Has anyone else in the New England area noticed a large increase in the number of flies out on the water this year? If they were just ordinary house flies that would be bad enough, but these suckers are like little horse flies. They bite and they hurt! For me, it turned an otherwise perfect day on the water into a horror show. Does anyone know how to repel this insect hoard?
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Flies
I have found that the closer you get to Avery Point, the more likely you are to pick up the flies. Shopping this weekend for a couple of fly swatters
I have found that the closer you get to Avery Point, the more likely you are to pick up the flies. Shopping this weekend for a couple of fly swatters
Erie too
This summer they are the worst I've ever experienced on Erie, east of Cleveland a bit. Some are biters, some not. One comment was that some water temperature fluctuations in the Spring caused a fish kill which led to the flies. I have not seen any more dead fish than usual, either in the lake or on the beaches. Off doesn't seem to offend them, they bite me right through it.
This summer they are the worst I've ever experienced on Erie, east of Cleveland a bit. Some are biters, some not. One comment was that some water temperature fluctuations in the Spring caused a fish kill which led to the flies. I have not seen any more dead fish than usual, either in the lake or on the beaches. Off doesn't seem to offend them, they bite me right through it.
Flies
We never experienced any of them on the water until this year, and only in the last month, but three times now we have been attacked in Eastern Long Island and the nasty little suckers are persistent and really hurt. They keep biting until you kill them. After the first two times we put insect repellent on board for the first time. They seem to really like the flavor, it didn't repel them at all.
We never experienced any of them on the water until this year, and only in the last month, but three times now we have been attacked in Eastern Long Island and the nasty little suckers are persistent and really hurt. They keep biting until you kill them. After the first two times we put insect repellent on board for the first time. They seem to really like the flavor, it didn't repel them at all.
Plan B - Hatch Screen
Won't help with being outside the boat but when inside a good hatch screen, along with a fly swatter, will help keep the boat free of those pests. Just got delivered one of these hatch bug screens and it really looks good. http://shop.hunterowners.com/category.htm?fno=0&cart=11552462861454767&cat=2001 (upper right picture for forward hatch)
Won't help with being outside the boat but when inside a good hatch screen, along with a fly swatter, will help keep the boat free of those pests. Just got delivered one of these hatch bug screens and it really looks good. http://shop.hunterowners.com/category.htm?fno=0&cart=11552462861454767&cat=2001 (upper right picture for forward hatch)
I am waiting for someone to blame it on global
warming. They blame everything else on that why not the fly problem? abe
warming. They blame everything else on that why not the fly problem? abe
A surge in fly population is due to an increasing
... number of SUV's choking the hiways and neighborhoods. Spewing Greenhouse gasses and such. Yes ... this is an unfortunate byproduct of Global Warming.
... number of SUV's choking the hiways and neighborhoods. Spewing Greenhouse gasses and such. Yes ... this is an unfortunate byproduct of Global Warming.
Fly Paper dangled here and there will keep
your mind off the flies while you try to avoid getting caught in it. Actually, with zero mph apparant wind, the fly paper does snag a lot of the critters. (Unfortunately, the better it works, the nastier it looks.)
your mind off the flies while you try to avoid getting caught in it. Actually, with zero mph apparant wind, the fly paper does snag a lot of the critters. (Unfortunately, the better it works, the nastier it looks.)
Pack Fly Swatters
Warm temperatures in the Long Island Sound do bring them out. We were swarmed of the coast of Connecticut and found that the only effective countermeasure was a fly swatter per person. Rolled up magazines just don't do as well. Don't worry come a cold front they will gone.
Warm temperatures in the Long Island Sound do bring them out. We were swarmed of the coast of Connecticut and found that the only effective countermeasure was a fly swatter per person. Rolled up magazines just don't do as well. Don't worry come a cold front they will gone.
Bugs on Long Island Sound / Advanced Cutter
We experienced an unbelivable amount of bugs about halfway between Black Rock, CT and Huntington, NT. No less than 200 persistant and painful flies, so many we used buckets of water to cut some of them down. They seem to build up gradually. Then there was these tiny green headed things, that were less problematic, but appeared all at once and (as they would stand still long enough) ended up being smeered all over our cockpit by the kids. The Advanced Cutter wipes kept us from being bit for about 2 hours at a time. I only had them on board for use on land, fortunatly we had pleanty to make it home to Huntington.
