Swallowing Black Flies

[erugs]

This is a question I've had the opportunity to ask myself more than once:

Why is it that despite my best attempts to keep my lips pursed as I hike, a determined black fly is able to dive bomb into my mouth and make its way down into my throat. And then, why can I still feel it there for hours? No amount of water during the hike, beer sloshing afterwards, or a before-bedtime round or two of wine make the feeling go away? That never happens with anything else I eat; only blackflies. I can chase the fly down with a cookie, but the feeling of the fly is still there.

PS - I've learned that blackflies heading for nostrils get caught and can't enter if your nose is running. They are then easy to wipe away. TMI?

 

[bikehikeskifish]

FWIW, I suspect they are caught in the trachea rather than the esophagus. I inhale them while riding quite regularly and can be coughing them up for a long time.

Tim
p.s. empirical evidence suggests 9 MPH is the fastest a deer fly can chase you

 

[Stan]

Maybe the memory of what is typically an undesireable ingestion aggravates that feeling ... consider that protein you'll get if you ingest enough and maybe the feeling will go away.

 

[Brambor]

maybe

Maybe they puff up inside your throat like those sponge dinosaur eggs I got for my kids when they were little.

 

[MadRiver]

All I know is that I had my fill on the Tripyrmids on Sunday. They were unrelenting!!!

 

[erugs]

All I know is that I had my fill on the Tripyrmids on Sunday. They were unrelenting!!!

Since you were ahead of us, I expected there would be fewer for us to battle. I'm disappointed!

 

[Jim lombard]

They seem to be at a peak right now in Crawford Notch area, both Thursday and Friday they were terrible. For me, they go for the corners of my eyes and my ears most. We were chased by them all day on Thursday, I'm glad they're not around all summer. Rotten little critters!

 

[peakn]

3 Dead Moose

I heard that 3 dead moose were found in the Thornton area that supposedly died of asphyxiation from inhaling black flies.

 

[TrishandAlex]

I'm thinking of waving an open peanut butter sandwich around during my next hike. May as well stick all the buggers onto a piece of bread and use 'em for lunch. They'd end up flying into my mouth anyway...at least this way, they'll be a bit more tasty.

 

[DougPaul]

Insects are a good source of protein...

Doug

 

[brianW]

Good news here in GA, no black flies!!!!!!!!!! Or at least not in my part of the state (near Augusta)

 

[Quietman]

I went for a sunset walk on Temple Mtn (closed ski area) near my house and was amazed to only see a few black flies. Haven't had any issues on other nearby hills either. This is the 3rd year in a row that that have been almost non-existant, not that I'm complaining.