Bugs in Churchill--how bad are they?

[raccoon]

I’m considering going on a trip late this summer to Churchill, Manitoba. One of the suggestions for what to take is a "bug jacket/hat."

Are the insects THAT bad?

The tour company didn't specify bringing a spray-on such as OFF, but I think I will anyway.

[Lautremont]

1. Don't forget your Titanium Encasement Unit.

The jacket and hat will only keep out the mosquitoes - for blackflies you need the TEU.

[raccoon]

2. You're kidding, right?

But I'll read up on blackflies.

[Lautremont]

3. I am kidding.

The jacket and hat is probably a little over the top, really. I haven't been to Churchill, but I've been up around there (just got back from the north, as a matter of fact), and the bugs were certainly present. Deet yourself up and you ought to be fine, and at worse you can probably buy some kind of covering thing at a Northern Store or whatever they've got.

[raccoon]

4. Thanks for the heads up. I was just reading up on blackflies

and they mentioned Deet.

I've never been that far North before so it should be an experience.

[daleo]

5. I was in Hay River in mid to late September two years ago

That's on the shore of Great Slave Lake. Not a bug to be seen. Glorious scenery, with all the poplars changing (the tree line goes farther north as you go west). You might consider delaying your trip for a few weeks if you can, to be clear of the bugs.

I read a book on Samuel Hearne a while back, and bugs can get pretty bad in the Hudson's Bay area. I don't know about late August.

[Lisa]

6. I worked in Churchill for several summers

By this time of year it can be pretty buggy -- I remember that one of my co-workers was into nude sunbathing, but she quit that pretty quickly after the first week of June, when the blackflies and mosquitoes started to come out. If you stay in open, breezy locations (the shore, the open tundra, etc.) it tends to be better. I have a fieldbook I was using back then ... on certain days in late June through to August, the pages are encrusted with mosquitoes from when I just got fed up and slammed the book shut! So that's proof that there can be some bad conditions, especially if you are in the bogs and tree-covered areas, as I had to be, for my job.

Bug jacket (and hat with veil that covers your face, since those blackflies and deerflies can creep in) are definitely worth bringing, since they don't take up much room and it's much better to do this than wish you had later! -- another thing to consider is a bunch of handkerchiefs. If you put DEET repellent on them and tuck them into your sleeves, it really can help keep the bugs from crawling up your arms (and saves you getting oil all over yourself). One of the other Manitobans on the crew taught me that. Yes, the bug gear can look kind of dorky, but considering how much of a hassle bugs can be, you lose your inhibitions pretty quickly! (I also spent a couple of months at an isolated camp on James Bay, and it was even worse there ... we lived in our bug hats the whole time, and a couple of my co-workers were near having nervous breakdowns by the end of it.)

If you don't want to bother with a bug jacket, at least bring a windbreaker or other nylon long-sleeved number (preferably light-coloured) which the bugs will have a hard time biting through. It can be a drag, having to wear long sleeves when it's 30 degrees and sweltering (as sometimes happens in Churchill), but it beats getting eaten alive.

The thing about Churchill is, there are several waves of bugs during the season. When the blackflies and mosquitoes let up a bit, the deerflies and "bulldogs" (giant horseflies) take over. So between mid-June and October, there is usually something flying around trying to get at you. (Not counting the bears, which do not fly around, but could in theory also get at you ... nice to admire from a distance, though.)

Have fun! Seriously ... it really is a wonderful place. I haven't been there for years, but I still dream about it. (Mostly in good ways.)

Oh, by the way -- another thing to keep in mind -- Churchill is on the coast, so if the wind shifts, the weather can change abruptly. Bring clothing you can wear in layers ... I remember that there was a time one July, when the temperature dipped something like 20 degrees within a 24-hour period. Crazy. (There is often still ice in the Bay in early July -- I have a pic of some people I know, sitting on an ice floe in the harbour on Canada Day.)

If Louise Foubert is still up there (she used to run the Polar Motel), say hi from me!