Flesh eating flies

[Don..SD]

OK so there not flesh eating flies but they were bitting the *&#@ out of us and every time we moved (on the Missouri river)they found us.

So what works??? We sprayed about everything we had on us, how about those electrical units advertised on TV ???? I think these flies gave my wife, myself and my lab a complex, bad dreams, and uncontrolable air swatting. what a day.!!!!!!!

[JasonMN]

good old fashioned 100 precent DEET always works.

[Tim FRick]

On Lake Erie when the wind dies in the middle of summer it can get pretty bad. The flies bite the ##### out of youe ankles. Especially when a front is moving in. The only thing that we found that works is Joy dishwashing soap. Buy a bottle and rub it on the areas that they are bitting. Lucky for us it's mostly from the knees down.
Good Luck!!
Tim FRick

[Gilligan]

Tim.. I've only experienced these flys biting just above the boot/shoe line. I just wear pants long enough to cover well over shoe tops and never get bit. A bit hot tho on these 90 deg days.

[river king]

ive been told that dryer sheets the ones you use in the clothes dryer works really well after being on saginaw bay for the rcl tourney and having to go to the hospital because my ankle got infected from the bites i/m gonna try the sheets next weekend on saginaw again will let you know if it works i sure hope so lol

[vetspet(ind)]

we vets sell fly repellent for animals that i have never used and just thought about using it...i know it works well on dogs' ears....and horses....have always used deet...be sure to not get deet on your graph or it can eat plastics and ruin the face of the graph....steve...will take a bottle of fly repellent tomorrow and post how well it worked...steve

[cisco]

I almost always wear 8" boots when spending a day in the boat. They keep the flies from nailing my ankles.

As for DEET, it has proven to be the best repellant by far, as first demonstrated in extensive research in the Everglades and World War II in the Pacific. However, it should never be used on children and there is increasing evidence it is not all that safe for adults. Get some good advice before using DEET.

Incidentally, DEET and some of the other repellants will damage synthetic fibers and vinyl. It will eat the seats of your boat and ruin your best fishing shirt (if you wear the quick-dry rather pricey guideshirts and super fabrics).

Sometimes it's just a matter of adaptation. Since I am allergic to insect bites, I watch what I do. No more BWCA canoe and portage trips, no more night fishing, no more exploring in heavy marsh. I can still have fun.

Keep tabs, too, on reports in Minnesota about the so-called LaCrosse strain of virus that is carried by mosquitoes.

[Tracy]

Deet does not always keep the flys off, I had a day last year (the first Saturday in September) on Erie when nothing worked. I started with a thick layer of Off Skintastic, then Deep Woods Off, they bite straight through it while it was still wet. My buddy had a bottle of 100% Deet. I put that on my legs and ankles and the flys bite harder, again while it was still wet. I went nuts that day! We had over 500 flies in and on the boat and our legs. By far the worst day I have ever seen in 25 years on Erie.

If you don't mind getting oily try Baby Oil. Never seen a bug that could survive contact with it yet!

Tracy

[Backwater Eddy]

Vinegar

[Pitts]

Don I never go fishing for an extended outing that I do not take a pair of long pants with either because it could get cold or for insect control.
The flies really like light colors hence white socks and ankle biters. I usually put the levis on and get out the roll of duct tape and tape up my exposed ankles like you would for ticks. This is really effective for the ankle biters repellant does not work on them.
Like other people said hot but effective.

Hope this helps


Pitts

[Finaddict]

Try using shower to shower powder in your shoes seems to help. cuts down on the sweat from your feet and the smell, there is a reason they go for the ankles.

[Box]

About LaCrosse encephalitis, it rarely is contracted by anybody but young children, or sometimes the weak and elderly. Most peoples bodies would fight it off no problem, even if they were bit by an infected mosquito, which is fairly rare.

It's the Aedes triseriatus mosquito (the treehole mosquito, which actually is very pretty under a microscope) which carries it, and they rarely travel more than about 100 yards from there treehole (or can or tire or bucket full of water). That is why when there are infected mosquitoes, several children can be bit in the same area making it seem like there is an "epidemic". Hot area is around the Minnetonka area, Scott County or around tire dumps, but mosquito control has done a good job in reducing the number of cases to nearly zero each year. A big part of control is reducing the potential breeding area - getting rid of junk tires and cans and filling treeholes in yards.

Anyway, enough for the mosquito lesson :) Next one will be Aedes vexans, the mosquito that causes dog heartworm... Figured I'd throw some trivia out there!

Good fishing,
Box in MN, former mosquito control researcher

[RANGER]

OK Ed, I'll bite LOL!


RANGER


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

[Chad]

I went golfing the other day(not by choice, had to for work) and the golf pro had some Factor H. I believe it is a dishsoap made by Shakley. I put some on my ankles and it kept the flys away.

