Blackflies are small, gnat-like insects. Like mosquitoes, they bite warm-blooded animals to get blood for the protein they need for their eggs to develop. On average, early June is a pretty bad time of the year for both mosquitoes and blackflies, but it varies from year to year, depending on the weather.

The best bug protection is to cover up; long-sleeve pants & shirts, socks, hat. Gloves and a face/head net if things get bad. Pre-treat your clothing with permethrin, a repellant that lasts up to two weeks on clothing. Cover any exposed skin with a deet-based repellant (Deep-Woods Off, Sawyer, etc.). Some people take a lightweight screen house to provide a bug-free place to eat & relax when the bugs are bad.

Your attitude plays a big role in how bad you perceive the bugs to be. Think "Mind Over Matter"; If you don't mind, the bugs don't matter. If you fuss & try to swat every bug you see, you'll likely drive yourself (and your trip-mates) crazy.

Posted by Harry on April 09, 2001 at 16:47