No matter where you go, they'll find you. No not the IRS, but those nasty biting flies and mosquitoes. Even sailing in a 20 kt breeze, 10 miles offshore, they home in on you and your crew. They can really make life afloat miserable. Do you suffer these beasts where you sail? If so, how do you deal with them? Are you a "smasher and basher" with a swatter in both hands? Or perhaps you prefer chemical warfare and spritz yourself with all those strange smelling sprays. Have you discovered a repellent that works on flies? Maybe you are the "grin and bear it" type who keeps sailing and soldiering on in face of the biting bugs? Are flies a problem where you sail? Tell us how you deal with this problem and then take the quick quiz on the homepage. (Discussion topic and quiz by Warren Milberg)
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I hate flies
When the army sent me to Saudi many years ago on one August night, they dropped me into the middle of the desert and said "This is your new home". I was like damn...just before football season. That night was a night I will never forget. It was calm but full of excited energy among us all. We were going to war. The temperature was nice. The next day it was VERY VERY hot and humid. I woke up early to do my personal exercises before the day started and I didn't last too long. The first couple of days we couldn't do anything during the day because of the 120 degree heat except drink hot bottled water and play cards between swipes on our forehead to clear our eyes. Each day the flies got worse. I remember one night waking up in the middle of the night and I dropped my flashlight. I shined on the top of the tent and that's when I discovered where the flies sleep at night (upside down on the inside of the roof of the tent). I found it easy killing. During the day we would have contests to see how many flies one could kill with one swat. 40 flies was not uncommon if you put a crumb on the ground. A month later I volunteered to go on a Intelligence mission beyond the front line for a month (as if I didn't learn in boot-camp not to volunteer). Out there it only took a few hours for the big horse flies to find us. They were very persistent. They needed water and would dive right into our eyes to get it after we walked out of our tent. You could literally swat them with your hands as they dive-bombed for the eyes. Using your hat was more effective. We learned quickly to get creative in making mosquito nets for our heads. My uniforms were camoed with dead fly guts (we forgot our washing machines
). They disappeared after the second mission because it got too cold for them. Fast forward 16 years and went I was taking this girl out anchoring for her first time, we got attacked by those nasty horse flies when on redfish Island. It reminded me of my days in the desert and I didn't want to ruin her first time at anchor so we hopped back into the dinghy and I planed it back to the mothership. It worked...we lost the flies about halfway. Other then that one time, I haven't had a problem with flies here but I have had problems with Lovebugs and mosquitoes...we have lots of those. I haven't found anything that keeps flies away but for mosquitoes, Avon's "Skin So Soft" works best besides a very good net.
When the army sent me to Saudi many years ago on one August night, they dropped me into the middle of the desert and said "This is your new home". I was like damn...just before football season. That night was a night I will never forget. It was calm but full of excited energy among us all. We were going to war. The temperature was nice. The next day it was VERY VERY hot and humid. I woke up early to do my personal exercises before the day started and I didn't last too long. The first couple of days we couldn't do anything during the day because of the 120 degree heat except drink hot bottled water and play cards between swipes on our forehead to clear our eyes. Each day the flies got worse. I remember one night waking up in the middle of the night and I dropped my flashlight. I shined on the top of the tent and that's when I discovered where the flies sleep at night (upside down on the inside of the roof of the tent). I found it easy killing. During the day we would have contests to see how many flies one could kill with one swat. 40 flies was not uncommon if you put a crumb on the ground. A month later I volunteered to go on a Intelligence mission beyond the front line for a month (as if I didn't learn in boot-camp not to volunteer). Out there it only took a few hours for the big horse flies to find us. They were very persistent. They needed water and would dive right into our eyes to get it after we walked out of our tent. You could literally swat them with your hands as they dive-bombed for the eyes. Using your hat was more effective. We learned quickly to get creative in making mosquito nets for our heads. My uniforms were camoed with dead fly guts (we forgot our washing machines
). They disappeared after the second mission because it got too cold for them. Fast forward 16 years and went I was taking this girl out anchoring for her first time, we got attacked by those nasty horse flies when on redfish Island. It reminded me of my days in the desert and I didn't want to ruin her first time at anchor so we hopped back into the dinghy and I planed it back to the mothership. It worked...we lost the flies about halfway. Other then that one time, I haven't had a problem with flies here but I have had problems with Lovebugs and mosquitoes...we have lots of those. I haven't found anything that keeps flies away but for mosquitoes, Avon's "Skin So Soft" works best besides a very good net.
