Hi,

Has anyone got any advice on how to control March Flies ?
We are starting to get a few around the house, and I was wondering if
there is a trap available similar to those for Euro Wasps.

TIA,

Adam

(Adam) writes:
Has anyone got any advice on how to control March Flies ?

They do seem to be early this year. It's only December and I've been
bitten by a few already. I just show them the palm of my hand.

We are starting to get a few around the house, and I was wondering if
there is a trap available similar to those for Euro Wasps.

Don't know of anything. They apparently are blood suckers so you might
need a relatively hairless live animal as the bait in any trap.
--
John Savage (news address invalid; keep news replies in newsgroup)

Dunno about controlling them, but I do know I spent a weekend in a
very prone area once. I was wearing tan for the first day, and friend
in blue jeans definitely had more problems than me.

Next day, I was in a blue tracksuit and she was in green. Guess what?
I had the problem (they go for thighs!) and she didn't.

I know blue is the only colour insects can see, but this was the most
stunning example I had come across. Whoever was in blue was getting
attacks from two or three at a time, and the other one wasn't having
much of a problem at all.

Linda

On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 00:27:59 GMT, you wrote:

(Adam) writes:
Has anyone got any advice on how to control March Flies ?

Linda writes:
Dunno about controlling them, but I do know I spent a weekend in a
very prone area once. I was wearing tan for the first day, and friend
in blue jeans definitely had more problems than me.

Next day, I was in a blue tracksuit and she was in green. Guess what?
I had the problem (they go for thighs!) and she didn't.

I know blue is the only colour insects can see, but this was the most
stunning example I had come across. Whoever was in blue was getting
attacks from two or three at a time, and the other one wasn't having
much of a problem at all.

Are you saying that the March flies were biting you through the fabric??
The sites they get me are on the bare arms or bare legs, and once or twice
on the back of the neck, but I've never known of anyone being bitten
through their clothing. In which part of the country are these flies that
attack through clothing?

I've found that some of the more ferocious mosquitoes don't baulk at a
light covering of fabric, even denim.
--
John Savage (news address invalid; keep news replies in newsgroup)

Yep - they bite through the fabric - which has to be fairly taut on
the skin, so they were going for the thighs. On that occasion we were
really watching them and studying them, they were so ferocious. Those
two days they were biting through denimin and towelling.

These are the sub-alpine, Victorian March Fly. I grew up with them,
and they are nasty.

Linda

John Savage wrote:

Linda writes:
snip

Are you saying that the March flies were biting you through the fabric??
The sites they get me are on the bare arms or bare legs, and once or twice
on the back of the neck, but I've never known of anyone being bitten
through their clothing. In which part of the country are these flies that
attack through clothing?

I've found that some of the more ferocious mosquitoes don't baulk at a
light covering of fabric, even denim.

Linda I know the ones you mean. Some summers Mt Buffalo is rife with the
little buggers, and they seem to have a penchant for blue socks, blue
jeans, blue hats, etc. Their bites hurt but on the other hand they're
pretty easy to whack, and skinks love em
-Alex

Linda wrote:
Yep - they bite through the fabric - which has to be fairly taut on
the skin, so they were going for the thighs. On that occasion we were
really watching them and studying them, they were so ferocious. Those
two days they were biting through denimin and towelling.

These are the sub-alpine, Victorian March Fly. I grew up with them,
and they are nasty.

Linda

John Savage wrote:


Linda writes:

snip

Are you saying that the March flies were biting you through the fabric??
The sites they get me are on the bare arms or bare legs, and once or twice
on the back of the neck, but I've never known of anyone being bitten
through their clothing. In which part of the country are these flies that
attack through clothing?

I've found that some of the more ferocious mosquitoes don't baulk at a
light covering of fabric, even denim.

Yep - they are the ones. I forget the name of the lizard, think they
were sand lizards - they were the tamest. If you could find one
(lizard) while you were sitting having your lunch in the bush, you
could whack the buggers (march flies, not lizards) and the lizard
would sit there waiting to be fed - and would get about as demanding
as a seagull

Alex wrote:

Linda I know the ones you mean. Some summers Mt Buffalo is rife with the
little buggers, and they seem to have a penchant for blue socks, blue
jeans, blue hats, etc. Their bites hurt but on the other hand they're
pretty easy to whack, and skinks love em
-Alex