What works for them dang deer flies...

[w7xman]

I went trail running through Pawtuckaway looking for orchids this morning, and never even made it to the fens...the deer flies were terrible. My compulsive, irrational and reflexive reaction may be overdone, but I hate them.

Obviously the spray that works well for noseeums and mosquitos doesn't work, but does anything...

Please help me enjoy the park this summer...

 

[DougPaul]

See previous thread "Deer flies: how to deal with them?": http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=7394

Doug

 

[bikehikeskifish]

If you can get up to about 10-11 MPH, they have a hard time staying with you. I was pestered today on a bike ride while going up hill at ~8 MPH, but when I goosed it up to 10-11 or so, he drafted for a bit and then gave up.

Tim

 

[Peakbagr]

Use a friend as a Judas Goat.

A couple of years ago 3 of us had done a long ADK100 'whack. It was hot and steamy and the deer flies were on us all day. On the way out, we were on an old woods road, overhung with branches. The deerflies were hanging up in the branches and as you approached they swooped down and hounded you until you ran or squashed them. After a couple of miles of this I wondered why my 'pals' had been hanging back 50 yds on the woods road.
I discovered that I was the Judas Goat attracting the deer flies and they had hardly been bothered while the flying pestilence was interesed in me.
They'd been watching me swat and swear with no interest in joining the party.

 

[w7xman]

That thread confirms my biggest fears...

Surely some developments had to have occured with 'dear' flies in the past two years...

 

[DougPaul]

That thread confirms my biggest fears...

Surely some developments had to have occured with 'dear' flies in the past two years...

You were hoping they had been placed on the endangered species list?

Doug

 

[dug]

Sounds crazy, but this does work (a bit):

-Hold your hands out in front and above your head
-Face your palms toward each other
-Slowly bring your palms closer together so they are about 1' apart
-Clap

Why this works:
-Deer flies tend to swarm around the highest point (like antlers), so your arms are mimicking them.

Potential problems:
-While your arms are stretched out, one swings around and chomps on the back of your neck

It's an old surveyor's trick that does work on occasion. It's the best I've come up with. Other than that, go with Tim's idea and run like hell.

 

[David Metsky]

Surely some developments had to have occured with 'dear' flies in the past two years...

As opposed to the previous 300 years?

 

[TCD]

I've had some luck with composite insect repellent (Sawyer's Broad Spectrum), which is mostly DEET, but includes a couple other ingredients that are specific to biting flies. It's not a scientific study, but I do seem to get fewer deer fly bites with this repellent.

 

[Fisher Cat]

I swear sometimes its just who you are that attracts them. Last year while doing trailwork, i.e. blazing which means moving at a ridiculously slow pace, I was literally molested by those buggers. However, the fellow working with me wasn't bothered at all, not a single one was interested in him at all, while at the same time, neither of us was wearing a repellent of any type. They must be attracted to whatever our bodies give off.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I've read, and have some empirical evidence that biting insects in general do not like garlic, while they do like bananas. I've heard that the latter is really to do with potassium content. Years ago a fishing pal of mine smoked which kept the biters away from him, or so it seemed. They would take some interest until he lit up.

Also, the larger, sweatier, hotter, and more CO2-emitting you are, the 'juicier' the target you are.

I'm going to try the fern in the hat trick. Or maybe a very small flag stuck in the bike helmet.

I'm not so sure I buy the stay calm/still argument as I've had swarms of them on me while gardening, which is a calm/still endeavor (usually.)

Tim

 

[marty]

First of all, kudos to Doug Paul for unearthing my old thread from the past on this topic.

Second, I have tried some of the suggestions since the time of that thread. None have worked perfectly, including the fern in the cap trick and Sawyer's Broad Spectrum (which works great on black flies, btw). The best thing I have found is wearing a hat sprayed with Skin So Soft. They seem to hit my head once or twice and then fly off. Unfortunately, they occasionally decide to drop down to my neck or back and chomp me, but thankfully not often.

Regards,
Marty

 

[miehoff]

The "Boxer" Method

I designed this killing method a few years ago.

As soon as you notice the fly orbiting around your head, you look ahead and make sure the trail is clear of any danger. Speed up a bit, keeping the fly interested and challenged. Stop suddenly and at the same time arch your back and pull your head back, like you are avoiding a punch while in a rough Boston Irish bar. You will suddenly see the fly ahead of you, most of the time just in front of your face. Have hands ready, for this is the killing time.

 

[rocket21]

Just as a postscript to this thread, I walked into deer fly central on my short ascent to Bald Pate Mountain (Bridgton) - between 6 and 10 of them on me like a lawyer after spilling hot coffee on myself.

Previously, I tried the 'fern trick' on Great Hill (similar amount of deer flies) and it did no good. This time around, it seemed to help - some of them gave up, others seemed confused and thus didn't come in contact with me as much. The difference? This time I used a large fern (2 feet across in each direction, a foot high) rather than the last time, in which I used a foot tall by 6 inch wide one.