Discussion: Deer flies

Last weekend, during the CNYO Rogaine, I was completely eaten alive by deer flies. I wonder if anybody have a "secret" recipe against them. I was using several insect repellent products but bustards seem to enjoy all of them. According to description, Ben's stuff with 98% DEET should have repel pretty much everything but I did not have much success either. On the second loop I was wearing a sleeve on the neck that eased the problem not completely.

You've come to the right place.

This time of year in this region, nothing works except to cover up. It doesn't matter how fast you run. They latch on to hairs or thin fabric and they've got you. I'm sure that's not what you want to hear.

search on "blue hat" in AP and find the discussion in Peter Gagarin's log

I can't find the good stuff.

http://www.attackpoint.org/viewlog.jsp/user_62/per...

http://www.attackpoint.org/discussionthread.jsp/me...

http://www.attackpoint.org/viewlog.jsp/user_62/per...

I think this was the first success:

http://www.attackpoint.org/viewlog.jsp/user_62/per...

{edit Jan 2013}

And this appears to be the article that started it all.

Sounds great! Thanks! Just ordered a can of sticky stuff)))
http://www.amazon.com/Tanglefoot-300000588-8-Ounce...

Hopefully someone will post the latest, greatest, "state of the art" solution.

here are some more I found:

http://www.attackpoint.org/viewlog.jsp/user_62/per...

http://www.attackpoint.org/discussionthread.jsp/me...

ArthurD and I weren't really bothered by them much at all until the very end. ArthurD what do you think?
Either the loop we did (CCW) had fewer deerflies at a particular point in time or the stuff we (I) put on worked. I made a mixture of vinegar, essential oil of lemon and essential oil of peppermint in a little spray bottle to carry along. The stuff stings abit on scratches but is supposed to keep ticks and flies away. In the end there were a few FDF's but just my buff on my head and the problem went away.

I didn't find the FDFs or mosquitoes to be much of a problem, even without repellent or other countermeasures. ang did smell good, though.

The key is to have a teammate whom the insects find more attractive than you.

great idea, but unfortunate for me, FDFs selected me over Clinton(

FDFs selected me over Clinton

This is a reason I don't do Rogaines - you, guys, failed to inform these nasty bugs that cold war was over like 20 year ago:)

Still the record, as far as I'm aware:
http://www.attackpoint.org/viewlog.jsp/user_22/per...

Gross picture. Think of all those lives lost......... Well, I never did like a "live" deerfly.

I wonder if they're similar to our Aussie March flies, which I think in the UK are Horse flies? Nasty buggers, love people wearing dark blue. Sometimes they land on our backs when we're out roadie riding and whack their massive blood-sucking snorkel in!

Tooms, from a detailed comparative study (n=1, i.e. me), deerflies are more annoying but march fly bites hurt more and last longer. Deerflies buzz and circle more while march flies seem to pick their moment and go straight for the kill. Same family (Tabanidae), according to wikipedia.

I found them to be a nuisance but not as bad as some of my local runs recently. so I kind of accepted that they could have been far worse. They certainly did seem to be bothering Pavel a lot more than me though.

Here is another nice picture, this one from ooe2oo's log.