Maintenance & Restoration

Gigi · 06-28-2006, 06:25 PM

While setting up today at the campground, the flies were munching happily on my legs! Ouch! They bit hard!

I sprayed the lawnchairs, the picnic table, my easel, the ground below the above and the flies stayed at it.

Any suggestions of a natural type that I could take from home before I go back?
I looked for any thread about it but couldn't find anything.

Help appreciated!!!

Happy weekend to you all!!

Thanks!
Gigi

pjanits · 06-28-2006, 06:31 PM

A high speed box fan could help.

Gigi · 06-28-2006, 07:12 PM

Quote:

A high speed box fan could help.

Hi, Pete! You are right. Unfortunately or fortunately, I am boondocking and there's no power for a fan.
I am going to find a small 12 volt for next time, however. I have one of those little battery units for powering up your car if the battery dies. Well, it has a place for 12 volt items to plug into it. It's worth a try.
Many thanks for the input!
G

Any other non=powered ideas? Vinegar, ammonia, anything?

Thanks!

Penny Taylor · 06-28-2006, 07:27 PM

Dryer sheets repel mosquitos, maybe they will work on flies, too.

Tuck one your hat, shoulder straps, hanging out of your shoes !!

Let us know if it works.

CarolnJim · 06-28-2006, 07:27 PM

How about a small popup screen room... works great for mosquitos too. Ours is 6 x 6 x 6 ... room for chairs and a small table.

D Shubel · 06-28-2006, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Hi, Pete! You are right. Unfortunately or fortunately, I am boondocking and there's no power for a fan.
I am going to find a small 12 volt for next time, however. I have one of those little battery units for powering up your car if the battery dies. Well, it has a place for 12 volt items to plug into it. It's worth a try.
Many thanks for the input!
G
Any other non=powered ideas? Vinegar, ammonia, anything?

Thanks!

I've heard that dryer sheets rubbed onto your skin deters them, or mint. Have not tried this myself. We usually camp on the shores of Lake Superior late summer. The flies are bad only at the campsite, on the beach where there is a slight breeze you only get the occasional HUGE horsefly chasing you down. The smaller flies (look like houseflies but bite) are attracted to darker colors. If you wear yellow or white clothes they are not as fervent. They love brown dogs...our poor chocolate lab was being tortured. Moose wanted to hide out in the tent, or the car. So a couple of afternoons we explored the two tracks in our SUV, with the child watching a DVD and the lab bug-free in the back. All was good.

Gina D. · 06-28-2006, 10:56 PM

I have a little 6 inch solar powered fan that sits on the table next to me when outside. Of course, it's sort of useless at night.

I have concerns about chemicals near my dogs, and by accident, I have found that spraying Glade Powder Fresh air freshener keeps ALL kinds of bugs at bay for a little while.

Still chemicals, but not toxic to peoples or pupples.

Your have to respray after an hour or so.

Cutters works well on me, they have some new stuff that is actually not Bug Spray like. It also has skin softeners in it. Quite pleasant to use.

Byron Kinnaman · 06-28-2006, 11:32 PM

I'm not sure anything will stop black flies from biting. I have friends in Maine that simply stay indoors during the 2 weeks when they're the heaviest.

Other option, camp in the parts of the world that don't have them nasty things.

Pete Dumbleton · 06-29-2006, 12:40 AM

Unfortunately, standard home and farm fly traps are generally NOT effective on biting flies, which are attracted by the same sort of things that skeeters are, rather than garbage or other food odors.

Aged cow urine or water buffalo urine, plus some acetone, makes good biting fly bait. Here's a link which will not only tell you how to build a trap, but even tells you how to collect the urine...

http://www.nzitrap.com/

Just when you thought there was nothing new to learn!

Kyle C · 06-29-2006, 01:03 AM

Would a mosquito vacuum catch flies? It seems like the smaller ones would be great for a campsite.

Aside from that, the only truely effective bug spray is Ben's 100. 95% DEET. Don't get it on cotton.

Patrick M. · 06-29-2006, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Tuck one your hat, shoulder straps, hanging out of your shoes !!

Then post a picture!

Loren G. Hedahl · 06-29-2006, 08:22 AM

The main bug problem we have here is yellow-jackets. I have a neighbor that uses WD-40 as a bug deterrent.

He sprays a little on the side of his stick-built trailer. Gives it a bit of a shine. Don't know how it would be on fiberglass.

Also don't know how toxic it is, but some people like the smell. It also works good for starting camp fires.

Gigi · 06-29-2006, 12:17 PM

Okay, I think I have it down...

Tuck dryer sheets into my hat, shoulder straps, shorts
Rub down with mint
Spray the Glade air freshener powder
Hang a bag of Cow Pottie on a nearby branch
Spray a ring of Wd-40 around the perimeter of the trailer, picnic table and my easel
Take picture of the above!

and, hide in the tent room as suggested by Carol and Jim!!!

If I don't scare the flies, I'll sure scare the neighbors!!!

Hey, thanks for all the replies!

Any other ideas before I push off?

Byron Kinnaman · 06-29-2006, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Okay, I think I have it down...

Tuck dryer sheets into my hat, shoulder straps, shorts
Rub down with mint
Spray the Glade air freshener powder
Hang a bag of Cow Pottie on a nearby branch
Spray a ring of Wd-40 around the perimeter of the trailer, picnic table and my easel
Take picture of the above!

and, hide in the tent room as suggested by Carol and Jim!!!

If I don't scare the flies, I'll sure scare the neighbors!!!

Hey, thanks for all the replies!

Any other ideas before I push off?

One more to add to the list.

Get several of these things in pots. Put them all around your camp site.

jdtrotter · 06-29-2006, 12:33 PM

After meeting the bitting black flies for the first time on our trip across the U.S., I really believe that this is the only thing that might work, and that is only if you close off all openings!

Diane

Pete Dumbleton · 06-29-2006, 11:22 PM

For yellowjackets -- Put a partial cup or glass of Coke or orange soda or other sweet liquid at the other end of the picnic table and the yellowjackets will head for it and get gummed up in the sticky stuf and not be able to fly or climb out. Surprisingly, one can sit quite close to it and not be pestered by the wasps.

Just be very careful NOT to use a soda can because someone (a child, usually) might pick it up, try to drink from it and get stung...

Lance MacArthur · 06-30-2006, 12:21 AM

Never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it. We were at a wine tasting barbecue a weekago when the flies attacted the hors deuvers as well as anyong standing still. Someone asked if the host had any rosemary growing in the yard, which she did. They took a handfull' of sprigs and put them in the barbecue, where they "roasted".

Lo and behold, not just the flies, but all the bugs took off, leaving us with a pleasant herbal smell and a no-bite environment.

Try it Its amazing!

Loren G. Hedahl · 06-30-2006, 07:49 AM

Interesting use for Rosemary.

Now I'm wondering - - - We have a grove where wild cherry trees grow on our place. Each year I have to take a couple down. The branches I cut into wafers on a band saw and use them to the barbeque coals for seasoning and for the aroma.

Maybe that would be a bug deterrent.