Black Flies and Mosquitos

[RANGER]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-20-01 AT 11:05AM (CST)[p]I posted this on the "Canada" board and thought it might be helpful. T-BONE asked what we do about Black Flies and Mosqutios in Canada. Others' can kick in as to what they DO:


T-BONE,

My disclaimer: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. THIS IS WHAT WE DO. RIGHT OR WRONG.

I will try to do my best for you because I had gotten caught twice when the Black flies were hatching AND the mosquitos. It can seriously ruin your week. I refuse to
have that happen ever again, SOOOOOO...this is what I/WE do:

1) First, foremost and ALWAYS.....go to campmor.com. It is a sight for campers and hikers. Order a set of the no-see-em netting material sold as head and arm/hand
coverings made for this purpose. 1 set each for each person and 1 spare. If nothing else get the stuff to cover your head and neck, you can wear gloves on your hands.
This is the most important advice I can give you because, for Black flies, repellants are not a sure bet. The first time it happened to us we sprayed ourselves left and
right and it hardly made a difference! I then rubbed pure motor oil on my arms AND THEY BIT THROUGH THAT! Nasty little bas..........!

I, also, have the mosquito netting and rigging to arrange it over your bed/sleeping area. Often it is too hot inside the cabin to close it all up at night. This will give you a
nights' peace.

Bring bath towels or similar articles and keep them in your boat. You'll need them to wrap around your ankles when sitting in the boat. Those buggers find the thinist
material and bite through THAT and your socks are easier to bite through than are your jeans.

2) For the mosquitos and Deer flies Vitamin B-1 in a 250mg single tablet, RDA around 2500%. A lot of folks bulk at this but we have never had any ill effects from it.
Take it for a week before you go and each day while there. You'll notice a change in your urine, it will be more yellow and has a distinct odor (B-1 odor). This is normal.
Don't skip any days, take it with your coffee in the morning after having set it out the night before.

If you're hesitant about the B-1 don't do it. But, if you want to try it and are a little concerned about a reaction do a trial now, way before you go and see how it settles. Your call, of course.

One of my friends is allergic to the Deer fly bites and suffered while there. I had him take the B-1 and they left him alone.

3) Deep Woods Off in spray, lots of it.

4) Suphenepherine (sp?) tablets. This is the active ingredient in Sudafed and similar anti-histamines. This is sold separately and is a small tablet, around 10mg. This is
for anyone that does get bit and has a reaction to the bite.

If you blow everything off I wrote here, at least get the netting. It will SAVE your trip if the Black flies are hatching.

I wish you well.


RANGER


"KEEP YOUR LINES WET, YOUR POWDER DRY and THE BEER COLD"

[CULEX]

If you are in the bush learn to live with the bugs. If you place your campsite properly and minimize your movements in and out of your tent or camper you can cut down on the discomfort a lot. We always wear a hat and two pairs of socks and dress in layers. I only apply bug repellant to my hat and a small amounts behind my ears. I do not like chemicals all over my body. Covering up as much as possible is your best bet in extreme situations. The bug mesh over your face is your best defence in an extreme case. You are going to get bit......that is a fact. Learning to live with it is the true test. I have seen people go into the bush when there are very few bugs, see a couple of mosuitos and dose themselve with every device known to man.They would not shut up about how bad the bugs are. A bug tent is a good thing as well. It gives you a place to rest with a lot fewer bugs.We plan our activities around the bugs. If they are extreme we rise very early and retire early. Be in sync with nature.Those bugs are just trying to make a living just like you. Get used to it.

[Hawgeye]

Good information on the B-1. Besides that, I say RAID the camp with the bug bombs. As far as I am concerned the only good mosquito is a dead mosquito. There are plenty of other insects for animals to eat that they don't need to worry about protecting the little beasts! Black flies on the other hand are good biters too. I will have to get some mesh for my "after dark" fishing. Repelants only work so well and I would think the mesh netting would work better.

