The Bobcat: May News from Harris Center

1. There's an end to the madness. Swift Corwin, a forester from Peterborough, spends a lot of time in the woods for his livelihood. He can't stay in the office just because it's bug season.

"First of all, I know it's not going to last forever," Corwin says. "If it's truly horrible, I don't like it, but I bear with it, and I know that, at some point, it will end."

In this part of New Hampshire, the two species of black flies that bite people (there are another 38 or so species that don't bother us) emerge in early to mid-May and can last into June. (Rule of thumb: Mother's Day through Father's Day is black fly season). Bad part is, the black flies' disappearance is followed by the emergence of mosquitoes. They too have an end. Usually by late-June or early July, the worst has come and gone.

2. It's all about meat. From the perspective of black flies and mosquitoes, we are the meat. But from the perspective of their predators, black flies and mosquitoes are the meat.

Dr. John F. Burger, a professor of entomology at the University of New Hampshire, describes black flies and mosquito larvae as aquatic cows. "The larvae are grazing organic matter, like algae and protozoa, and they're converting that into the meat of their own organisms." The meat of the black fly and mosquito larvae is eaten by fish, mussels and aquatic organisms. The adults are eaten by bats, birds, beetles and other predators.

"They're a part of the food web, performing a role in the ecosystem."

3. Thank our clean streams. Female black flies lay eggs on plants near the surface of flowing water, and studies have shown that, for successful reproduction and survival, the water has to be clean, unpolluted. Fortunately, New Hampshire is blessed with plenty of clean, running water. Black flies are an unhappy consequence!

Okay, enough "thoughts." Here are some tips:

4. Timing is everything. During the peak of black fly season in May, flies are most active around early morning and dusk, according to Burger. Avoid being out at those times. Also, avoid cool, cloudy days in favor of dry, warm and sunny days.

5. Wear light-colored clothing. Black flies and mosquitoes seem drawn to darker clothing, especially print patterns. Keep the leg and arm openings snug with a rubber band or string. Tuck your pant legs into your socks. Swift Corwin sometimes wraps a T-shirt around his head, leaving a little opening for his eyes, "like a Ninja."

6. Try the astronaut approach. When the bugs are really bad and I need to be in the woods, I dress up like an astronaut: head, middle and legs are covered in bug-proof netting. There are all sorts of bug-proof shirts, hats and pants on the market. They're basically fine-mesh netting that you wear. To protect your head, you can get netting that fits over a regular hat, or you can get a piece that goes over your whole head and straps under your arms. Not everyone can tolerate these things. They can be hot, confining and hard to see through. They also tend to get caught on branches. But they do a great job of keeping biting bugs away from your skin and don't have side-effects.

7. The wind is your friend. Get out on a windy day, or seek windy places, like ridges, hilltops and lakes. American explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were tormented by biting bugs during their famous trip across the continent. Lewis and Clark picked especially windy places for their campsites because of the insects.

8. The chemical approach. Easily the most popular method is the use of repellants with DEET (N,N-diethyl meta-toluamide). Although I spray the stuff all over myself and hike around bug-free for a few hours, I wonder whether my health will pay for it later. It should be used sparingly on children. It seems to corrode plastics, like my camera (so who knows what it does to your skin). And in one of life's cruelest ironies, it also seems to repel trout. Follow directions on all repellants.

Another tactic involves wearing clothing treated with permethrin. It'll work for weeks, but it's also expensive. As with DEET, if you're skittish about chemicals, this may not be a good choice. Professor Burger at UNH doesn't think it's worth the money; he'd rather use light-colored clothing, tucked in.

9. Try alternative methods. Avon Skin-So-Soft and dryer sheets are said to work well against black flies. Then there are a few ingestion methods, like garlic and vitamin B1. As far as proven effectiveness against black flies and mosquitoes, it looks like the jury is still out on these. Badger Balm, the company in nearby Gilsum, produces an "Anti-Bug Balm" that contains oils of citronella, cedar, lemongrass, rosemary and geranium. It seems to work, though not as long as sprays with DEET.

The important point: If you feel protected, use it!

10. Do what the Native Americans did. Human beings have lived with black flies and mosquitoes since the beginning. How did they get by without DEET or bug suits? According to Dr. Robert Goodby, a professor of anthropology at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, Native Americans often used smoke to deter the bugs, probably with some effectiveness.
They would also smother themselves in bear grease (bear fat), Goodby says. "They would end up being covered in bear grease, with dead bugs stuck in it, but at least they weren't bitten to a pulp."

Dr. Goodby and I are looking for any volunteers willing to test this method.