EHD is back..AGAIN!

[KDM]

Went sniffing around here (couple thousand acres) and didn't find any dead deer so I'm taking that as a win. However, this game's not over yet.

 

[Allen]

I'm with KDM on this. There's no hint of a cool down that will kill the little buggers any time soon. So, while I have not seen any dead or sick deer at my place, I am keeping my fingers crossed. There are a number of deer present, but nothing with enough age to be excited about.

 

[Allen]

One positive is that I have a bonus crop of damsel and dragonflies. They have really kept my mosquito population under control as it's been pretty much a new batch of different colored damsel flies about every other week as of late. Pretty cool to watch them skeeter and midge killers swarm the shoreline of the pond in my backyard.

 

[guywhofishes]

I had purple martins at my house for the first time. I was astonished at how many dragonflies they fed their young. Mosquito eaters my a$$.

They’re mosquito eater eating machines.

 

[Allen]

I had purple martins at my house for the first time. I was astonished at how many dragonflies they fed their young. Mosquito eaters my a$$.

They’re mosquito eater eating machines.

Uggh, and I am supposed to be inheriting a Purple Martin tree. But I can understand how they find dragon and damsel flies an easy target.

 

[KDM]

Given my choice, I'll take the weight of purple martins in dragon flies. Purple martins are purdy, but purdy doesn't help much when you're a pint and a half low on blood and your infant nephew is being carried across the sidewalk by his entourage of attentive mosquito friends. That's just me though.

 

[Sluggo]

A few days ago right before migration.

 

[Allen]

Given my choice, I'll take the weight of purple martins in dragon flies. Purple martins are purdy, but purdy doesn't help much when you're a pint and a half low on blood and your infant nephew is being carried across the sidewalk by his entourage of attentive mosquito friends. That's just me though.

It is really nice to not have to deal with skeeters during the summer. I think I've only been bit around 3 times this year at my place.

 

[snow2]

Oh my that's cold Guy,funny but cold,hahaha.

 

[Allen]

Crap, it was a beautiful evening last night at my place with one exception. The midges finally made an appearance, en masse.

Took a little walk around the pond and didn't see many dragon or damsel flies. DAMNIT! We need a hard freeze to knock them bastidges down.

 

[KDM]

Been over about 2000 acres of Sheyenne river bottom and the adjacent stock ponds a couple three times now and have not found any dead deer. I hope this streak continues.

 

[Obi-Wan]

Crap, it was a beautiful evening last night at my place with one exception. The midges finally made an appearance, en masse.

Took a little walk around the pond and didn't see many dragon or damsel flies. DAMNIT! We need a hard freeze to knock them bastidges down.

The dragon flies have been absolutely crazy this year

 

[Allen]

Given my choice, I'll take the weight of purple martins in dragon flies. Purple martins are purdy, but purdy doesn't help much when you're a pint and a half low on blood and your infant nephew is being carried across the sidewalk by his entourage of attentive mosquito friends. That's just me though.

I retrieved this little summary of PMs and mosquitos off the interweb:

Why Purple Martins Do Not Control Mosquitoes, in particular I liked the last paragraph.

• • Different Schedules: Purple martins hunt during the daylight hours, while mosquitoes are mostly active in the evening and at night. [1, 2]
  • Different Altitudes: Martins feed high in the air (usually 15 to 300 feet up), while mosquitoes stay close to the ground (within six feet) and hide in damp bushes. [1, 2, 3]
  • Diet Studies: Stomach content analyses organized by groups like the Purple Martin Conservation Association show that mosquitoes make up less than 2% of a martin's diet. Their preferred prey includes larger flying insects like dragonflies, flies, and beetles. [1, 2, 3]
  • Origin of the Myth: The claim that a single purple martin eats 2,000 to 10,000 mosquitoes a day was started decades ago by aluminum birdhouse manufacturers to boost sales. [1, 2]

 

[Narcs]

Saw some pictures, taken within the last 3-4 days, of sick and dead whitetails from south and west of Bismarck. Not good.

 

[Jiffy]

What about barn swallows? I know they’re very similar. I was also thinking they ate a shit ton of skeets as well. Maybe not?

I can neither confirm nor deny the killing of said birds as a kid. Our barn cats did follow me around the farm though.