Peter Greenberg: Pests on Vacation

 

 

You definitely want to avoid the black flies if you can. They are small, biting flies that come in swarms by the millions during the warm, summer months, generally from mid-May to mid-July. They are attracted to the carbon dioxide that humans exhale, which makes them hard to avoid, and they have a knack for finding their way inside your clothing and even into your mouth, ears, or nose. These black flies are a problem throughout the Northeast and have recently become even more of a nuisance, particularly in Maine. The state refuses to dump chemicals into its rivers, an action that could kill the fly larvae, because of potential ripple effects on the environment.

 

Your best bet would be to visit New England in the spring, before the swarms hatch, or after mid-July, once the number of black flies drops drastically. Make sure to pack some insect repellent just in case you run into a few unexpected pests, and bring along some light-colored clothing, which tends to attract the flies less than darker colors.