Don’t Let Insects Spoil Your Outdoor Fun

The weather forecast for this coming weekend calls for snow flurries. Although this is not uncommon at this time of year, most people shiver and shake their heads in disgust at the prospect. However, looking at the positive side it will keep the black flies under control for the weekend! They were out last weekend in southern Madison County making life miserable for turkey hunters and others who were outdoors.

Most of us are familiar with the evil black flies that frequent the Adirondacks and most areas of central New York where there is clear, cool water. The black fly season is just getting into high gear so be prepared if you go afield.

Black flies, mosquitoes, and punkies form the “axis of evil” among biting insects and they are most active in May and June. Not only can they spoil your outdoor fun, they can also cause some serious health problems.

Black flies are vicious biting insects that attack in swarms and with their sharp mouths they leave nasty bites. Their saliva also contains an anti-coagulant that many people are allergic to. Although they hatch in clear water, the breeze may

them a great distance from the water and they can be found anywhere there is foliage for cover especially during daylight hours. They are a serious threat to hikers, fishermen, and turkey hunters.

Although we associate black flies with the Adirondacks or Tug Hill Plateau they grow anywhere there is cold, clear water. Thus with the reforestation and cooler streams and the elimination of most pollution, the black flies are a problem in many areas of central New York. Many Adirondack townships treat streams with bti, a natural bacteria that attacks black fly larvae while not harming “good insects” like caddis flies, etc. However not all townships use this treatment and frequent heavy rains can wash out the scheduled applications of bti.

No-see-ums or punkies are very tiny biting flies which also are found near still water. They occur in swarms but aren't as persistent as black flies. They are most active from dusk to dawn. They often penetrate under or through most netting or mesh covering.

The wet weather has been conducive for breeding mosquitoes which are born in stagnant water but travel long distances in search of prey. They are most active during periods of low light.

Female mosquitoes are persistent and swarms of them can make your life miserable. There is also the danger of spreading disease through the mosquito bites.

In the old days of the last century, lumberjacks and others who worked in the Adirondack forests had to deal with hordes of black flies and devised various methods of protection. One theory was that if you did not wash or bathe, you would develop a skin coating that would repel insects. I don’t know if it worked but it probably repelled other people, not to mention deer and bears!

Early insect repellents like “No Bite” or “Old Woodsman” were somewhat effective but the smell was over-powering. Considering that creosote and other secret ingredients made up the bulk of the formula, it probably would not be approved by the FDA today. And that smell was also over-powering. Imagine a building heated by a wood stove with crowds of lumberjacks or railroad workers, needing a bath, coated with Old Woodsman, and the smell of wet wool clothing!

Fortunately, today there are better methods to protect yourself from these disgusting little critters including special clothing or repellents. For example L.l.bean makes a line of clothing called “Buzz Off.” It is a cotton poplin fabric with natural odorless repellent bonded to the fabric. I have used the shorts, shirts, and hats and they really work. There are other brands that utilize mesh, lightweight clothing, and natural repellents.

Of course, many washings will remove the repellent and diminish the usefulness.

Common repellents contain DEET which is effective but may cause an allergic reaction in some people. If a rash occurs, wash off the remaining repellent. Another problem is perspiration causing some of the repellent with DEET to get into your eyes. If you doubt that DEET is nasty stuff, see what it does to varnish on your canoe paddle or the material of your fly line, etc.

One product that has proven effective for both people and animals such as short haired dogs is Bug Guard. It does not contain DEET but relies on natural repellents and is specially developed to repel black flies, mosquitoes, and ticks. I have also used it extensively and can testify that it works well. It lasts for about eight hours, although perspiration and rain will remove it.

Veterinarians have recommended Avon Bug Guard since it is safe to put on animals even if they lick themselves. It also serves to repel deer ticks. Note that we are talking about a specific insect repellent, not the bath oil produced by the same company.

Movement, carbon dioxide, perspiration, and perfumes all serve as attractions for these disgusting insects. You can’t avoid moving or breathing, but you can avoid perfumes, colognes, etc. and you can try to cut down on perspiration. The color blue also attracts these insects so avoid blue colored clothing.

In addition to the biting insects described, there is the growing problem of deer ticks which spread Lyme Disease. Ticks are found in areas of wet leaves, tall grass and brush.

They can attach themselves directly to you from these areas. To avoid a problem you should wear long pants and tuck them in your socks or wear gaiters.

Spray your pants legs with Permethrin or DEET. Use repellent such as Bug Guard on exposed skin. Check for ticks after being outside in areas described above. Remove any ticks with a tweezers.

So even though insects are a problem, you can still enjoy the outdoors with a little precaution. Besides if you stay inside watching all those re-runs of “reality shows” on t.v. you will probably suffer from brain damage.

SHORT CASTS

Chicken BBQ Take Out The Vernon Rod & Gun Club will hold its annual popular chicken barbeque although this time it will be take-out only. Save the date of Saturday, May 16, rain or shine. Hours are 12 until all are gone. Menu is half a barbeque chicken, salt potatoes, roll, coleslaw, and dessert. Cost is $10 for dinner, or halves at $5. Enjoy the take-out and support a good cause. Fishing Report

Last weekend was a great weekend to be out and doing things like fishing. It was the opening of the walleye season and normally there is a flotilla of boats at the eastern end of the lake or up tributaries like Fish Creek. Reports are that there were a lot of people fishing from shore but the number of boats was noticeably down. Sunday morning was definitely a big decrease from normal numbers of boats.

Despite this, the reports from different parts of the lake indicated that many people enjoyed limit catches. Shore anglers usually relied on jigs and stickbaits. Anglers on other waters also had good luck this past weekend. Burnie Haney fished Henderson Bay and caught a nice variety, including a big northern pike. Most of his fish came on a Keitech Swim Bait on a ¼ oz. jig.

Sunday there were a lot of boats fishing the shoals on Sandy Pond using worm and spinner rigs. Burnie opted for fan casting a BPS Speed Vibe Lipless crankbait and a variety of other lures, including perch color rattle bait around rock ledges in front of creek months. He was rewarded with his limit of walleye (19, 22, and 26 inches).

Steve Wowelko loves to fish for, and cook, pickerel. They were very cooperative both days on Oneida Lake and they caught many while keeping their limit for the freezer.

Trout streams have generally been in good shape although the water temperature has been a bit colder than normal. The weather forecast does not indicate a warming trend. Hiking the Adirondacks With the month of May and usually warmer weather, many people are using the excuse to get away from home and going hiking. Just remember that the same rules of social distancing, avoid gatherings, wearing a face mask, etc. still apply. The DEC, along with other NYS law enforcement agencies are enforcing these.

At many of the popular hiking destinations there have been crowds that have been ignoring these rules. A sign of this is the fact that parking lots have been overflowing. DEC have been issuing tickets for those found parking on the road near spots like Bald Mountain or Rocky Point.