Went mushroom hunting Saturday morning.
After it warmed up, we were heading back to the
car when I started noticing a few Black Flies.
Went out to the range a few hours later, and left
after 20 minutes of shooting. They were swarming
around my wife and me.

Repellant with 29% DEET hardly slowed them down.

For those not familiar with Black Flies, they are tiny gnat-like
insects that BITE. There are hundreds of species of
Black Flies, and each has it's own little differneces. But
the ones I am contending with bite hard and draw blood.

Last I heard, there weren't any effective repellants.
(although some claim 100% DEET works)

Guess shooting season is over for me until I can find
a solution.

Dave

Our biggest pests are called "horn flies". Flies that are less than 1/2 size of regular flies that cluster anywhere they can draw moisture. In this dry climate, insects are attracted to salt and moisture, such as sweat, eyes and mouths. So persistant, if you try to brush them off they just follow your hand back to where they had been to start.

Very distracting at the shooting range when trying to attain sight pictures!

Another problem is open cans of soda. Bees (in our area all are of the very aggresive African Bee type) will be attracted to the sweetness and moisture. They will crawl into the cans for a drink. When people then take a swallow, they get the bee in the mouths where they are promptly stung. A smart person keeps the cans capped or covered after opening.

Citronella Oil works far better than DEET. Our pharmacist gets it in once and a while, as we don't get blackflies every year. Putting it and DEET on at the same time doesn't work, as DEET blocks the skeeter's and fly's sniffers, while they can't stand the smell of Citronella. A lot of folks can't stand it either.

Bye
Jack

I was out turkey hunting in NH the past week, and those dame blackflyies are nasty, I wear a bug suit with deep woods off, since I don't have to worry about scent. My hunting friend forgot his vail and when he met me for lunch he had connect the dots all over his face and forehead and bleeding, said he didn't want to move to much so he let them have at it LOL.
Well he is braver than I ;) We also have had a big problem with ticks here as well, I have found up to ten ticks on my body even with a bug suit, they seem to find there way in sooner than later, So I need to take all my clothes off when I get home and under go a good inspection of my body, bot I hate those parasites:( Aim small hit small. RAMbo.

I haven’t experienced black flies, but I have had problems with mosquitoes, biting gnats, and other pesky insects. I have been able to keep them at bay with garlic. Eat 3 cloves the evening before your outing, and another 3 in the morning. It gives your whole body bug- B.O. It’s not very appealing to your fellow hikers/ hunters either, but that’s a small price to pay. If the taste is too strong, eat it with bread to cut the taste. Try it!

Darrel

I know what you are saying fellows... this time of the year the pests are out and make the outdoors tough on those that enjoy it year round. I've been trying that deet on our rattlesnakes but it just seems not to be effective. :D

I haven’t experienced black flies, but I have had problems with mosquitoes, biting gnats, and other pesky insects.


I think a lot of people refer to Black Flies as "biting gnats".

I'll give the garlic a try.

Dave

I know what you are saying fellows... this time of the year the pests are out and make the outdoors tough on those that enjoy it year round. I've been trying that deet on our rattlesnakes but it just seems not to be effective. :D

Ranch Dog,
How do you get the rattlesnakes to hold still so you can put the DEET on them? :D

Ranch Dog,
How do you get the rattlesnakes to hold still so you can put the DEET on them? :D

12 Gauge.

Hey, trade you some black flies for some fire ants....

Black Flies are the Maine State Bird!!

Best thing to keep them away is a big cheap cigar! It will keep them away from your face at least, but then they're crawling up your pant legs, down your collar, in your ears.....yuk!!
I live right in prime breeding territiory for these critters and have seen them chase grown men back into the house. The good thing is they only have a short season for peak pesty-ness. Am working "away" from home now, so I may miss the whole season. :D Lighter colored clothing is less attractive to them than dark stuff.

One would think the muzzle blast from a gun would scatter the little buggers, but it seems to be like ringing the dinner bell for them. It may be the burned gasses. Said that they can sense the exhaled CO2 and that usually means fresh meat! I also notice they love the sound of a chainsaw or lawn mower.

Chain saws and lawn mowers put out more CO2 than
a gun would.

REALLY wierd thing I noticed last year was some small
bees in the woods that became very attracted to my
rifle after shooting several rounds.

Dave

Try "old woodsman fly dope" for black flies. Used it years ago and just checked on the internet, it's still available. It worked when nothing else did on black flies. I use a BFR (rock) on rattlesnakes and I just wish bad luck on the fireants (almost burned my house down once fighting fireants). Ah well, Old Woodsman will not make you any new friends, but it will (or did) keep the black flies at bay. rc

Hey bye the way the garlic does work on those bugs, but it also keeps everyone else away LOL. Aim small hit small. RAMbo.

Went mushroom hunting Saturday morning.
After it warmed up, we were heading back to the
car when I started noticing a few Black Flies.

Repellant with 29% DEET hardly slowed them down.


I work outside (in da woods) every day of every week, all summer long. The black flies are my nemesis. I hate 'em real bad.
Anyway, I use a face net much of the time, at least May through June when black flies are at their worst. Deet usually keeps them from making you bleed, but its not that great and I figure its not so good to have Deet on me for five days a week, all summer, so I've tried lots of alternatives.
The best black fly repellant that I have found is called Bite Blocker. The link to the web site is:

http://www.homs.com/

It can be irritating to the skin when sweating under a shirt collar (for ex), but it works great! Less great against mosquitos, even though its advertised for them.

Garlic works only so-so for me.

I did an internet search.

It is now called "old time woodsman's fly dope".

http://www.predatorpee.com/old_woodsman.html

I'll have to order some of that, and the bite blocker,
and a bunch of garlic, and deet, and drink it all.
;)

Dave

I did an internet search.

It is now called "old time woodsman's fly dope".

http://www.predatorpee.com/old_woodsman.html

I'll have to order some of that, and the bite blocker,
and a bunch of garlic, and deet, and drink it all.
;)

Dave

Dave,
Its not too bad if ya mix it with kerosene and serve it on the rocks.

There used to be pills that you could buy that were supposed to keep the bugs off. I never tried them, but some of my friends used them. Of course, that was in the 70's and some guys would eat any drugs they could find back then! :rolleyes:

Thanks for the web site. I ordered a three-pack(and a hat). Can't have too many weapons against those dirty little.....

I was delighted to find the sticky patches for putting on your hat to kill deer flies on that site. I INVENTED THAT!!! When I lived in Central Mn where there are lots of deer and horse flies, I used to put a little "flag" on my hat/pack/etc. that flew above my head. I spread a gardening product called "tangle-foot" on it that stuck the flies to the little flag. Everybody (who were all shorter than me so I drew the flies-tallest guy gets 'em) laughed at me!! :D I shoulda marketed that "stickey flag". Coulda been a zillionaire!

Hmmmm, I'll head up to that little Ukrainian meat shop in the next town the next time we get a black fly outbreak. If their quadruple strength garlic sausage won't keep the black flies away, nothing will. Of course, you can't breath on any painted surfaces after a meal of it. :D

Spring is coming. I bagged my second mosquito of the year this morning.

Bye
Jack

Hmmmm, I'll head up to that little Ukrainian meat shop in the next town the next time we get a black fly outbreak. If their quadruple strength garlic sausage won't keep the black flies away, nothing will. Of course, you can't breath on any painted surfaces after a meal of it. :D

Spring is coming. I bagged my second mosquito of the year this morning.

Bye
Jack


Wow... you live someplace that the mosquitos STOP biting you during part of the year???? Interesting concept... :D

fullclip's right - black flies are the reason cigars were invented.