Bite me - greenhead season upon us again

I can understand the Daily News wanting to inject a little humor into their stories, but really ...

It's a humid, summer day in July on Plum Island. A cool breeze cuts through the thick air, birds dive in and out of marshes, a family unloads a car of children for a day in the sun.
With shorts, T-shirts and sandals, you can tell right away that this group is new to the area.

Before they can enjoy their picnic lunch, dozens of large, green insects swoop in, using their razor-sharp teeth to bite into the flesh of the visiting family. After withstanding several attacks and sustaining large, red welts, the family heads into the car for shelter.

For unsuspecting tourists, they're ferocious creatures that create an annoyance large enough to ruin any beach outing.

The reporter is referring to greenhead flies (read the story here). First of all, they are not that large (I've got regular old black flies that are much larger) and second, only their heads are green (hence the name).

They are pretty pesky - I haven't seen one yet this year, though - but they are also slow-moving and so pretty easy to swat away. It's those deer flies that are driving me nuts.

Of course, if you're not from around here and you read this story, it would seem that you're doomed. A "but seriously folks ..." might have been appropriate, if indeed humor was the intent.

(Educational coordinator for the Joppa Flats Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary David) Larson added one other piece of advice to those wishing to avoid the greenheads this season.

"Go to the Berkshires," Larson said.

Dave's a jokester.