Don't knock the IRS.
They are the only folks that may picture your boat as a luxury yacht irrespective of size and condition. We don't have a problem with flies down here just them pesky love bugs. Don't want to kill them as they leave nasty stains so we just try to keep our mouths shut.
They are the only folks that may picture your boat as a luxury yacht irrespective of size and condition. We don't have a problem with flies down here just them pesky love bugs. Don't want to kill them as they leave nasty stains so we just try to keep our mouths shut.
Flies are protected....please don't kill them....
they have rights too. A life is a life no matter how big or small. abe (okay, I am just waiting for some nut to support my position)
they have rights too. A life is a life no matter how big or small. abe (okay, I am just waiting for some nut to support my position)
I use DEET + some spray that is used for horses
called TRI TECH 14. You can get it at horse supply places. Works great on the dogs too.
called TRI TECH 14. You can get it at horse supply places. Works great on the dogs too.
Mosq and black flies
Muskol That's how it's spelled. Comes in a little green bottle. You can put it on your clothes, hair, etc...with no ill effects and it works. Lots of stuff works on mosquitos but this is the only thing I've found that is reliable on black flies. As residents of Alaska and the north woods of Michigan know, mosquitos are easy, they announce their presence. Black flies are the insect world's version of "shock and awe".
Muskol That's how it's spelled. Comes in a little green bottle. You can put it on your clothes, hair, etc...with no ill effects and it works. Lots of stuff works on mosquitos but this is the only thing I've found that is reliable on black flies. As residents of Alaska and the north woods of Michigan know, mosquitos are easy, they announce their presence. Black flies are the insect world's version of "shock and awe".
Garlic
Not that this has anything to do with flies while under sail, I can tell you how to get rid of them while you're not moving. I was sitting at an outdoor bar in St. Thomas recently. There were flies EVERYWHERE. They were so bad around the bar, I was about ready to take my beer and burger and go to my room.... Then a guy sitting across the bar asked the bartender if she wanted to get rid of all those flies. He said, go to the kitchen and bring out a jar of minced garlic. She did and he had her put a big tablespoon of minced garlic (with a little of the oil from the jar) into 4 open small plastic cups and sat them around the bar. GONE! The flies were GONE!!!!! It astounded me! I do it at home now on my deck. I just open the jar and put it out on the table on the deck. No flies! Try it, it works. I guess there are no flies from Italy huh?
Not that this has anything to do with flies while under sail, I can tell you how to get rid of them while you're not moving. I was sitting at an outdoor bar in St. Thomas recently. There were flies EVERYWHERE. They were so bad around the bar, I was about ready to take my beer and burger and go to my room.... Then a guy sitting across the bar asked the bartender if she wanted to get rid of all those flies. He said, go to the kitchen and bring out a jar of minced garlic. She did and he had her put a big tablespoon of minced garlic (with a little of the oil from the jar) into 4 open small plastic cups and sat them around the bar. GONE! The flies were GONE!!!!! It astounded me! I do it at home now on my deck. I just open the jar and put it out on the table on the deck. No flies! Try it, it works. I guess there are no flies from Italy huh?
Insect repellent for biting flies
The most common biting fly found along the east coast is the biting stable fly. These flies which look very similar to the house fly but have a L-shaped stinging hook on their head and like to bite humans in the ankle area. Common insect repellents using DEET have little effect on biting flies. If you need a fly repellent, it must have the incredient R-326 (Di-n-propyl Isocinchomeronate). R-326 is the most effective insect repellent against flies, gnats, no-see-ums and similar pesky insects. Even in small quantities, it is far more effective than deet against these insects. The R-326 molecules are much larger than deet molecules, so they are not as readily absorbed. Also, when R-326 is used with deet, it lowers the deet absorption rate by blocking access to the skin. There is one common Insect Repellent that includes R-326. This is Sawyer Broad Spectrum Insect Repellent. The webpage for Sawyer Broad Spectrum Insect Repellent is www.sawyerproducts.com. Their phone number is 1-800-940-4464. I puchased several cans a few years ago and the product does work against biting flies. However, with large amounts of flys in the area, you will have to add some more spray repellent to your lower legs and ankle areas every few hours.