[sublux]

I personally HATE DEET products,...I really DON'T think its psycological however I can't really put into words what it is,...esp when I put it on my skin,..I just don't feel as well as I should be feeling(??) Anyway,...they sell something called GREENBAN around here,..I love the stuff (for Mosquitos/Deer/horse flies) it doesn't evaporate like DEET does and smells much better,.. It doesn't work all that well for black flies though,.not sure about ticks..I read an article that said oil of Bergamont was the only thing that works fairly well,for the black flies,....haven't tried it personally,..I always forget how bad they can be until I get into a mess of them again...I now pack a hat and net in case they get bad,..I also read an article that the tough old trappers and woodsmen of the 17 and 1800's would sometimes be driven nearly insane from them,...one expedition in the Adrondaks several members of an exploring group in the early 1800's sat down on a log and wept,..when I first read that as a young hiker I thought they were whimps until one June I hiked in the same area,..I didn't sit down and weep,...but I wasn't far from it,..it was mental angish,..I thought about that paragraph,..and didn't blame them one bit,..again,..I seem to always forget just how bad they can be,..esp if hour after hour they are bad and you have no hope of getting away from them.

[sublux]

I personally HATE DEET products,...I really DON'T think its psycological however I can't really put into words what it is,...esp when I put it on my skin,..I just don't feel as well as I should be feeling(??) Anyway,...they sell something called GREENBAN around here,..I love the stuff (for Mosquitos/Deer/horse flies) it doesn't evaporate like DEET does and smells much better,.. It doesn't work all that well for black flies though,.not sure about ticks..I read an article that said oil of Bergamont was the only thing that works fairly well,for the black flies,....haven't tried it personally,..I always forget how bad they can be until I get into a mess of them again...I now pack a hat and net in case they get bad,..I also read an article that the tough old trappers and woodsmen of the 17 and 1800's would sometimes be driven nearly insane from them,...one expedition in the Adrondaks several members of an exploring group in the early 1800's sat down on a log and wept,..when I first read that as a young hiker I thought they were whimps until one June I hiked in the same area,..I didn't sit down and weep,...but I wasn't far from it,..it was mental angish,..I thought about that paragraph,..and didn't blame them one bit,..again,..I seem to always forget just how bad they can be,..esp if hour after hour they are bad and you have no hope of getting away from them.

[ifish4eyes]

I heard that downy dry sheets keep them away. Stuff them in your shoes, pockects under your hat and under your shirt collar. I personally have not tried this.

[RANGER]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-23-01 AT 09:59AM (CST)[p]That would be Great if it did work. As with sublux, I don't like putting DEET products on my skin either. It doesn't make me feel poorly but it is sticky, hard to easily wash off and it really messes up fish finder screens, and rod finishes!


RANGER


"KEEP YOUR LINES WET, YOUR POWDER DRY and THE BEER COLD"

[GORD]

Very good info. Here's a few of my thaughts... B1 and garlic. start taking them about a month before mosquito season. wear thick woolen work socks. saturate them the night before with deep woods off and store them over overnight in a sealed plastic bag. throw a well spayed t shirt in that bag too. wear a sprayed flannel shirt over the t shirt. it will keep the bugs off your back. don't do up the buttons or tuck it in. wear it like an open jacket. spray your pants good too. oldtimers used to wear long underwear all summer. some wore heavey sweaters. get well smoked next to the fire whenever possible. keep a flyswatter in your boat. wear rubber boots to protect your ankles if necessary. a spray soaked sweat suit is good to have in a sealed plastic bag. be sure it is a good clear plastic bag. bug spray will melt colors and grocery bags. spray your hat. staple a dryer sheet to the back of your hat so it hangs down and covers your neck. if things get really bad, put on your rain suit. at night place a lantern or light about 30 feet or more away from you. the bugs will go to the light and leave you alone. I hang a light bulb over a pie plate or hub cap. i put some water in the hub cap then float a little oil on the water. any kind of oil works. i sometimes use cooking oil. the light reflects in the oil. the bugs fly into the reflection at night and get stuck in the oil. that hub cap and light bulb will kill bugs all summer. as good as a bug zapper and a lot quieter and cheaper.

[Buckg]

One thing I found useful when I lived in the northwoods was wearing a fish-net undershirt under a long sleeved T-shirt. I am somewhat warm natured and sometimes covering up in warm weather was almost as oppressive as the bugs. The fish-net will set your shirt off away from your body so the bugs can't reach your skin. Drives the buggers nuts! To deal with most situations I would spray my hat, shirtsleeves, pants(sometimes wear fish-net bottoms too). Of course it is a good idea to always carry a headnet. If it got too hot I could push the sleeve up and spray directly on my arms. The fish-net seems to keep one cooler in hot weather and yet somehow seems to offer insulation in cool weather. Unfortunately, they don't seem to be widely available like they used to be.