We experienced an unbelivable amount of bugs about halfway between Black Rock, CT and Huntington, NT. No less than 200 persistant and painful flies, so many we used buckets of water to cut some of them down. They seem to build up gradually. Then there was these tiny green headed things, that were less problematic, but appeared all at once and (as they would stand still long enough) ended up being smeered all over our cockpit by the kids. The Advanced Cutter wipes kept us from being bit for about 2 hours at a time. I only had them on board for use on land, fortunatly we had pleanty to make it home to Huntington.
rains bring out flies(so i've been told)
We get those biting flies on Lake Ouachita ussually a day or two after rains in the summer. A friend of mine told me that. So far it seems to be true. I had not had em untill about two weeks ago and they swarmed the boats, were talking three to four hundered of em on each boat, strange thing though, went back to the docks and they did not exist. So far no kind of bug reppelents have helped. Tim Welsh S/V Cabo Wabo Lake Ouachita, Arkansas
We get those biting flies on Lake Ouachita ussually a day or two after rains in the summer. A friend of mine told me that. So far it seems to be true. I had not had em untill about two weeks ago and they swarmed the boats, were talking three to four hundered of em on each boat, strange thing though, went back to the docks and they did not exist. So far no kind of bug reppelents have helped. Tim Welsh S/V Cabo Wabo Lake Ouachita, Arkansas
RI beaches too
I spent last week at Charlestown Beach, RI and anytime there was not a good sea breeze those suckers (literally) were so annoying. You could put an empty beach chair down and 10 min later it would be covered with them. They seem to like any shade.
I spent last week at Charlestown Beach, RI and anytime there was not a good sea breeze those suckers (literally) were so annoying. You could put an empty beach chair down and 10 min later it would be covered with them. They seem to like any shade.
Clear plasitic bags with water
Use clear plastic bags filled with water then hang them. It sound wierd but it works!It screws with their vision and they stay away.....aj
Use clear plastic bags filled with water then hang them. It sound wierd but it works!It screws with their vision and they stay away.....aj
On the Cheasapeake too
Came down the Chesapeake Bay from Baltimore to Deltaville last week and had 4 days of flys. Worst 4 days I've ever spent on the water...
Came down the Chesapeake Bay from Baltimore to Deltaville last week and had 4 days of flys. Worst 4 days I've ever spent on the water...
Bug Spray Won't Do It?
I'm so glad to see this post, I thought it was just me! I've been attacked by swarms of those little buggers several times. Although its satisfying to smash them, it makes a mess of the cockpit. I had a can of bug spray at the top of my shopping list for this weekend's trip. Are some of you saying that won't kill 'em? Say it isn't so!
I'm so glad to see this post, I thought it was just me! I've been attacked by swarms of those little buggers several times. Although its satisfying to smash them, it makes a mess of the cockpit. I had a can of bug spray at the top of my shopping list for this weekend's trip. Are some of you saying that won't kill 'em? Say it isn't so!
Bad Flies
We were sailing across BI Sound several times last week and the flies were driving us crazy. We've had that before but this year was the worst I've seen. And they bite! We must have killed a hundred but that was a drop in the bucket. In the Peconic Bays the green flies have been awful. I hope whatever birds eat them are getting fat and reproducing!
We were sailing across BI Sound several times last week and the flies were driving us crazy. We've had that before but this year was the worst I've seen. And they bite! We must have killed a hundred but that was a drop in the bucket. In the Peconic Bays the green flies have been awful. I hope whatever birds eat them are getting fat and reproducing!
Lots of them here, too
They're driving me crazy on my part of the LI Sound, in the Westport-Norwalk area. Is there no repellent (other than hanging bags of water) that will discourage these critters? I've tried Deet and Skin-So-Soft: these make no difference at all. Dick
They're driving me crazy on my part of the LI Sound, in the Westport-Norwalk area. Is there no repellent (other than hanging bags of water) that will discourage these critters? I've tried Deet and Skin-So-Soft: these make no difference at all. Dick
DEEP WOODS OFF
We keep a can of deep woods off in our cockpit. Seems to work. We put it on just as we approach Ledge Light. We spray ourselves from the knees down and also the cockpit floor. Keep a screen over the hatchway to keep them from going below.
We keep a can of deep woods off in our cockpit. Seems to work. We put it on just as we approach Ledge Light. We spray ourselves from the knees down and also the cockpit floor. Keep a screen over the hatchway to keep them from going below.
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