Commuting - B u g s

http://www.ent.iastate.edu/soybeaninsects/files/images/soybean%20aphid%20winged%205%20copy.jpg

My home town in INFESTED with these little spawns of Satan.

I've commuted through hot, humid, cold, snowy, drizzly, stormy, sunny, cloudy, foggy, misty and icy weather. I think it's even hailed on me once or twice. But NEVER have I been remotely tempted to not commute by bike until encountering these 1/16 inch long beasties. The air is literally thick with them to the point that I'm covered in hundreds of them at the end of my short three mile commute. From what I understand, these soybean aphids will diminish in numbers within the next week or so, but GAH! Right now they're AWFUL!

Anyone else have to fight bugs like this on the regular?

Yes. Funny thing, riding w/ my 8 yr old Saturday he gave me advice about if you see a cloud of bugs, close your mouth.

Yeah. I live in the tropics. Wear eye protection and don't breathe with your mouth open.

Yes. Funny thing, riding w/ my 8 yr old Saturday he gave me advice about if you see a cloud of bugs, close your mouth.

That's excellent advice.

Yesterday I had one make it through my left nostril all the way to the back of my throat while I was cruising at about 25 mph down a hill. UGH

Aww, isn't he cute? :p

Don't knock it, probably a good source of protein - could be an aquired taste, though.

Nothing notheworthy out here in the arid west, though I've spent enough time in the South and Southeast to know the displeasure of riding through clouds of bugs. I've had my fair share of things squirming on my tonsils, with the only solution being a big swig of water to wash it down...............

Don't knock it, probably a good source of protein - could be an aquired taste, though.

I prefer not to eat uncooked animals. Germs, and so on.

It feels a little bit like I would imagine it would be like to ride through a sandstorm. That's how frequently you hit them. And no, I'm not exaggerating!

http://myrmecos.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/swarm1.jpg?w=500&h=333

I'd just ride through 'em really fast and use my 'stache like a baleen. Filter 'em out and save 'em up until there's enough to snack on. :D

hope they die soon enough! some years ago, not bicycling, my possei and I went to a hidden beach...when finished we were walking back to the car, while carring a pretty heavy cooler, a big cloud of this kind of moskito (pic below). THEY WERE SUPE HUNGRY, i started running screaming, as they zoomed and landed on me!! i was so pissed for like 2 hours, hated them!!! AHHH http://www.moskitotigre.com/imag/moskito_c06.jpg

Get a bug net. It takes a little getting used to, but it's better than a swarm of bugs in the face.

hope they die soon enough! some years ago, not bicycling, my possei and I went to a hidden beach...when finished we were walking back to the car, while carring a pretty heavy cooler, a big cloud of this kind of moskito (pic below). THEY WERE SUPE HUNGRY, i started running screaming, as they zoomed and landed on me!! i was so pissed for like 2 hours, hated them!!! AHHH

Up here the kids tie a rope around the little buggers and they pull them on their skateboards.....

Up here the kids tie a rope around the little buggers and they pull them on their skateboards.....

That ain't nothin'! Here in Texas the CAF paints them to fill in for "Texas Raider" their B17 Flyng Fortress and give the public rides on them.:p

That ain't nothin'! Here in Texas the CAF paints them to fill in for "Texas Raider" their B17 Flyng Fortress and give the public rides on them.:p

THAT aint nothin'! We catch one or two, skewer them, put them on the grill and are all set for the family reunion BBQ! :D

THAT aint nothin'! We catch one or two, skewer them, put them on the grill and are all set for the family reunion BBQ! :D

Nope! Nope! Here in Texas the hunters bag a skeeter and donate it to the Star of Hope. One feeds the whole mission for a week,,:D:eek::innocent::thumb::p

Nope! Nope! Here in Texas the hunters bag a skeeter and donate it to the Star of Hope. One feeds the whole mission for a week,,:D:eek::innocent::thumb::p

lol...
OK..OK..
I concede to Texas in the matter! :roflmao2:

Anyone else have to fight bugs like this on the regular?

Yes, definitely.

Is probably very similar to what you have. Mine are in swarms on a MUP near a river. In the mornings it's ok, but the afternoon it's just awful, you get them in your eyes, nose, mouth everywhere. I just looked for an alternate route in the afternoon.

Um...if they're soy bean aphids........






....Does that mean they're safe for vegetarians to eat?

Um...if they're soy bean aphids........






....Does that mean they're safe for vegetarians to eat?

...I'd imagine so, which is a good thing since they can't eat beefsteak tomatoes.

There are mesh suits you can wear for that. Though I don't know how comfortable it would be to ride while wearing one.

You have my sympathy We have several weeks of tiny bugs that swarm along my path in the morning. The season fro them ended last week. At peak, the swarm continues for better than 2 miles, giving the sensation that one is continuously being pelted with cupsful of coarse-ground cornmeal the whole way.

I use clear, close-fitting $3 safety glasses from Homie D's most fo the time, and wear a bandana over my nose and mouth during the worst of it.

I prefer not to eat uncooked animals. Germs, and so on.

Remember, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger! :lol:

Or, as someone's grandmother used to say, "Whatever that [name of questionable animal] ate didn't hurt it and it's not gonna hurt you, so eat up and stop complainin'!"

No swarms on the scale some of you describe, but I've encountered some kind of small flies along the ride home in the evenings of late. I think I've eaten two of them... yick! Gotta work on keeping my mouth shut... literally! ;-)

One bug flew into my eye a couple of weeks ago. I tried to flick him out. No luck, but I could feel him crawling around between my eyelids. It took a little rubbing but the feeling stopped. That night I showered, so I was surprised when the little bugger's remains came out with a bit of eye crud the next morning.

I'm just glad that they don't target bicyclists they way they do motorcyclists. I guess it's the speed of the motorcycle and the reflections off the visor, but they really do go round and round trying to find the exact spot to collide with a motorcycle helmet.

Yes. Funny thing, riding w/ my 8 yr old Saturday he gave me advice about if you see a cloud of bugs, close your mouth.

Yup- I learned this pretty quick on my commute! Keep your mouth closed! :)

Then my only other problem with the bugs is that they get caught up in my helmet and I can feel them moving around in my hair. Freaks me out!! Have to stop and shake it out! :)

Aww, isn't he cute? :p

Don't knock it, probably a good source of protein - could be an aquired taste, though.

Better known as Air Krill.

my process to help reduce the bug gulp:

look down - deep breath
look up - exhale
repeat

like a swimmer.. but, you know, different.

if it's really bad, i have one of those buff doo rag / skull cap thingies. put it on like a surgical mask.

I had a perfectly timed moment today. As the large vortex was forming to fill the vacuum of my oxygen-starved lungs (on a long grade where I was deliberately pushing my pace), SOMETHING got sucked in from about a mile away. Something larger than a mosquito, but smaller than a bee. It lodged deep in my throat, but I fortunately had enough air in my lungs to muster a HUUUGE hack, at which point I saw a laced wing and PART of an insect fly out. Another willful hack and spit produced what felt like at least some of the remnaining beastie, but I knew that the balance was to be washed down with a swig from my water bottle.

Free protein.... :thumb: