Michigan - best time to avoid biting flies

travelnutz wrote:
Parrothead Mike,

If the wind should come from the east (which seldom happens) the flies will almost always gather at the waterfront beach areas eastern shores and even up to a mile or so inland away from the water. Our winds are almost always from the SW to NW quadrants. According to the biologists etc report and a few TV programs, the flies connect an east wind as there being a strong weather front coming as it's an east wind that feeds a coming front and they will feed quickly and then seek shelter in the deep woods under leaves and other things etc when it rains. They demonstrated what a single drop of rain hitting a fly does to it. It almost always kills them and they know it. Even us humans have learned to eat when we know it will be a long time before we can eat again and most of us like a little etc nap after stuffing our guts too! It appears the flies aren't stupid either!

Thanks Travelnutz. I knew that a eastern breeze can signal rain, but I hadn't considered what a rain drop does to a fly. I know they have their place in the ecosystem, but they are a pest, especially around food and bare skin.