Can we talk about solutions to Biting bugs?

Discussion

Can you all share tips controlling mosquitos, black flies, no see ums?

Spring is hell, summer is hell, fall is hell, winter is frozen.

We spray, fog, have zappers, use diamascus earth, use dunks buckets. They still swarm. I have to stop using any chemicals after I plant my garden. I wear boots, socks, long pants, long sleeved shirt and a fancy bug jacket. Little AH still get me. Can only work for about an hour before having to go inside before I have heat stroke. They are even in my house! I swear I will eventually need an epi pen handy as black flies and me do not mix, been a few times I had a fever and facial swelling.

I live in 34 acres, I know they will always be here, but is there a way to at least have a peaceful area around my house?

Pictured sipping some cocktails by the fire pit. Type of life. Instead, I just stay indoors or go into the city.

Sincerely, Miserable in paradise.

in Maineby itsmenettie

69%

14d

Ralfsalzano

14d

Start smoking cigars

cagey_quokka

14d

Memory unlocked! My dad smoked cigarettes only when fishing as bug repellent. But he was also cheap. The result was a partially finished pack stored in our freezer for months at a time.

Ralfsalzano

14d

My grandparents did the same thing never worried about black flies or bugs

inflammarae

14d

This is the traditional remedy.

Ralfsalzano

13d

Natives did the same for thousands of years why deviate

Wooden-Importance

14d

Permethrin treated clothes.

Picaridin bug repellent on exposed skin.

Thermacell running nearby.

itsmenettie

14d

I am definitely getting a ThermaCELL. That may be awesome for gardening and when we fish in some off road spot.

Some_District2844

14d

Mosquitos love me and the Thermacell is the first thing that has actually worked! Definitely start it outside a few minutes before you go out though.

daredevil82

14d

would highly suggest permetrin too, for the clothes you wear outside.

3490goat

14d

This is what I do and it seems to work well as long as the thermacell has a fresh cartridge.

mopsyd

14d

Put up bat houses on your property. Bats will absolutely demolish mosquitos and blackflies. Pair that with a fire in the back yard or on the porch fire pit and you should be pretty much free of them. Some citronella candles or tiki torches for good measure if it's still an issue.

itsmenettie

14d

I will have to look into that. As long as they don't make a home in my barn, I am ok with them. Plus they are cute

matt9191

14d

Bats eat lots of insects, including mosquitoes. But they really don't generally prefer them.

https://www.vdci.net/blog/debunking-myths-bats-for-mosquito-control/#:~:text=The%20original%20study%20placed%20the,bug%20for%20the%20buck%E2%80%9D).

enrkst

14d

Gaiters or pants tucked into socks

Baggy long sleeve linen shirt tucked into pants

Bug net over hat and around shirt collar (blackly season) or wide brim straw hat with bug spray on the whole brim

Bug spray on the back of your hands up to wrist

Essential oil bug spray on your neck, face, and ears

happy camper

ivegotcheesyblasters

14d

Weird thing, but wear something patterned with zebra stripes / black and white. It's been shown in studies that flying insects have trouble landing on these surfaces. (I'm don't know how you identify but I'm imagining a dude dressed head to toe in zebra print and it's delightful lol)

Also, make sure there's no standing water nearby. You can try planting things like citronella but I've never had much luck.

The last ridiculous thing is get a big standing fan with an extension cord and point it where you're working. Can't land if they get blown away!

JosephCedar

14d

DEET.

itsmenettie

14d

Last time I used deet my shoes melted 🤣

Pozd5995

14d

Yeah lol, I ruined a nice pair of rain pants with DEET

Lawlcat

14d

DEET is the solution to all. I'd swim in the stuff if I had enough. I spray some 40% DEET on my arms and legs, then some into my hands and rub it on my neck and forehead and boom. I can spend hours outside and not a single bug bothers me

theora55

14d

Use it wisely; it's reasonably toxic.

Lawlcat

14d

it's reasonably toxic.

The human health risk assessment concluded that there are no risks of concern because no toxic effects have been identified when used as a dermally applied insect repellent, and there is no dietary or occupational exposure for DEET.

