2010: year of the deer fly?

I don't know how it is throughout the Northeast, but the deerflies in Northeast Massachusetts have been unreal the past couple of weeks. Below are some highlights:

This morning when I walked 40 feet to get the newspaper, I was instantly attacked. I killed two that landed on my helipad (i.e., bald cranium), yet still had three others dive bombing me.

Last night I went for a bike ride on the local roads. I was constantly being chased by them, getting bit 5 times in the back and legs. I also had two that got inside my bike helmet, which royally sucked.

When I drive down our driveway into the garage, there are 15 of them buzzing all around my truck. On a normal year, I might have 2 to 3 doing this.

Just wondering if anyone else has noticed an above normal deer fly population this year.

Marty

marty said:

Just wondering if anyone else has noticed an above normal deer fly population this year.

Marty

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I've noticed that they're out-and-about quite a lot and in areas that I never saw them before. I'm not an ornithologist, however, so I haven't given it much thought as to why...

-Dr. Wu

Definitely, even in our back yard...I don't recall them in the Boston 'burbs before.

Rubbing your skin with a fabric softener sheet like Bounce is said to work. I'll have to try it - perhaps it works for others pests too. Beware of possible skin reactions!

Outrageous! I can't even roll down my window to get my mail without being attacked instantly. It does make me run faster though!

Interesting that you mention it. On the loop on the outskirts of Bridgton that I do with Lauky every day there is a section where they are terrible. Other parts of the loop aren't so bad.

Alligator Eggs are out and Deer Fly Traps are in Wu for the new VFTT "Secret Sign"...........

http://ufinsect.ifas.ufl.edu/deerfly_trap.htm

I think you are onto something. I was just noticing the same thing where I live in west-central New Hampshire. My septuagenarian neighbor, who has lived in the area all his life and is a keen nature observer, has also remarked on the prevalence of deer flies this year.

I was doing a run on a local rail trail and after an hour of swatting and hitting more than 1 deer fly every swing I headed out to the roads. Worse I have ever seen it anywhere...........

They are unusually bad - I get attacked in the yard almost instantly.

Tim

skiguy said:

Alligator Eggs are out and Deer Fly Traps are in Wu for the new VFTT "Secret Sign"...........

http://ufinsect.ifas.ufl.edu/deerfly_trap.htm

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I put some transparent fly tape (from Home Depot . . . it's meant to be stuck on windows) on the top and back of my baseball hat last night when I went out to weed the garden. It worked like a charm; I had three deerflies stuck to my cap in less than 10 minutes.

I haven't tried the blue cup trick yet

dr_wu002 said:

I've noticed that they're out-and-about quite a lot and in areas that I never saw them before. I'm not an ornithologist, however, so I haven't given it much thought as to why...

-Dr. Wu

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ornithologist - study of birds isn't it? Or are you saying they are big enough to be classified as birds? I wouldn't argue with that.

Keith

Nutsosa said:

I haven't tried the blue cup trick yet

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If you really want to get fancy add a propeller like on a Beenie Hat. Deer Flys like movement so the propeller will help draw them in. My neighbors think I look pretty stupid out cutting the grass with that rig but they have a lot more bites than I do. I still have not had the nerve to hit the trail wearing the rig as I'm thinking I might attract a reckless rescue charge.

ha! that's funny about the blue cup trap. reminded me when i was in maine building trails, the black flies were so bad that we'd use the oil from the chainsaws and rub it all over our hardhats.. it worked pretty well and there were 100's of flies stuck to my hat by the end of the day. blech.

I don't know if they really work, but:

http://www.amazon.com/40-PK-Deerfly-Patches-Traps/dp/B0038OH3XM

Speckled

We did the Speckled Mt. loop last weekend and the flies were pretty bad pretty much anywhere on the trail.

OTOH - the mosquitoes haven't been as bad this year and the black flies were pretty tame as well.

Just carry a leafy branch or a bandana. A baseball cap works too for waving it around you while you hike.

Nutsosa said:

I put some transparent fly tape (from Home Depot . . . it's meant to be stuck on windows) on the top and back of my baseball hat last night when I went out to weed the garden. It worked like a charm; I had three deerflies stuck to my cap in less than 10 minutes.

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Glad to hear it worked for you. My fear with that method is that I will instinctively swat at a deer fly and get my hand stuck to the fly tape. Did that happen to you?

Thanks,
Marty

I picked up something very similar to this bug racket for $5 at Job lots and with freshly charged batteries it will blow the wings off of small flys and mosquitos. Haven't tried it on anything bigger yet. I'll try it tonight and post results.

I did a local trail run (near Albany) and I didn't wear a hat. They felt like pellests of heavy rain as I ran.

Sasquatch said:

Outrageous! I can't even roll down my window to get my mail without being attacked instantly. It does make me run faster though!

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So true! I figured out that if I run 30 seconds a mile faster they have a tough time landing on me! That though..and thoughts of Megan Fox required me to take a cold shower when I got home.

Probably the worst I have seen them in central Vermont. The heat seems to make them faster and more aggressive. Hoping the electric bug racket gets a favorable review.

They are really bad here in western mass. I had them attack my truck while driving in the woods, so glad I had the AC on and the windows up. 50 biting flies entering the open windows would have sucked