5/27/10 – One unexpected benefit of the unusually warm spring has been the almost complete lack of black flies. Black flies (often referred to as gnats or sand flies), usually present in late May and early June, are aggressive and persistent biters. Although they are easily repelled by normal insect repellent, some years they are so numerous that they become real pests. This year, we had a few days back in early May when they were biting, but they now seem to be gone for the season.
A local biologist explained recently that black flies exist as larva in running streams. When the water temperature reaches a certain point they emerge as flying adults. This year, the streams warmed up so fast that only a few were able to emerge and they now seem to have died of old age. – Bill