Yea don't drink the stuff and you'll be fine

theora55

13d

Interesting, thanks.

Gullivors-Travails

14d

DEET melts most everything plastic, rubber, nylon ect. Haha I was going through expensive phone cases like crazy for while until I put 2 and 2 together! Haha

indyaj

14d

DEET. Don't be scared. It has an undeserved bad rep. It's been around for decades and subject to more studies than pretty much any other repellent. But it's the best for everything you listed plus ticks.

From this:

DEET has a remarkable safety profile after 40 years of use and nearly 8 billion human applications. Fewer than 50 cases of serious toxic effects have been documented in ... medical literature since 1960>

More DEET is better but I'll use anything from 25% to 40% because it's easy to buy and apply, though I admit to having a little bottle of 99% that I break out on the bad days when I have to go outside.

Permethrin is great for clothes (and window screens for the no see ums that sneak through to burrow into your skin). It's lethal to bee communities and cats so use with care.

A hand held bug zapper racket for inside and chilling outside is extremely satisfying.

Oh, also a bug net for your head (with a brimmed hat).

DifferenceMore5431

13d

Permethrin poses no risk to cats, bees, or anyone else once it's dried on your clothing. Just don't go spraying it in a cat's face and it will be completely fine.

doyouknowwhoiambruh

14d

I just endure, bleed, and itch. If it’s so bad I can’t breathe, I might put a net on my head and don a long sleeved shirt.

August will be here soon enough.

itsmenettie

14d

I have a great jacket from the bug company. It works great, is fine for a little light yard work, but can't imagine living in it.

doyouknowwhoiambruh

14d

It’s certainly better than snuffing one of those buggy bastards up your nose accidentally.

rangerlight

14d

Fly dope is the only thing that works for me against black flies. I put it right on my skin. We permethrin treat boots and such, but use good ole deet for mosquitoes and ticks.

rangerlight

14d

Also, have you tried a bug shirt or head net?

itsmenettie

14d

I have a jacket from the bug company. Fine for light yard work or mowing, but can't even go outside without boots and thick pants.

Crafty_Pea5356

14d

Eat a lot of garlic, a couple of cloves a day at least. Use an essential oil based spray before going out. Eucalyptus, tea tree, lavender, cinnamon, patchouli, ylang ylang, peppermint, rosemary, that's my own blend but there are other oils that work. Oils + water + drop glycerine + capful of alcohol blended together in a spray bottle. Needs to be re applied every hour or so.

notcoolneverwas_post

13d

I've found while hiking that the swarms can't track and pace you @ 2.3‐2.5 mph. Was coming down a mountain one day and passed someone going the other way, they laughed and said I looked like Pigpen from Peanuts with all the flies following behind me.

Advanced move when they swarm you at the car upon return: open the car door preemptivly and lead them 15-20 feet away then sprint fpr the door and slam it closed.

Always_been_in_Maine

14d

Eat more Garlic

Key_Rutabaga694

14d

Get 100% deet repellent and please don't spray your property.

mmaalex

14d

For mosquitos getting rid of areas where standing water collects including wet spots around your house is key. They don't fly far.

Blackflies are more of an issue if you're near a lake, stream or river you pretty much just gotta wait may out.

Thermacells do work, but read the directions re:food carefully.

Sqib000

14d

I do notice when I am near my grill, the skeeters bite me more. They must hang out there.

I like essentria, it is pro grade essential oils on ground corn cobs. It is easy to scatter around.

I also lure predatory bugs, birds and welcome bats to my garden. And never allow standing water. I am careful to not kill everything off, and never spray my milkweed with anything.

KB207

14d

Skeeters HATE the smell of cannabis

linuxdragons

14d

Smoke. Tiki torches, fire pit, charcoal grill, etc.

Citronella plants. Plant them in pots and put them all around.

Screened porch :)

itsmenettie

13d

1st thing we did when we moved here. Don't know how the prior owners survived.

