Isle Royale Forums

Today, I made motel reservations in Copper Harbor for our trip to the island next month. The proprietor said that the black flies, which normally are the plague in early June, are out already! She was saying that in June, they normally only last two weeks and if that held for this early in the spring ...

How much behind Copper Harbor do you think IR is? Two weeks? Bring the face nets.

LeftOvers wrote:Today, I made motel reservations in Copper Harbor for our trip to the island next month. The proprietor said that the black flies, which normally are the plague in early June, are out already! She was saying that in June, they normally only last two weeks and if that held for this early in the spring ...

How much behind Copper Harbor do you think IR is? Two weeks? Bring the face nets.

I would say two weeks at the very most. Copper Harbor is at the far north end of the Keweenaw Pennisula.

I spent 5 years in Houghton. Anywhere north of Laurium/ Calumet is generally colder and snowy than Houghton and points south. Plus Copper Harbor is right on the Lake much like Isle Royale.

I would say two weeks at the most.

I have a buddy who is a professor at Michigan Tech in Houghton, and he was telling me based on the weather this spring, plan on just about everything being two to three weeks early this year.

Black flies in May, Copper Harbor yes, but I have never had a problem with them on IR until June. I have had more trouble with mosquitoes on the Island than Black flies and No-seeums.

Can anyone who made an early trip to the Island give a report on the bugs this spring? With all the hot and cold trends I am not sure what to expect during the first week in June. In a "normal" year they should not be bad, but this year.?.?.?.?

I returned Thursday from the first boat excursion. (Trip report pending.)
Things were "unseasonably cool" for the week, but otherwise the Island is 'ahead' of schedule for the year. The understory is leafing out, as are many of the trees. Even with the cooler, windy weather, we did find both mosquitos and black flies up on the ridges, where it was warmer, perhaps in the upper 40s and lower 50s. However, numbers were quite low, and I didn't need to put on bug dope at all during the week.
I'm guessing we'll see 'the hatch' a week or two earlier, but that being said I've always LOVED going in mid-June because everyone seems to be afraid of it.. Truth is, it always seems highly localized to me; you might find black flies at one camp or ridge, but nothing at the next. Go figure.

Thanks Tom, my wife is coming this year and she is a mosquito magnet. We are treating our clothes (which I have never done before) and will have the bug dope and keep my fingers crossed. Last year I went the same time you did this year and saw maybe one mosquito the entire 10 days. It was fantastic. The year before when you and I were there at the same time in June I was eaten alive. I think IR mosquitoes can withstand 50 mph winds and 40 degree temperatures! The worst was trying to quickly lift the head net to eat before being bombarded. Hope you had a great trip.

I Just got a phone call from a family friend on Isle Royale (yes, he got a call out...we assume based on his schedule from the top of the ridge behind Chippewa Harbor). He said the bugs are "bad" and he's very modest. So, as Tom said, the hatch has probably occured.

Tom: he also said it was "freezing" last week when you were out there. Again, he's quite modest, so it must of been bad.

So the short answer: the bugs are out!

I was on the island a couple days after Tom came off. Fortunately for us, we never applied any DEET or wore our netting. The bugs were virtually non-existent. Although, we heard from a couple people who took the ridge across the island that the bugs were pretty relentless up on the Greenstone.

We got back from 10 days on the island last Monday (May 24). We hiked along Rock Harbor and the the Greenstone. The black flies were pretty bad toward the end of the trip (a fairly steady 10 day warming trend) and the mosquitoes were bothersome at times. It's hard for me to compare to other times - my wife was with me this time and is also a bug magnet. I look at her and she's surrounded by a swarm while I am not bothered at all.

Others we encountered said they were bad, especially from Lake Ritchie to Chippewa Harbor.

Odd spring - the bugs were definitely worse on Isle Royale and in the Keeweenaw last week than here in Madison. And we don't normally escape them here.

I spent the week before Memorial Day on the island with my son and the insect population was noticeably more evident than in prior May trips. While not terrible, mosquitoes were prominent in all low lying areas. Black flies were a pest at places such as McCargoe Cove and along the Rock Harbor Trail. While the bugs were not overwhelming by any stretch, they were much worse than would normally be expected for a spring trip to IR. Greg R.

Just got back from a 7 day trip and the mosquitoes were relentless along a majority of the Greenstone, most notably from South Lake Desor to Hatchet lake. Ultrathon and head nets are a must.

Oh just great! That's the last thing I want to hear right now. I am leaving tomorrow for Hancock and sailing on the Ranger Tuesday. I will be prepared for them, but I was afraid of this.

Thank you for the update though!

The week after memorial day on the East end was not bad. My wife and I did treat our clothes before hand and that seemed to help. The mosquitos were there and we did use deet most evenings but never had to use our bug nets. To me that is a success! The worst bites my wife got were in Copper Harbor before we left.

Can someone please tell me as asap upon return before next tuesday how bad bugs are? I am bringing 2 new guests to hike who have never been there before and want to make sure we are prepared enough so they still enjoy the trip. We will be hiking the Feldtman loop leaving from Grand Portage wed the 23rd.
thanks

I've always brought headnets, but never used them. But I wouldn't leave home without them. A couple bucks and maybe an oz. is a small price for a lot of insurance--regardless of what the reports may be. I always bring DEET too, and have always used at least some, esp. in the evenings.