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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 16 Feb 2015 08:37am
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On our land deer flies have been the worst problem. We have others, like skeeters and ticks, but deer flies bother me the most. As luck or some other reason they aren't an issue in our cabin yard. I've never quite understood why, after a walk and the deer flies hover and buss us bad, they fall back and then leave as we get to our cabin. We have a protected zone. The differences might be the type of vegetation or smoke from the campfire. We almost always have a fire and our cabin is in a maple / oak forest. It's probably one of those reasons.
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Steve_S
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# Posted: 16 Feb 2015 08:49am
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Interesting thread. Thought I'd add something to it though.. but I wanna know your trick Owen... I've been told that Citronella Plants can be quite effective and to really get the effect just dampen the plants... I'll be planting a few this spring in strategic spots.... Any other good plants to consider ?
From lessons learned Dept (and my former Sgt Major). Make sure you wear no scents... no scented / perfumed soaps, shampoos etc... and of course unscented laundry detergents. All these scents & perfumes are like big glowing Neon Signs announcing "Meal Time" to the critters. Maggie didn't believe it either till she tried going without any scented anything...
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 16 Feb 2015 02:51pm
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I found the article!
Citronella grass, catmint (which grows in any climate and is supposed to be 10X more powerful than DEET!), chrysanthemums, rosemary, basil, lavender, and scented geraniums. Pennyroyal is great planted and can also be crushed and applied to your skin to keep bugs off you! It's a flea and tick repellant when applied to dogs' skin, too!
I always do a border of regular (not fancy/hybrid) marigolds around my vegetable garden. They really do a good job of keeping bugs away from the vegetable plants.
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Don_P
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# Posted: 16 Feb 2015 03:32pm
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Another from the lessons learned department, we were experimenting with flame weeding in the garden one year, a 20lb propane cylinder on a packframe with a hose and one of the weedburner torches. It actually worked pretty well for many weeds, not so well on grasses. My wife was working around the end of the lavender row, and they ignited like gasoline. The fire flashed down 75' of row in a very few seconds. For planting near a house, whatever their essential oil is, it is very flammable.
One thing that helps is also not to attract critters. A light at night in the dark woods really is a flashing sign.
One fellow I worked with was a heavy smoker and enjoyed the bottle way too much. Three of us went for a walk in the woods one summer afternoon. Between me and the other guy we pulled off over 20 ticks, we had definitely found them. Dave, was clean as a whistle. What we couldn't determine was if he was a repellant or a poison.
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TheWildMan
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# Posted: 16 Feb 2015 03:56pm
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Basil works, the spice used in many Italian recipes, it overpowers their senses (their ability to smell and find you, same basic way deet works, it blocks their ability to see you), garlic also works (i think thats why its accociated with warding off vampires, since it wards off blood sucking flies).
anyway they way to keep flies away from a porch or other specific area would be to plant some basil, I keep 2 or 3 buckets as planters full of basil around my porch, creates a safe zone, though it smells of basil all the time.
paper wasps also ward them off (paper wasps grab them out of the air as prey) but they are tricky to get along with.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 16 Feb 2015 04:32pm
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Oh hellz, I'd rather have flies than paper wasps! I battled those dang things all last summer! Nasty buggers. They built nests in the craziest places that I couldn't see until they all came out and stung me and my dogs!
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creeky
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# Posted: 16 Feb 2015 05:02pm
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are you sure those were paper wasps Julie. Paper wasps are pretty friendly. You don't bug them they don't bug you. I like 'em and leave 'em alone.
oh wait. i looked 'em up. you'ze all down south have a different paper wasp then us. yourz are tiny and mean. ours are big and friendly.
I hate horse flies, that's why I like my wasps and my birds around the buildings. Come onto my property by the ditch. Thousands of hfs and mossies. it's horrible putting out the garbage at the end of the lane for a month. by the pine forest. Yikes. but get back to the fields by the creek with all the birds and wasp nests.
When the flycatcher is nesting I drive back with the truck and park by their nest under the solar panel rack. One day there were at least a dozen horse/deer flies just zooming around the truck and banging into the windows. I sat there. Flash. Dark shadow. Zip. Five minutes later ms. and mr. flycatcher had cleared away the horse flies.
win win I say. as I get out of the truck and walk with my groceries unmolested the 100 feet to the great room.
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old243
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# Posted: 16 Feb 2015 05:23pm
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Use the old red green trick . Put a good sized loop , of dac tape on your hat . Deer flies love to dive bomb your head . Especially the small hole in the back of your ball cap , if you wear one . In case you have never run into Red Green , he has devised every known use for duc tape. He is also a proud Canadian. Has recently retired . I have also attached a cattle ear tag to my hat , the ones to repell biting flies.
Deer and horse flies can take the fun out of life. Old 243
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 17 Feb 2015 04:23pm
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I was told about tangle foot sap smeared onto a royal blue cup. I was told if you put one on top of a pole on say a tractor or four wheeler and drive around your land, every deer fly in the area will come and get stuck to it. You'll be deer fly free for a week. PS.don't wear blue clothes or drive a royal blue car.
Funny fact found on Google search for tangle foot.
Owen
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old243
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# Posted: 17 Feb 2015 09:22pm
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Owen, I agree they seem to like dark colors. If in fly time wear light colored clothes. A company in northern Ontario make bug shirts . They are a tight but light fabric that foils black flies , mosquitoes , deer flies etc. There is a hood and a mesh over face. I have one, they can be hot on a nice warm day, but you don,t get bit. I expect they have a website. old243
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old243
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# Posted: 18 Feb 2015 10:11am
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I looked up their website . The original bugshirt . ca. My brother- in- law , lives close to them , they started as a cottage industry, I don't know them, just have used the bugshirt. old243
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hueyjazz
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# Posted: 18 Feb 2015 11:51am
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Our -8 degree F temps in the NE are a natural deterrent. It has stopped those buggers dead in flight.
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rayyy
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# Posted: 20 Feb 2015 06:21pm
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I am always looking for help on the bug problem for my poor horses.Come summer the bugs just eat them alive and I feel bad but dousing them down with industrial bug spray is the only thing I can do for them.15 to 20 bucks a bottle for very little relief.
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