Gullivors-Travails

14d

Just ordered those nets that go over your head to the shoulders. That’s the only solution Iv found for black flys along with long sleeved shirt and pants. I have outdoor work to do now and through the summer that can’t wait any longer. Every other pest can be managed I found but not them friggin black flies. Face and neck net is last thing I ever wanted but I hear they are the only thing that works and I tried everything else already. Lol

Felted_Exhalation

13d

Don’t spray your property, it will kill the good insects too.

itsmenettie

13d

We only spray the perimeter of our house and fog out enclosed porch. Never any poisons in the rest. We have a 2000sqft garden. We use neem oil and diamascus earth when we plant. We never do anything to the 30 acre tree lot. We even have a 30x20 wild flower bed for bees and other beneficial insects. Hummingbird bird feeders, and bird feeders, and put out salt licks in the forest in fall. We just want our small little space to be biting bug free. We don't even kill hornets (unless in my house😫). We use also use humane mouse traps. Want to leave the land better than when we moved here. 😊

Pooncheese

14d

Plant some citronella? Beware though it grows fast and big so you can transplant it to a bigger pot 3-4 times in one year. Plant it or have pots of it around where you want to be mostly. Unfortunately they are still gonna be around....

theora55

14d

I got some agricultural permethrin, dilute it, treat a set of clothes. I have a skeeter net that goes over my head, may get an outfit. I am considering a propane-powered skeeter killer to put in the woods. I plan to do this skeeter trap, and this article is helpful. Then town re-dug ditches, badly, and now there's standing water, which is a skeeter and black fly farm. Windham public works have been jerks. Slowly filling back in with sand and gravel.

I have some lemion-eucalyptus repellent that works quite well and smells nice. need to use a thermacell, too.

Some people will develop tolerance after getting bit a lot. I'm not one of those people.

Sylentskye

14d

The other day had put down two lengths of woven heavy duty weed block for our garden. Today we went out and could see the thick cloud over those areas- we put down another length and planted all our tomatoes and no bugs bugged us. The only thing I can think of is that they were confused because the stuff we put down was warm from the sun? I don’t know if that’s what did it but I was happy we could get it done without donating our regular gallon.

matt9191

14d

Love when the dragon flies show up bc the black flies are gone

ModernNomad97

13d

ThermaCell works great

itsmenettie

13d

I bought one!!!. Even if it only gives a 10-15ft radius at least I can work in the garden or fish in peace and won't due if heat stroke. Will still cover up, but may not need so many layers.

rangondang

13d

In addition to DEET and a bug net for your head, I would try to think more about encouraging the birds and insects that eat these bugs. Bug zappers are counterproductive -- they don't kill biting insects, but they do kill beneficial ones. And you may be making things worse by spraying. Birds like swifts, swallows, phoebes, nighthawks and bluebirds eat tons of mosquitoes -- you can build nesting boxes for some of these. Dragonflies eat mosquito larvae, but spraying can kill them. Also, a screen porch!

DifferenceMore5431

13d

Black flies are tough because they really don't respond well to bug spray and they are incredibly persistent. Fortunately black fly season is only a few weeks long.

DEET (on skin), picaridin (on skin or clothing), and permethrin (on clothing) are all really effective against mosquitos, and also ticks!. You don't need to nuke your yard with pesticides. Treat yourself/your clothing is far safer and more effective.

Professional-Bear114

14d

Welp, you live in Maine, so there’s that. I successfully reduced biting things in the half acre surrounding my house by using Mosquito Magnets, which are expensive, high maintenance and each burn a tank of propane a month, but there still wasn’t a lot of sitting around the fire pit going on during the frost free time of year. I like picardin products, but DEET is more effective. Just shower in it every morning and you’ll be just fine.

ppitm

14d

Bugs in fall? Sounds like your house is just in the wrong spot.

itsmenettie

14d

At least until late September

tylermorris2000

Edit this.

14d

only thing that ive had great success with is DEET just gotta be careful with not getting it on certain materials. it will ruin lots of plastics including clothes and car paint

brassmonkeyslc

14d

Spray

IskandarOfMaine

13d

Cigar smoke keeps them away while doing yard work.

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