[Stinger]

>LAST EDITED ON Mar-20-01
>AT 11:05*AM (CST)
>
>I posted this on the "Canada"
>board and thought it might
>be helpful. T-BONE asked
>what we do about Black
>Flies and Mosqutios in Canada.
> Others' can kick in
>as to what they DO:
>
>
>
>
> T-BONE,
>
>
> My disclaimer: I AM
>NOT A DOCTOR. THIS
>IS WHAT WE DO. RIGHT
>OR WRONG.
>
>
> I will try to
>do my best for you
>because I had gotten caught
>twice when the Black flies
>were hatching AND the mosquitos.
>It can seriously ruin your
>week. I refuse to
>
> have that happen ever
>again, SOOOOOO...this is what I/WE
>do:
>
>
> 1) First, foremost and
>ALWAYS.....go to campmor.com. It is
>a sight for campers and
>hikers. Order a set of
>the no-see-em netting material sold
>as head and arm/hand
>
> coverings made for this
>purpose. 1 set each for
>each person and 1 spare.
>If nothing else get the
>stuff to cover your head
>and neck, you can wear
>gloves on your hands.
>
> This is the most
>important advice I can give
>you because, for Black flies,
>repellants are not a sure
>bet. The first time it
>happened to us we sprayed
>ourselves left and
>
> right and it hardly
>made a difference! I then
>rubbed pure motor oil on
>my arms AND THEY BIT
>THROUGH THAT! Nasty little bas..........!
>
>
>
> I, also, have the
>mosquito netting and rigging to
>arrange it over your bed/sleeping
>area. Often it is too
>hot inside the cabin to
>close it all up at
>night. This will give you
>a
>
> nights' peace.
>
>
> Bring bath towels or
>similar articles and keep them
>in your boat. You'll need
>them to wrap around your
>ankles when sitting in the
>boat. Those buggers find the
>thinist
>
> material and bite through
>THAT and your socks are
>easier to bite through than
>are your jeans.
>
>
> 2) For the mosquitos
>and Deer flies Vitamin B-1
>in a 250mg single tablet,
>RDA around 2500%. A lot
>of folks bulk at this
>but we have never had
>any ill effects from it.
>
>
> Take it for a
>week before you go and
>each day while there. You'll
>notice a change in your
>urine, it will be more
>yellow and has a distinct
>odor (B-1 odor). This is
>normal.
>
> Don't skip any days,
>take it with your coffee
>in the morning after having
>set it out the night
>before.
>
>If you're hesitant about the B-1
>don't do it. But,
>if you want to try
>it and are a little
>concerned about a reaction do
>a trial now, way before
>you go and see how
>it settles. Your call,
>of course.
>
>
> One of my friends
>is allergic to the Deer
>fly bites and suffered while
>there. I had him take
>the B-1 and they left
>him alone.
>
>
> 3) Deep Woods Off
>in spray, lots of it.
>
>
>
> 4) Suphenepherine (sp?) tablets.
>This is the active ingredient
>in Sudafed and similar anti-histamines.
>This is sold separately and
>is a small tablet, around
>10mg. This is
>
> for anyone that does
>get bit and has a
>reaction to the bite.
>
>
> If you blow everything
>off I wrote here, at
>least get the netting. It
>will SAVE your trip if
>the Black flies are hatching.
>
>
>
> I wish you well.
>
>
>
>RANGER
>
>
>"KEEP YOUR LINES WET, YOUR POWDER
>DRY and THE BEER COLD"
>
Add light colored clothing to your list. Black flys love dark colors.Good Luck

[lobo]

I agree with the mental anguish !! Several years ago,in the Chapleau area,we caught a major hatch in mid June and at any time you would have thousands of bugs crawling on you; it was as if your clothes were moving. Could literally drive a man nuts. We had head nets, Deet, Deep Woods Off, skin so soft, and duct tape but still were molested by the little buggers. Those little motors at that camp would not even out run the swarms or clear the boat of the bast****. We were quite the sight when the plane came in to pick us up !! welts everywhere. The group that came in on the plane must have had a heck of a trip; they were swatting at the bugs as soon as they got off the plane, one guy was terified of a large spider on the dock and to top it off they were all wearing shorts and sandals (dinner time !!) We just smiled and got on the plane, very happy to be going home.
We're still set on going in early June but now we go quite a bit farther north.
Everybody should experience it atleast once and then when the bugs are "normal" there is no whining etc.

lobo