Author Topic: Do you guys have "acid flies" in US? (Read 1210 times)

Curval · « **on:** June 09, 2003, 12:25:18 PM »

Firday night I'm driving my little scooter home with my son on the bike in front of me. We reach a strech of road that is very curvy, with no-where to pull over...then it happens.

"Thwack"

An acid fly hits me in the eye.

If you haven't had the pleasure of this happen to you you are fortunate. These flies are tiny, but have a sac of acid they use for defensive purposes on their body. When they hit your eye the natural reaction is for a person to rub their eye and try to remove the thing..which causes the sac to rupture.

The acid is agonising. Then the tears start and are so bad the eye in question is completely useless.

I had to ride for about a quarter mile struggling to see the road and dealing with something akin to having a red hot poker jabbed in one's eye.

When I finally pulled over I couldn't see the fly in my eye in the mirror of the bike. It had gone inside the eye socket and was stuck to the underside of my eyeball....spilling its load of acid.

After about fifteen minutes so much water had run out of my eye it effectively "washed" the damn fly to where I could see it and get it out. I looked like some sort of freak with one eye totally swollen and bloodshot and the other fine.

We have quite a few accidents caused by these things here. People on bikes have been known to stop holding their handle-bars and to grab at their eyes after being hit in the eye while riding along.

The moral of the story is obviously "sunglasses", or a visor. But, Murphy's law applied to me on Friday. The shades were left at the office and my visor was up at the time.

Anyone else have these things where they live?

Drunky · « **Reply #1 on:** June 09, 2003, 12:32:24 PM »

Here in Texas we have what's called "June Bugs". Nasty buggers they are. About the size of a grape and frucking hard also.

Friend of mine used to have a Harley. He was driving down the road when *BAM*, June bug hits him in the forehead right between the eyes almost. Knocked him almost to the point of senseless that he had to pull over on the side of the road for five minutes to recover.

Not sure why they are called june bugs because they don't just come at during the month of June. Maybe someone else can come up with more information on them.

AKIron · « **Reply #2 on:** June 09, 2003, 12:34:54 PM »

I used to ride a lot when I was younger. Don't recall anything like what you described. We do have a lot of "June bugs" here in Texas. They are pretty big and when one of those hits you in the face at 70 miles an hour you feel like you've been shot.

AKIron · « **Reply #3 on:** June 09, 2003, 12:35:37 PM »

hehe Drunky, you type faster than me.

Curval · « **Reply #4 on:** June 09, 2003, 12:39:03 PM »

I get hit by all kinds of things including big bumble-bees, flying roaches, rain, etc etc. The speeds are somewhat different though. Here the bug hits you at about 25mph (at the most)...not 70mph.

If one of our roaches hit you at that speed it would knock you clean off the bike.

bigUC · « **Reply #5 on:** June 09, 2003, 12:40:30 PM »

Bugs are bad - birds are worse.. Was riding with a friend a dark night a few years ago when i suddenly his bike goes sideways out into the ditch... When i stop beside him, he's picking something that looks gooey from his jacket. Suddenly we both notice feathers sticking out of his handbrake... Turns out a seagull was splattered against the brake cylinder, when i turned on my flashlight we saw bird intestines and feathers all over his jacket. Imagine getting it in the face @ 60 mph.

funkedup · « **Reply #6 on:** June 09, 2003, 12:40:39 PM »

*Pictures Curval with big ole swollen eye and sunburn*

ra · « **Reply #7 on:** June 09, 2003, 12:41:00 PM »

When I first got my motorcycle I took it for a ride in the mountains and promptly nailed a grouse at 60mph.

Luckily the thing hit the instrument cluster and not my chest or I would have been on my arse with a dead grouse flapping around on me.

AKS\/\/ulfe · « **Reply #8 on:** June 09, 2003, 01:03:17 PM »

I think what you guys are calling June Bugs are known as Cicadas.

http://www.desertusa.com/mag98/july/papr/du_cicada.html
-SW

RightF00T · « **Reply #9 on:** June 09, 2003, 01:09:17 PM »

Ahhh June Bugs, I remember catching them, tying yarn or thread to their legs and "flying" them. Hours of entertainment.

AKIron · « **Reply #10 on:** June 09, 2003, 01:09:32 PM »

No, they're not SW, I'll find a pic and post.

AKIron · « **Reply #11 on:** June 09, 2003, 01:12:24 PM »

Here's a link:
http://insects.tamu.edu/images/insects/fieldguide/bimg139.html

AKS\/\/ulfe · « **Reply #12 on:** June 09, 2003, 01:19:04 PM »

Ah, I thought Cicadas were June Bugs because thats what they call 'em around the North Eastern US.

The June Bugs you guys have are around here too, but they aren't out in droves like I imagine they are in the South.

Had one of those things fly through my open window one night and kamikazee into my computer's CPU fan, every blade was ripped clean off and the fan motor actually started smoking.

I'd hate to have one hit me in the head at 30+MPH.

-SW

Mini D · « **Reply #13 on:** June 09, 2003, 01:20:37 PM »

We had the Japanese Beetle's in Idaho, but we still called them June bugs. They were notorious for flying until they hit something. You'd be out on the flightline and one would just slam into either you or the aircraft. I had one hit my helmet once while riding and it still threw my head back a bit. I can't even imagine hitting one without a helmet.

MiniD

Hortlund · « **Reply #14 on:** June 09, 2003, 01:21:07 PM »

Bah... In Sweden we have 900 pound Moose lurking along the roadsides...you definitively do NOT want to get one of those in your eye while riding a bike (or a car).