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Anyone have any good strategies for dealing with horse flies? (Read 236 times)

mab411


Proboscis Colossus

     

    I'm working a band camp this week, same one I worked last week, and boy, on every run I am besieged by horse flies.  They're after my sweat, which is copious in this humidity.

     

    I thought for awhile that the bright colors of my running hats/shirts is what kept them following me, but this afternoon I was wearing fairly muted, dark colors and I was mobbed actually more than usual.  Had about three swirling around me at once; I felt like the nucleus of an atom.

     

    Any tips on evading or repelling them?  Haven't tried DEET yet...does that work for horse flies, as well as mosquitos?

    "God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people

      Catch up with someone on the trail and sprint away....leave your swarm with them...

      Survival of the fittest - right?

      Birdwell


        Move.

        I'd recommend a nice dry, higher altitude region.

        Southern Utah, Western Colorado, Northern Arizona.


        Latent Runner

          Flies of all sort are an issue here in New Hampshire, I run with one of these over my head:

          Fat old man PRs:

          • 1-mile (point to point, gravity assist): 5:50
          • 2-mile: 13:49
          • 5K (gravity assist last mile): 21:31
          • 5-Mile: 37:24
          • 10K (first 10K of my Half Marathon): 48:16
          • 10-Mile (first 10 miles of my Half Marathon): 1:17:40
          • Half Marathon: 1:42:13

            Ah yes, the awful horse flies. It seems as though they always attack the highest point, which is unfortunately your head. This makes a hat a must. If you don't want to wear a beekeeper type hat like shipo's link, you can always wear a normal hat and purchase a few sticky strips to attach to your hat. It's a little gross, but it really does work.

             

            12 / Pk Deerfly Patches / TredNot Deer Fly Patch / Traps. Repellent Strips

             

            After an hour run with one of those strips on my hat, I can have as many as 30 deer flies on there. A hat seems to be enough to dissuade most of them from biting but it's that stupid dive bombing over and over again that really irks me. That sticky stuff resolves that problem for relatively cheap.

             

            Good luck!

            Creator of RunForth@robraux | shodless.com

            NikoRosa


            Funky Kicks 2019

              I drench a baseball cap in Deep Woods Off.  It helps some.  Nothing I have tried keeps them totally away though.

              Leah, mother of dogs


              Latent Runner

                The problem, or at least my problem, with hats and bug repellant is that often the insect is half way down my throat before it figures out I have those on.  The Bug Baffler (which is far lighter than a bee keeper hat) solves that issue.  Smile

                Fat old man PRs:

                • 1-mile (point to point, gravity assist): 5:50
                • 2-mile: 13:49
                • 5K (gravity assist last mile): 21:31
                • 5-Mile: 37:24
                • 10K (first 10K of my Half Marathon): 48:16
                • 10-Mile (first 10 miles of my Half Marathon): 1:17:40
                • Half Marathon: 1:42:13

                  I find bug repellent pretty useless but standard hat usually helps.  Keeping moving also helps but I've had some follow me for what seems like miles.

                    it is my experience that these and the deer flies tend to like sunny wide open/fielded areas and if the air is stagnant, they are relentless...deet may stop them from biting, but it won't stop the dive bombs and in-your-face circling.

                     

                    i have carried beech tree branches and used it mush like a horse would use it's tails for times i am getting assaulted...it's almost fun.

                     

                    i have noticed that when i get to shade, they tend to either leave or call ahead to the next troop.

                    In order to see the truth, sometimes you have to loose an eye.

                    http://www.runningahead.com/groups/Utri/

                     

                     

                     

                     

                     

                     

                     

                     

                      mount a flame thrower on your head.

                        Wear a running hat.  safety pin a dryer sheet to the hat near the ears.  You will not be bit.  It works.

                         

                         

                         

                         

                        btb1490


                          I've had good luck eating garlic, and the smell of the sweat kept them away.


                          Latent Runner

                            I've had good luck eating garlic, and the smell of the sweat kept them away.

                             

                            Doesn't seem to help up here in New Hampshire; I eat copious quantities of garlic (I ate some of my Lemon Garlic Pasta last night which has like four or five raw crushed cloves per serving), doesn't faze the little bastards a bit.

                            Fat old man PRs:

                            • 1-mile (point to point, gravity assist): 5:50
                            • 2-mile: 13:49
                            • 5K (gravity assist last mile): 21:31
                            • 5-Mile: 37:24
                            • 10K (first 10K of my Half Marathon): 48:16
                            • 10-Mile (first 10 miles of my Half Marathon): 1:17:40
                            • Half Marathon: 1:42:13


                            Feeling the growl again

                              I've had good luck eating garlic, and the smell of the sweat kept them away.

                               

                              We're talking about flies, not annoying coworkers.

                               

                              Wink

                              "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                               

                              I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                               

                              Joann Y


                                fly

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