Fishing Michigan's Upper Peninsula!


 

Gauge your own Bug Index

Anna River Monising Bay, Munising Michigan USA
Mosquitoe head dress in Summer Whether you're planning a vacation trip to Michigan's far north country in the U.P. or headed to Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula, you'll want to know first hand how bad  the bugs are expected to be in advance.  Here's some tips on how you can personally gauge an area's insect or bug index by keeping track of a few, readily available resources. If you're looking to avoid bugs, then here's how.

Getting started with your personalized bug and insect index

Mosquitoes just loves the moisture.With a little research and keeping a simple rainfall and weather conditions log, you can easily calculate and gauge just how bad the bugs will be where you're going in Michigan and beyond.  If nothing else, this article will provide you with the questions to ask before you embark on a north woods vacation.

The best way, though not always reliable, is to get the facts on bugs and insect conditions from the area you are expecting to visit and/or stay.

If you want total reliability you'll have to do your homework.  Here's how.

Knowing well enough in advance where it is your are going to visit, begin your research with a reliable Internet weather website.  The most reliable weather reporting website that we have found is Weather Underground.


It's all about moisture

Bugs and Insects Bugs and insects are always worse where wet, damp and moisture-rich areas exist.  Where ever there is water and excessive moisture, you'll find the bugs- because that's where they live, spawn and multiply.

Thus, the more water and moisture in an area, the greater the insect population will be.  The idea here is to gauge rainfall and moisture to a specific area and then predict how conditions might be.

 

We begin with winter. It snows. Snow accumulates. Snow melts. And when snow melts, it leaves behind water and moisture.  The question is... when does this water and moisture dissipate, and how fast or how slow? 

The length of time the season's Spring run-off sticks around, both during and after a spring thaw, will determine how bad the bug and insect season will be.  Add the likelihood of persistent April showers and a bug and insect index increases even more dramatically.

The faster pooling water and moisture dissipates, or evaporates, a bug index is reduced dramatically.  Heavy rainfall acquired throughout the month of April, and lingers with little evaporation by the end of May, will spell bug and insect disaster.  On the other hand, if little rainfall (along with melting snow run-off) is acquired and assisted with dry, warming temps and moderate winds, (such as last year's U.P. bug season)  you can expect bugs to be much less an annoyance throughout much of the season more often than not.

Now armed with the formula, simply keep track of current rainfall totals, and look back into weather rainfall history trends to gauge and determine whether you can expect to encounter a wet season or a dry one.

Start off by pulling up Weather Underground with your web browser. Type in your desired Zip Code location and then find/scroll down on the page to , "History & Almanac" then click the  "Detailed History and Climate" link.

From there you can get the current month's precipitation and also go back into history for years- to determine a low, average, or a high precipitation estimate.  Then keep watch how much rainfall is acquired during the rain season and run-off into May.

The lower the accumulative rainfall totals and higher the dry days will result in less bugs and insects.  Works every time.

Notes of interest:

Remember, nothing beats having a visual, birds eye view of a season's precipitation developments.  We suggest you get area contacts which are available from newsgroups, area weather bloggers and weather related U.P. forums and message boards.  You'll most likely meet new Internet weather friends in the  process.

We've been using this technique for the past 15 years, and we've been right on every single year-  honestly!

Michigan U.P. Regards
Munising.com Web Technology Group



Michigan Bugs & Insects Articles of Interest

Michigan Upper Peninsula Bug & Insect Index
Michigan Upper Peninsula is known quite well known for its spring and summer bugs, insects and pests.

Pesky Flies- The Stable Fly
Stable flies look much like the house fly and have even been called the “biting house fly.


This article is copyright 2006, by MichiganUpperPeninsula.com WTG

 



Document updated
Wednesday, December 31, 1969


When fishing... always reel in more Nature than fish!



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