| Previous :: Next Topic |
| Author |
Message |
Chief Joseph
Member
Joined: 10 Nov 2007
Posts: 7701 | TRs | Pics
Location: Verlot-Priest Lake |
Years ago I ordered a very thin and lightweight MH long sleeved shirt just to keep those little black flies from driving me insane…I really had to because it’s a short drive.
Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
|
| Back to top |
  
|
|
Randito
Snarky Member
Joined: 27 Jul 2008
Posts: 9512 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bellevue at the moment. |
|
Randito
Snarky Member
|
 Wed Jul 28, 2021 8:11 am |
|
|
IME: Mosquitoes are the most irritating in camp during the evening while you are hanging out and trying to relax. Long sleeved shirts and long pants with DEET sprayed on the fabric help considerably. The most annoying thing is when they fly into my ears. A wide brimmed hat and a Mosquito headset stop that, but make eating and drinking inconvenient.
Choosing a campsite far away from lakes, ponds and swampy areas and hopefully with a little breeze makes a huge difference. I include a 96 oz Nalgene soft sided "canteen" in my kit to make selecting a dry site more feasible.
 Mountainpines
Mountainpines |
| Back to top |
|
|
coldrain108
Thundering Herd
Joined: 05 Aug 2010
Posts: 1858 | TRs | Pics
Location: somewhere over the rainbow |
This was the only thing that kept Adirondack Black flies off of us. No amount of deet slowed them down. They just blindly fly into you hair, ears, eyes, face etc and then start attacking. The scars last for weeks.
After that no amount of mosquitoes bother me at all.
We were at the Sol Duc hot springs soaking after a hike, a huge horse fly was doing circles around my head. I finally nailed it hard and splattered the bastard...right next to the folks eating at the outside dinning area...enjoy your meal!
Since I have no expectations of forgiveness, I don't do it in the first place. That loop hole needs to be closed to everyone.
Since I have no expectations of forgiveness, I don't do it in the first place. That loop hole needs to be closed to everyone.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
texasbb
Misplaced Texan
Joined: 30 Mar 2009
Posts: 1153 | TRs | Pics
Location: Tri-Cities, WA |
|
texasbb
Misplaced Texan
|
Wed Jul 28, 2021 2:21 pm |
|
|
| Bramble_Scramble wrote: | | I'm 6'3" and taller than my friends so if true, then I'm the target. I'm also taller than a lot of other hikers so I get quite a few spider webs to the face that shorter people missed. |
Yeah, but short people got no reason...
|
| Back to top |
|
|
neek
Member
Joined: 12 Sep 2011
Posts: 2336 | TRs | Pics
Location: Seattle, WA |
|
neek
Member
|
Wed Jul 28, 2021 2:27 pm |
|
|
| Bramble_Scramble wrote: | | I saw an article that mentioned horseflies tend to circle/attack the highest part of a moving object and to hike with someone who is taller than you so they become the target |
Yes, but they also need to be slower than you so that they can't outrun the bear. It's a delicate balance.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ForbinsAscent
Member
Joined: 29 Jun 2018
Posts: 26 | TRs | Pics
Location: WA |
I'm surprised not to see more mentions of picaridin. I used to apply DEET to clothes and skin, then over the years, eventually only applied it to skin. Then I heard there was a less "scary" alternative. This year I tried picaridin 20% lotion and it seems to work great against mosquitos so far. Supposed to work against black flies too but I haven't tried that yet.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Chief Joseph
Member
Joined: 10 Nov 2007
Posts: 7701 | TRs | Pics
Location: Verlot-Priest Lake |
Pretty sure that nothing except maybe a flame thrower will work against black flies.
Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
neek
Member
Joined: 12 Sep 2011
Posts: 2336 | TRs | Pics
Location: Seattle, WA |
|
neek
Member
|
Fri Jul 30, 2021 8:29 pm |
|
|
I keep telling people. No flame throwers until we get some rain.