I seems that dishsoap may be one item that works along with long pants.

[EAGLE EYES]

You hit it on the head! Smelly feet = flies biting ankles.

[wALLYGETTER]

As mentioned earlier in a posted reply, be careful when applying 100% deet. A few of us applied 100% deet to heavy to our open skin while on a trip to Canada and all ended up getting quite ill, headache, vomiting, we could taste the deet in our mouths, it was not fun. When applying, put it on your clothing, hats, long sleeve shirts, pants, and socks, and avoid open skin areas as much as possible. I still won't use it, I would rather have a few bites than to go through that again. Good Luck Fishing. Wallygetter

[RANGER]

LAST EDITED ON Jun-29-01 AT 06:40AM (CST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Jun-29-01 AT 06:36*AM (CST)

I know ya'll are going to laugh out loud at this BUT I use Flying Insect Raid! Let me explain: As with most of you, we have tried EVERYTHING, at least that we can think of, some are OK but most aren't. My wife is very sensitive to these bites! Why? I don't know but she dresses in long sleeve/leg clothing to offset the flies yet they still try to bite. I can't stand long clothing when it is hot. SOOOOOOOOOOOOO, what I did was - Kill Them! I figured that if I sprayed them that this is a batch that won't bite her, or me, again! I can't explain it but the "WORD" must get out. After about 15 to 20 minutes of spraying them, THEY STOP!!!!!!!!! Honest! It has worked the last 3 encounters so I have a hard time explaining it as "coincidental"! The second to the last incident was a really bad day (like "Tracy's" experience), just HUNDREDS of them. I stood up and sprayed the whole darn boat - AND THEY WENT A...W...A...Y...!!!

Call it what you may! Crazy! Wacko!......! I WILL tell you this---I keep 2 cans of spray on the boat all the time and I won't go out without them. And I'll also say, if I thought a SHOTGUN would work, out there, I'd take it, too!! ;-) Hmmmmmm......come to think of it.............jet skies.....Hmmmmmmm..It's a thought! :o

What I can't figure is why those flies choose to be 6, 8, 16, 22 miles from land anyway! That's a LONG flight with no guarantee of a rest stop/food plaza! AND, How the HE__ can they find the boat?! Go figure!


RANGER


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

[vetspet(ind)]

there are known to be something like 30 mosquito species which carry canine heartworms...steve

[eyepopper]

Ranger,

You're right, the chemical warfare method works. I think the reason the flies stay away is that they cannot deal with a dirty battlefield. The accumulated Raid residue keeps them from lighting on the boat, and subsequently nippin' at the ankles. Got to keep it off the tackle tho'..

[cisco]

How about armpits?

[RANGER]

Yeah, I keep it away from the tackle, however, it isn't that destructive. At least compared to DEET!

I didn't think of the "Dirty battlefield" concept but it makes sense. I KNOW it WORKS! At least these last times I have used it.


RANGER


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

[cisco]

On Lake Michigan, there are biting flies that are hatched ON the water -- thus, the distance to shore is irrelevant. This is also why you'll often find steelhead with a belly full (I mean full) of black flies. They feed on the flies right on the surface -- swim along with mouths open, get full.

As for DEET on clothing, don't do it unless your clothes are all natural fibre, with no synthetics (that includes thread). DEET destroys clothes made of synthetics.

When weather permits, I wear my Bug Off suit -- fine mesh pants and pullover hooded parka. I can also "charge" it with a product called Duranon. It comes in a non-aerosol pump and repels ticks, mites, chiggers, and mosquitoes. The operative chemical is permethrin. I almost always wear the suit when I mow the grass, since I live in the country in central Minnesota. It contains no DEET and is not harmful to clothes.

[Mean Mike]

drink it or rub it on??

[Box]

I bet there are, there are lots of mosquito species. In MN, Aedes vexans (they are relatively small, and have white bands on the legs and little "W"'s on the top of abdomen, easily seen with naked eye) are the main culprit. They are also the typical human biter and main annoyance in the summer, along with Coquilletida perturbans (sp?, the cattail mosquito) which usually come out around the fourth of July and are usually huge and have BIG white bands on the legs. We ain't seen nothing yet... ugh...

I have seen mosquitos in MN early in spring, when there is still total snow on the ground - they hatch in melting snow pools.

:) I guess I never stop spewing relatively useless info... hehe

Box

[EAGLE EYES]

I don't know I use that new deodorant, "Strong enough for a barn animal but, made for a man" :-) Keeps them pesky flies away and doubles as a Walleye attracter. Heheh!

[Gilligan]

Jeez...you guys worry bout a bunch of little flies..lol. We get attacted by bats where we fish Erie. 8 miles out and the miserable things think they are coming on board..over my dead body..and nearly was almost fell overboard beating the thing off me.

