Mostly hot and muggy with widely scattered yellow flies.
 

Yeah, it is yellow fly season around here again. I have to say that we really hate those SOBs. Probably more than any other pest I can think of that we have to deal with. Makes doing anything outside not only NOT fun, but often rather painful. Connie really welts up badly from their bites. I don't welt up, but the bite is still rather sharp and painful.

Connie and I had planned on a trip out west the middle of this month, but with my car in the shop and other compounding sound reasons, we decided to cancel out. Had hoped to be away from here when the yellow flies were at their peak, but that isn't going to happen.

I've got four Mosquito Magnets set up with flashing lights and wind motion devices to try to take care of the bulk of them. Hopefully that will work. Has worked pretty well in the past, anyway, but there are always going to be some that get in a bite or three, no matter what.

Here in Northern Ohio we just had 4 straight days of rain and clouds and low temps. Finally today by 10 am clouds started separating and Sun came out. By 2 pm I was able to mow. Fortunately supposed to be 75 and sunny tomorrow.

I remember those yellow flies and horse flies when I lived in Fl. Dang pesky. Sand fleas and love bugs to top it off. Hopefully we get a few weeks break before winter hits again... :ack2:

Well, who would ever have thought such a cheap device would provide so much fun, entertainment, and satisfaction?

https://www.lowes.com/pd/BLACK-FLAG-...per/1000687658

Just bought one today on a whim while Connie and I were in Lowe's, so later this evening when we were going to take a walk around, and feeling pretty apprehensive about the yellow flies, I put the two AA batteries in it figuring maybe it would kill one or two yellow flies. Well, let me tell you, it killed a LOT of them as they were flying around us. I was just swinging it randomly over our heads while holding down the button, and frequently heard the satisfying ZZZAPP! as a yellow fly contacted the electrified grid. Connie wanted to try her hand at it, and she was zapping them right and left as they came in trying to sink their teeth into us. Honestly, never seen that kind of "killer" look on her face before, as she was thoroughly enjoying the carnage.

I think I'm going to have to buy a few more of these bad boys. They proved to be quite a bit more effective than I had expected them to be. Especially for only $9.00.

Now if I can just figure out how to make one in the shape of full body armor..... :reddevil:

They have idiots on YouTube that lick them...... They are fun though.

Well, actually these bug zappers work quite well on the yellow flies. I don't know how many of them we have killed, but it is a BUNCH of them. I'm actually getting used to the smell of cooked flies finally. I had to change the batteries today because I walked down to one of the bamboo groves, and the zapper was going off constantly, sometimes 3 and 4 flies at a time getting smacked down. I was thinking the zzzap was not as loud as usual afterwards, so I figured it was about time for new batteries. Yep, next flies that got zapped it was MUCH louder and the spark really darn bright.

We are going to buy some more of them tomorrow. We feel naked walking out of the house without one in hand now. Truth be known, it is actually fun zapping these little vampires. Yeah, we still get bit now and again as some will come in low and get our legs. But we are definitely putting a crimp in the next generation due next year.

I should take up tennis. My backhand from all this practice I am getting would be impressive. :hehe: I'm guessing anyone seeing us walking around the property from the road probably thinks we are some sort of tennis nuts anyway.

Get one for each hand attach a couple of pounds of weights and voila...the newest fitness craze. Zap Walking. Feel free to change the name if you want but when the bucks start rolling in I will expect a cut.

Heck, you will probably pick up a few bucks from those funniest home videos shows as well.

Yeah, it actually IS quite a workout waving just one of them around the entire time outside. Probably really is a good cardio exercise. And you laugh, but we are going to get three more of them so both Connie and I can carry two at a time. :D

I guess this would be good incentive for runners, too. Trying to outrun the yellow flies. Whenever we take the vehicles out to run errands, we will have dozens of the flies chasing the vehicle. Especially when we get close to our stream on the north end of the property. Connie wants me to hang the zapper out the window. Man, won't the neighbors talk then..... We already are known as the crazy snake people with guns around here. :hehe:

Last night I was looking at videos of some guys who were boosting up the voltage on these things. Now we are getting somewhere.... :reddevil:

I live near lake Erie. The last few years haven't been too bad but we sometimes get a huge may fly infestation to were you can't even breath in certain areas and bodies 12 to 24 inches deep. Then you have the people who are terrified of them. That can be hilarious to watch sometimes.