sparingly but it makes all the difference.
After a few weeks the black flies lessen in number. That’s the good news. The bad news is that mosquitoes, deer flies, horse flies, moose flies and other biting insects take up the slack. Fortunately we also have plenty of dragon flies and they do a number on the biting flies. Good thing as the swallows and bats aren’t in the same numbers as when I was a kid. I’m a big fan of anything that eats biting insects.
-Sixbears
I have an army of ladybugs. I think black flies are a scourge of the woods of New England. Black flies out west are replaced with gnats. a dimmer cousin with the same ability to clog up all open orifices. I really like ladybugs, they eat everything.
ReplyDeleteI'm just mildly annoyed when the Ladybugs try to become my houseguests.
ReplyDeleteI scoop them up when found and toss them outside.
It is that time of year isn't it.
DeleteBlack flies suck.
ReplyDelete