Blackflies sound fun. Can't say I feel left out having never experienced that. I've heard that in the Everglades sometimes a cow will wander into a particularly bad spot and die from mosquito exsanguination. Now is that true? No idea. But it sounds horrifying and based on my experience here I almost believe it's possible. 

JudoP wrote on Nov 28^th, 2017 at 10:05am:


Ticks and Horseflies are horrible little buggers. Horse Flies like to play psychological warfare with their target with their nasty buzzing before trying to bite you (kind of a fun "QTE" when they land you though).

Ticks on the other hand are the last thing I ever want to see crawling around on my lap in a truck after a good day's hike. I was small child when my brother tried to burn the sucker with its head burrowed while I was still under the impression that I would either burst into flames or have searing pain.

I still have an aversion to being near a tick to this day. For its seemingly invulnerable structure, slow movement, and the spook of seeing one engorged to about the size of a fingernail or so.

Rat Man wrote on Nov 30^th, 2017 at 11:23am:

Blackflies from what I read on this thread ought to be the worst biting insect I conclude. When I was a young teen, the first time I was swarmed by yellow jackets was in a hike to Lost Lake in the Missions (not worth the hike). I thought I was walking through thorns as I remember that a honey bee sting did more damage to little me probably almost a decade before (having to go to the hospital). Then my brother had to point out I was being stung. Sucks to be at the back of a trail, I wasn't allergic that time thank goodness.