And now for something completely bizzare.....why does the snow come to life while detecting? Even while sober?:lol:

[BarnacleBill]

On the rare occasion during the Spring when I've had Flatlanders detecting with me they are sometimes freaked out by the snow. Not because it's deep, or wet & cold, but because it comes to life and begins to move. Now the Old Codgers don't normally notice it because they're just too dang blind. But the younger ones can provide a lot of entertainment. I of course always play dumb, "what do you mean it moved"? "How much Wild Turkey did you have last night?" I of course wander over and say things like, "I don't see anything moving", or "when was the last time you had your eyes checked"?

The culprit in the snow moving of course is the dreaded Snow Flea, a Steven King like creation guaranteed to Sober up even the most inebriated detectorista whose spent good time & money at achieving his preferred mode. Which brings us to this AM.

The boss is heading out to work this AM and steps in a pile of something. Of course she pivots around re-enters the domicile and says "OK, what did you or the crumb snatchers spill next to the front steps?". :veryangry:Now I of course having years of marriage experience play dumb, because experience dictates that whether it's your fault or not just play dumb while you work on the excuse. So I'm scouring my memory trying to come up with what I might have spilled and forgotten to clean up before morning inspection.

Well she goes back out to look over the mess to see what the material might tell her in pointing to the guilty party. She yells in the house "looks like Nestle Quick", which leads to great relief on my part as it's definitely a crumb snatcher that's going to take the rap for this infraction. Then she says "it's moving, the Nestle Quick is moving". Aha! I know exactly what it is! My lil' Buddies the Snow Fleas!

The Snow Fleas from time to time will mass into a group where you can see them. But when they hop around on the snow it can give you quite a start, if you're not used to seeing snow that's "alive". I put a U.S. Quarter down to provide a size perspective of this massing.

[attachment 153723 snow2.jpg]

Immediately after putting the Quarter down they are hopping on it.

[attachment 153722 snow1.jpg]

I also put an index card down to make the lil' buggers easier to see.

[attachment 153724 snow3.jpg]

Here's a link to more info on them:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_flea

So if you're headed to the Great White North for some Winter/Spring detecting don't freak out, the snow is alive!

HH
BarnacleBill

 

[Mtnmn]

I've seen plenty of snow fleas, but what irritates me the most are the small white flying insects that literally cover my van at night during the summer time. I have to chase them off just to get in the door of my van or else they'll follow me right in and often do. We also have another white insect in the summer time which looks like a little white ball of flying fluff and are kind of cute.

 

[Beale]

I had never heard of them before. Pretty wild stuff, Beale.

 

[TURNMASTER]

Sand fleas for the colder climate. Bizzare

 

[7centsworth]

Never heard of them either. Do they bite?

 

[Treasured Chest]

Wow, interesting little critters : )

 

[Mtnmn]

Just for the record, snow fleas did not bite and are harmless, though they are capable of swarming...