Horse Flies

[smurfalicious]

I've been bit twice in the last week - once here in south Florida, and once over the weekend in central Florida. The latter bite was on my inner thigh - goddam horsefly flew right up my shorts - and produced a nasty bruise within several minutes.

Any recommendations on some kind of deterrent? SSS doesn't seem to affect them.

Grassy-ass in advance!

[Happy Monkey]

I always went underwater.

Of course, the only time I ever was in horsefly territory was at the hotel pool at Chincoteague Island, so your mileage may vary.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by smurfalicious

I've been bit twice in the last week - once here in south Florida, and once over the weekend in central Florida. The latter bite was on my inner thigh - goddam horsefly flew right up my shorts - and produced a nasty bruise within several minutes.

Any recommendations on some kind of deterrent? SSS doesn't seem to affect them.

Grassy-ass in advance!

Have you considered modifying your stance?

[glatt]

An upside down blue plastic cup worn on an old baseball cap and sprayed with tanglefoot adhesive. They are attracted to it and get stuck. It's also good for repelling humans.

[smurfalicious]

Originally Posted by BigV

Have you considered modifying your stance?

well..., the roast beef was getting some air.

Originally Posted by glatt

An upside down blue plastic cup worn on an old baseball cap and sprayed with tanglefoot adhesive. They are attracted to it and get stuck. It's also good for repelling humans.

yeah, i'll just stick a propeller to the top of that mess and make sure I go out in public

[Griff]

Try deet? It can be a problem for some though.

[skysidhe]

I think Lavender oil works. Perhaps even Rosemary and Sage.

[wolf]

Absolutely the DEET.

I recommend Deep Woods Off Sportsman. That's the little blue pump spray, not the green pump or the green spray can. In fact, avoid the can alltogether, as it has much less DEET than you really need.

When I went camping with my happy new-age hippy friends, they wore than natural crap and scratched their welts, while I wore the Off with extra DEET which is like one of those personal force-fields from the David Lynch Dune ... seriously, the bugs would be flying in and about two inches out suddenly become disinterested and fly off in another direction. Of course, it would have been cooler if they hit the DEET barrier and drop straight to the ground like Wile E. Coyote hitting a canyon wall, but you can't have everything. So what if the stuff causes birth defects down to the seventh generation of people who walk past you while you're wearing it. You won't get bit by any bugs.

[jinx]

I'm with wolf on this. The hippy shit only works if you don't bathe for weeks at a time. At rainbow gatherings we could always tell the new arrivals because they would be covered in bites, while the dirty/smelly folk were bite free. In summary; either use deet or stop bathing a week or 2 before going outside.

edit: I like the wipes with 30%

[BigV]

Originally Posted by wolf

Absolutely the DEET.

I recommend Deep Woods Off Sportsman. That's the little blue pump spray, not the green pump or the green spray can. In fact, avoid the can alltogether, as it has much less DEET than you really need.

When I went camping with my happy new-age hippy friends, they wore than natural crap and scratched their welts, while I wore the Off with extra DEET which is like one of those personal force-fields from the David Lynch Dune ... seriously, the bugs would be flying in and about two inches out suddenly become disinterested and fly off in another direction. Of course, it would have been cooler if they hit the DEET barrier and drop straight to the ground like Wile E. Coyote hitting a canyon wall, but you can't have everything. So what if the stuff causes birth defects down to the seventh generation of people who walk past you while you're wearing it. You won't get bit by any bugs.

That is *exactly* how it works:

How DEET works -- DEET works in part by masking the insect-attracting odor of carbon dioxide and lactic acid given off by the human body. At very close range, DEET appears to work primarily by interfering with an electrophysiological homing mechanism in a mosquito's antennae.

DEET is effective in relatively small amounts provided it is spread evenly and completely over all exposed areas. DEET, however, has little "spatial activity," meaning that nearby, untreated skin is still vulnerable. Factors playing a role in a repellent's effectiveness include its DEET concentration, the frequency and uniformity of application, and the number and species of mosquitoes attempting to bite. Evaporation and absorption from the skin surface, wash-off from rain or sweat, higher temperatures, or a windy environment all decrease effectiveness.

How does DEET work in preventing mosquito and other bug bites?
Although DEET containing products have been used as insect repellants for over 40 years, the exact mechanism that DEET works in preventing insect bites is not completely understood. The most likely hypothesis is that DEET affects the insect’s ability to locate the animals on which they feed. Mosquitoes have special receptor antennae that can sense chemicals produced by humans and animals allowing the mosquito to locate their target. Some scientists believe that DEET effectively disturbs the function of these receptor antennae. (4)

What concentration of DEET works best?
DEET containing products come in numerous different concentrations ranging
from 4 to 100%. The effectiveness of DEET is not concentration dependent. 10% DEET products are just as effective at preventing bug bites as 40% DEET products; the difference is that the higher percentage products have a longer duration of action. A product with 23.8% DEET offers protection for approximately 5 hours whereas a product with 6.65% DEET provides protection for an average of 2 hours. (2) Products containing over 50% DEET are more likely to cause adverse reactions including skin annoyance and eye irritation. (3) All things cons idered, adults should use a DEET containing product with a concentration of between 10% and 50% DEET, depending on the length of time that they will be outdoors.

[smurfalicious]

I thought for SURE I would click and find your response was weed... just because.

[Perry Winkle]

I take B vitamin supplements and I rarely get bit. I'm told it's the B vitamins. I don't know if I believe that.

[kerosene]

I don't get bit often. It might be the lack of sugar in my diet? I really have no idea.

[LabRat]

Over labor day weekend I was on the Upper Mississippi with family. Bugs don't usually bother me enough to warrent putting bug spray on, since it never really seemed to help and just makes me feel gross. The one night the mosquitos and other nasties were really bad (likely due to all the rain and flooding they've had) I used some of my brother-in-laws spray without looking at the label, and never felt another one the rest of the night. In the morning light, I saw it was one with 40% DEET. An avid outdoorsman and hunter, he swears by it, and I can say that I will use it again, no second thoughts.

[Rexmons]

two words my friend, frog piss.