Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 30 : Fall 2016 | Page 15

sneaking in round your shirt collar, long, light colored
pants tucked into your socks, and a long sleeved, light
colored shirt tucked into your pants.
For most Aroostook County denizens, this outfit is not an
option. After the long cold winter, once the temperature
hits over 50 degrees we are in our shorts and flip-flops.
What are we to do? Is there no way to avoid these
diminutive nuisances? Well, no; we cannot avoid them
unless we stay inside, not a good option for someone who
has been cooped up all winter.
We could take a positive attitude
and consider the benefits of
blackflies as we swat them away.
Yes, there are apparently some
benefits. Blackflies are food for
trout, birds and bats, and lots
of blackflies mean the area’s
water quality is good. Frankly,
I think there are better ways to
feed wildlife and determine the
water quality, but whom am I to
interfere with the circle of life.
The best option is to do what we do with most obstacles,
accept, embrace and celebrate. County natives are tough
and can tolerate a bite; dab on some calamine lotion or a
baking soda and water paste and we are ready to face the
battle again.
Mainers have embraced the blackfly. There are celebrations
throughout Maine including a BlackFly Writers Retreat, at
least two BlackFly festivals, a Blackfly Ball, and a Blackfly
Brewfest. Numerous products from t-shirts and hats to
coffee mugs, note cards, and bumper stickers are available
for purchase to help celebrate our acceptance of the pest.

headquarters are located in Machais. During a recent
visit to Machais, I spoke with an MBBA member and
learned about Bloody Merry. Touted as the World’s
Largest Blackfly, she measures eight feet and her wings
flap up and down. I had hoped to see Bloody Merry, but
she apparently had an accident during this year’s Machais
Blueberry Festival and was not able to receive visitors. I
did see some of her babies which are up for adoption. For
$20 the adoptive parents gets a plush baby blackfly and an
official adoption certificate. These blackflies are certainly
more lovable than the pests around my house.
Now, I have to admit, the
main reason I wanted to see
Bloody Merry is to challenge
the claim that she is the world’s
largest blackfly. I went to take
measurements. Since she was
unavailable, I have to believe she
is eight feet.
You may ask, why should I
care about the size of a blackfly
in Washington County? Well,
Aroostook County has its own
giant blackfly. Located on the Grant Road in Fort Fairfield,
Simulium Venustum (Siven) is five feet three inches from
stinger to tail and has a wingspan of nine feet five inches.
Although Siven may be smaller than Bloody Merry and
his wings do not move, I’d say he can give her a run for
her money. At the very least, Siven is the largest blackfly
in Aroostook County.
One day, he may grow and his wings may move, but for
now he happily sits in his field of wildflowers bringing joy
to the residents of Aroostook County.

While most of us have eaten a few blackflies, generally
not by choice, there are some blackfly comestibles you
might want to try. Gifford’s makes a Maine Black Fly ice
cream – vanilla ice cream with flecks of chocolate (the
blackflies) and swirls of strawberry (the, well you know
what it represents). Gritty’s brews a Black Fly Stout and
there is even a coffee blend, Black Fly Roast, a coffee “For
the buzz that won’t go away.”
The Black Fly Roast coffee is the official coffee of the
Maine Blackfly Breeders’ Association (MBBA) whose
FALL 2016

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