Isle Royale Forums

If anyone has any updated bug reports, post them here.

I just got back on May 28th and am happy to report there were NO BUGS yet. No one ever touched bug spray or a head net.

We were on the west/south west side of the island, to include Windigo, Hugginin Cove, and Feldtmann Lake.

However, the island is very wet with lots of standing water and it's been warm and sunny the last few days. I would anticipate that the black fly and mosquito hatch isn't too far away, but as of May 28th, enjoy a bug-free island!

I just got back from Rock Harbor earlier today. (5/30). Spent most of the week in the northeast part of the park. Definitely no bugs anywhere near the Lake Superior shore, but I did pick up some Black Flies and Mosquitoes on the Greenstone around Mount Franklin and around Mt. Ojibway. I suspect anybody who spends time in the interior of the park from this time on will see a lot of bugs.


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Guess what? As of June 11 when I left ISRO NP the little flies, and the state bird or Minn./Mich. (those m. creatures) were becoming a pain. They were biting like crazy. I was at Huginnin and Washington Creek.

Got home today from a six day trip from Windigo to RH via the Minong, Moskey, Ojibway tower and Mt. Franklin.
Mosquitoes are in full bloom! I didn't really get bothered by flies but saw many.

Six days on the island (6/29 - 7/3) going from McCargo to Todd Harbor, S Desor, Siskiwit Bay, Feldtmann and Windigo. The only bugs we had were mosquitoes and for most of the trek they were tolerable. Group campsite #2 at Siskiwit Bay was the worst - worse than any BWCAW campsite or portage trial Ive every been on. Along the trail, the worst bugs were on the eastern end of Feldtmann Ridge tail where the undergrowth is tall and close to the trail.

Thanks for the report, WindChill. I'm guessing the little buggers are going to be full-throttle when I get there next Sunday. Todd Harbor and McCargo are both on my itinerary, although the farthest west I will be is on the hike north out of Malone Bay. I really need to do a September trip some time to avoid them.

Anybody got any updated bug reports? Heading up for my first trip soon!

ldavidjm wrote:Anybody got any updated bug reports? Heading up for my first trip soon!

I returned from IR on Saturday. As usual for this time of year you need bug spray. I saw a couple of people wearing head nets on the island but I never had a reason to pull mine out of my pack. My worst experience was at a tent site in Rock Harbor on my last night. I just moved 20 yards to another site where things were more tolerable.

Having just returned on Thu, 30 Jul, bugs were mostly light. At Feldtman I was able to walk around with a shirt off and not a mosquito went after me. (May have been other reasons for that. )
Siskiwit had similar low levels; as did Malone. About the only place we encountered any number of them wanting to pester us was Desor South, and then standard repellent (Ultrathon) worked fine. I never felt a need a pull out a head net.
No biting black flies were around, I'm pretty sure that season is over and done with.
On the western trails, other than a few morning mosquitos in the understory, they certainly were not bad. If you stopped for a break, they might find you, but not in huge numbers.

Thanks for the bug update Tom. I leave for the east side on Sunday's boat (pending queens repairs). Hopefully the bugs will be good there also.

We're the thimble berries popping yet?

Blueberries and raspberries could be found, but thimbleberries were still a week or two out depending on where you were on the island. I think we picked two or three, and those were still early. I will say that from what I could see, it will be a bumper crop...

Tom wrote:Blueberries and raspberries could be found, but thimbleberries were still a week or two out depending on where you were on the island. I think we picked two or three, and those were still early. I will say that from what I could see, it will be a bumper crop...

Perfect timing for me.... No need to dehydrate fruit for my oatmeal.

Just got back. Bugs weren't too bad other than at Chippewa Harbor.

Returned from FL/SB/SD/HL/MC/DF 8 to 14 August. Only irritating mosquito bugs were at South Desor, but had leeches at the shallow Hatchett lake 'beach.' Trip report coming.

Just got back from an end to end hike and didn't touch the bug stuff once. A couple mosquitoes here and there but they all died a flattening death.