[cisco]

Did you know that bats carry, among other things, deer ticks? You still need the repellant.

[THUMPER]

I spend a lot of time in the Bush in NW Ontario. I always dress for the occasion.This solves the majority of bug problems.I will only use bug dope as a last resort. The stuff works but I do not like it. I put it on my hat and behind my ears. Those flys in the boat that bite around the ankles are terrible. Not much you can do if you are wearing shorts. I have a swatter in the boat and get them that way. If they are really bad I put on pants. Those bug jackets that Cisco is talking about are great. I might have a look at them without the chemicals. I just came back from a great trip but the noseeums were terrible. So bad we ended up closing the windows at the cabin even though it was very hot.

[Backwater Eddy]

A trapper friend swears if you rub it on exposed skin it will keep fly's off as well as Buffalo gnats.

I have used it, and it does seam to help me for deer fly's and no-see-em's.

I recon it depends on how pickled ya is ta start with?

:D

[captain hook]

has anybody tried burning a couple of the mosquito coils in the bottom of the boat?....I have been using them by the doors in the house and they seem to keep all the mosquitos and flies away very good. I am planning on taking a few the next time I go out on Erie.
Did anyone try the dishwashing soap in the lemon flavor?...I did hear that mosquitos do not like lemon.

Captain Hook

[RANGER]

LAST EDITED ON Jun-30-01 AT 07:56AM (CST)[p]Thanks. I would never have thought of it.


RANGER


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

[little bow mount]

what always works for me is putting a baseball hat about ten feet up in the air. the nats always go to the highest place. seems odd but has worked well for me

[Gord]

Keep your boat carpets clean. Rinse your net after every fish. Stinky nets draw flies like a magnet. keep a fly swatter in the boat. A lot of times there aren't that many flies, but they bother you repeatedly. wear thick socks and spray them with deep woods off or other good repellant. if the flies are really bad wear rubber boots and rain pants. spray some OFF on your t shirt and other clothing in the morning before you put it on. Yesterday, i read on the internet that hair spray gets rid of flies. It might make their wings too sticky to fly????? Once a swarm of small flies were bothering me. I sucked them out of the air with a shop vac. I love beer. there is an idea in every bottle.

[Wile E.]

I seen a Mosquito fly by me the other day and it had 3 wood ticks hanging on it. They are pertty good sized around here. By the way I live in Mn.

[bigfish1965]

Shop vac? Christ thats hilarious! When we get attacked by them nasty black flies in northern Ontario, we light up a big ole nasty cigar. The smoke kills everything within 50 metres. Use a cheap-##### cigar, the raunchier the better.

[Scott]

Nobody mentioned this yet. We have a lot of problems with carnivorous flies on Erie. We tried everything. Someone put us on to a bug repelant made by Amway...at least sold by them. It's expensive, but it does work. They may still land on you, but they don't bite if the stuff is applied. It's made many a miserable day turn out okay. Now, for all those times you avoided the amway guy....you have to go find one.

[Bill W]

Spent last week in Michigans beautiful Upper Pennisula, the mosquitos up there were so big they could stand flat footed and f#*@ a turkey.

My girlfriend, myself and my lab spent about 5 minutes on the Lake Superior shoreline rock hunting on Sat, the black flies were so thick on the dogs back I had to fly the poor thing back to the truck like a kite, my arms and legs are just starting to heal and the dogs nightmares have all but stopped.

I think i'll just stick to deer hunting up there, I really enjoyed wading through the 3 foot drifts to get to my blind last November.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS...YEAH BABY !!!

[RANGER]

Scott,

My post, above #16, is referring to Erie. I use RAID.


RANGER


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

[sublux]

As far as Black flies I was told that oil of Beramont works,..however I've not tried it yet,..for general bugs Deerflies,horseflies and Mosquitos,...I love GREEN BAN,..as mentioned before,..I think that DEET is very toxic (to me anyway) also,..I don't think that DEET works on black flies or the fleash eating fies around here,..(if we are talking about the green ones that look like house flies,..)

[sublux]

As far as Black flies I was told that oil of Beramont works,..however I've not tried it yet,..for general bugs Deerflies,horseflies and Mosquitos,...I love GREEN BAN,..as mentioned before,..I think that DEET is very toxic (to me anyway) also,..I don't think that DEET works on black flies or the fleash eating fies around here,..(if we are talking about the green ones that look like house flies,..)

[Eyesrfn]

Last summer while fishing on Ft Peck, my girlfriend and myself were attacked by at least 10,000 hungry little black sob's. Both of us were bitten numerous times, The boat turned black, I have never seen that many flies in my life. Got the boat up on plane and had to shoo the flies out. when we got back and told our story, a guide on the lake said to try bounce, the fabric softner, we did later and it seems to work.