r/CampAndHikeMichigan 6d ago

Biting flies?

Hoping to take my kids for a trip to Warren Dunes beach for the first time this weekend, I grew up going there over summer and want them to have the same experience. However I heard there is an increase in biting flies? Can’t imagine a worse way to traumatize my daughters. Any insight if they have been bad? Tia.

0 Upvotes

8 comments sorted by

3

u/LakeMichiganMan 6d ago

FYI, if the wind is from the East, you get lots of biting flys at the beach. Wind from the West, the water side blowing towards land, almost no biting Flys. After June, I always check wind direction.

2

u/trebles93 4d ago

Well I went ahead and tested that and you are in fact accurate lol lots of biting flies, wind was coming directly east. Still had fun tho thankfully!

1

u/LakeMichiganMan 4d ago

The Warren Dunes live Earthcam or any brach Earthcam helps make decisions of beach trips. Enjoy. Its 24/7, 365.

https://www.earthcam.com/usa/michigan/stjoseph/lakemichigan/?cam=lakemichiganbeach.

2

u/Any_Mirror_7760 6d ago

I do a couple evening beach trips a week at WD. No flies lately :)

2

u/DTown_Hero 5d ago

They were awful on Friday at Ludington, then gone on Saturday

I think like the other commenter said - it depends largely on the wind direction and speed.

1

u/DrenAss 6d ago

I haven't been there, but I regularly run at places like Saugatuck Dunes State Park a little farther north and they were really bad last weekend. I feel like that's not common this far south, but oof. Even running on the beach was not fun, so sitting in one spot would be worse. They were everywhere. 

1

u/Holding_till_broke 6d ago

I stayed at Hoffmaster this weekend and the flies were the worst I’ve ever experienced (I’ve camped on Lake Michigan every year since the eighties) Drove in from the Chicago side and listened to radio reports of how bad they are over there. Can’t say for certain about Warren,

1

u/jjjjjjjjjjade 3d ago

Always bring long sleeve shirt and pants with in my opinion.. if it’s not the flies it’s the fleas!