Blackflies are sneaky devils, crawling under clothes to bite. This picture illustrates my mistake in putting up with the buggers while doing chores, without wearing bandanas to seal the neck of the shirt.
This year, the blackflies were less bad than usual and I really enjoyed the autumn weather, but the mosquitoes in early summer were BAD. I wore a headnet for mosquitoes more than I have ever had to do. I revised my opinion of how bad mosquitoes can be. They would follow me on my clothes into the tent, hide and attack after dark when I was in bed (which blackflies do not do). A few nights I was killing mosquitoes all night. From now on I will have some mosquito coils to kill all mosquitoes in the tent before bedtime when they are this bad. Another alternative is to take my nylon canoe tent in addition to the canvas tent, but reserve it just for sleeping, where I would only enter the nylon tent a minimum number of times in the day. An easier alternative will be to carry a mosquito bed net. Later I talked to a northern resident who said this was the first time ever having to use mosquito repellant. I do not use mosquito repellant, but depend on clothing for protection.
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"... when ... Manitou, finished laying down this river, perfect in all details, He added the mosquito to remind man that no paradise comes free ..."
"... Manitou gave this river everything, ... when that was done He said 'Now I will keep man from becoming arrogant', ... and He threw in the mosquito."
- From "Chesepeake" by James A Michener