Chief Joseph
Chief Joseph |
| Back to top |
|
|
zimmertr
TJ Zimmerman
Joined: 24 Jun 2018
Posts: 1224 | TRs | Pics
Location: Issaquah |
|
zimmertr
TJ Zimmerman
|
Sat Jul 31, 2021 1:27 pm |
|
|
Has anyone ever tried carrying an electronic repellent? I've always been curious about them.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Malachai Constant
Member
Joined: 13 Jan 2002
Posts: 16092 | TRs | Pics
Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny |
I think a lot of people here are confusing deer flies with black flies. In Washington and Oregon mostly what we have are deer flies which resemble small house flies. Black flies are mostly found in Canada, New England, and the Great Lakes they resemble mosquitos on steroids. All bite. In my experience DEET does not work on black flies but picarin is somewhat effective. Deer and horse flies are guided by vision and disappear at night. Mozzies and black flies are guided by scent and also bite by night. Permethrin works on all only on clothing. Fun fact, a friend shot a moose in Maine and it’s lungs were filled with black flies.
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
|
| Back to top |
|
|
coldrain108
Thundering Herd
Joined: 05 Aug 2010
Posts: 1858 | TRs | Pics
Location: somewhere over the rainbow |
| Malachai Constant wrote: | | un fact, a friend shot a moose in Maine and it’s lungs were filled with black flies. |
I was fearful that if I was knocked unconscious somehow while hiking in the 'Dacks the black flies would devour me.
Since I have no expectations of forgiveness, I don't do it in the first place. That loop hole needs to be closed to everyone.
Since I have no expectations of forgiveness, I don't do it in the first place. That loop hole needs to be closed to everyone.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
zimmertr
TJ Zimmerman
Joined: 24 Jun 2018
Posts: 1224 | TRs | Pics
Location: Issaquah |
|
zimmertr
TJ Zimmerman
|
Sat Jul 31, 2021 2:07 pm |
|
|
| Malachai Constant wrote: | | Black flies are mostly found in Canada, New England, and the Great Lakes |
I'm from Michigan and ohhhh boy the black flies were brutal around water on hot summer nights. Their bites would leave nickel sizes welts on your skin and actually hurt.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
zephyr
aka friendly hiker
Joined: 21 Jun 2009
Posts: 3370 | TRs | Pics
Location: West Seattle |
|
zephyr
aka friendly hiker
|
Sat Jul 31, 2021 3:21 pm |
|
|
| Malachai Constant wrote: | | I think a lot of people here are confusing deer flies with black flies. In Washington and Oregon mostly what we have are deer flies which resemble small house flies. |
Okay. So the flies that attacked me along the trail to and from Hannegan Peak were rather blackish. They did resemble house flies. I need to start calling them deer flies unless an entomologist speaks up. On the other hand I grew up with deer flies in the South. They were somewhat larger than the flies at Hannegan. And they were brownish in color. I remember fighting them off my horse's ears while out working cattle. We also had horse flies and a host of other things. So per the info below they come in different sizes and colors.
Okay here's a whole page of Deer Flies. They do come in various colors. And the Wiki page says they have a world-wide distribution. They are carriers for several diseases. I also read up on Black flies. They sound like much worse of a problem especially when they swarm.
Quote: "DEET is not an effective repellent." ~z
|
| Back to top |
|
|
fourteen410
Member
Joined: 23 May 2008
Posts: 2628 | TRs | Pics
|
| zimmertr wrote: | | Has anyone ever tried carrying an electronic repellent? I've always been curious about them. |
You mean like a Thermacell? If so, my experience has been that they are a godsend at camp. They can take 15-30 min to warm up to full effectiveness, but if you can tough it out, it's worth it on the other side  They're really only good for mosquitoes - flies are hit/miss with them.
Tom, Cyclopath, zimmertr
Tom, Cyclopath, zimmertr |
| Back to top |
|
|
zimmertr
TJ Zimmerman
Joined: 24 Jun 2018
Posts: 1224 | TRs | Pics
Location: Issaquah |
|
zimmertr
TJ Zimmerman
|
Sat Jul 31, 2021 9:06 pm |
|
|
Precisely! I might buy one for next season.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