The most common biting fly found along the east coast is the biting stable fly. These flies which look very similar to the house fly but have a L-shaped stinging hook on their head and like to bite humans in the ankle area. Common insect repellents using DEET have little effect on biting flies. If you need a fly repellent, it must have the incredient R-326 (Di-n-propyl Isocinchomeronate). R-326 is the most effective insect repellent against flies, gnats, no-see-ums and similar pesky insects. Even in small quantities, it is far more effective than deet against these insects. The R-326 molecules are much larger than deet molecules, so they are not as readily absorbed. Also, when R-326 is used with deet, it lowers the deet absorption rate by blocking access to the skin. There is one common Insect Repellent that includes R-326. This is Sawyer Broad Spectrum Insect Repellent. The webpage for Sawyer Broad Spectrum Insect Repellent is www.sawyerproducts.com. Their phone number is 1-800-940-4464. I puchased several cans a few years ago and the product does work against biting flies. However, with large amounts of flys in the area, you will have to add some more spray repellent to your lower legs and ankle areas every few hours.
Fighting the Air Wars
As I am one of those people that those pesky little flying critters called Mosquitos, Black Flies, No See-ums, or anything else that loves to suck my blood, over antone else, they will find me. Do not believe the story that these Blood Sucks do not fly or attach when it is windy. The worst attack I was ever involved in was on a trip to the Everglades National Park, on a windy day that was blowing at about 20-30 kts. The mosquitos were so bad that the chased us back to the car, where we were killing them for the next two hours on our way home. Needless to say I was un prepared and had to suffer. So to prevent this I have severaql proven approaches, based on how long I expect to be exposed to them, and have proven in my travels from Alaska to Newfoundland to the Florida Keyes. For long term exposure to these Blood Thirsty Critters,I learned in Alaska if you start eating Brewers Yeast tablets by the dozens, like candy, a couple of weeks in advance, and keep eating them for the duration of my stay in the area. The result being, you develop a body oder that "They Do Not Like" and they leave you alone. Note: this body oder is usually not noticeable to other members of your crew, or the ladies. The other solution is to keep some of the bug repellant, containing large amounts of Deet in its formula. Though I still question how good it is for you, for long term use. A third way to avoid these critter is to do a lot of winter sailing when all these critters our dead or hiding. Usually you will have a good wind to give you an exciting ride. But, if you are bothered by these Critters, you do what you have to do, to enjoy what you want to do, which in our case is is to be on the water sailing. Hope this helps someone in avoiding feeding those that love to feed on us,while we try to enjoy ourselves sailing. Ed Merta Pacific Dream M-36 OI Ketch Bellingham, WA
As I am one of those people that those pesky little flying critters called Mosquitos, Black Flies, No See-ums, or anything else that loves to suck my blood, over antone else, they will find me. Do not believe the story that these Blood Sucks do not fly or attach when it is windy. The worst attack I was ever involved in was on a trip to the Everglades National Park, on a windy day that was blowing at about 20-30 kts. The mosquitos were so bad that the chased us back to the car, where we were killing them for the next two hours on our way home. Needless to say I was un prepared and had to suffer. So to prevent this I have severaql proven approaches, based on how long I expect to be exposed to them, and have proven in my travels from Alaska to Newfoundland to the Florida Keyes. For long term exposure to these Blood Thirsty Critters,I learned in Alaska if you start eating Brewers Yeast tablets by the dozens, like candy, a couple of weeks in advance, and keep eating them for the duration of my stay in the area. The result being, you develop a body oder that "They Do Not Like" and they leave you alone. Note: this body oder is usually not noticeable to other members of your crew, or the ladies. The other solution is to keep some of the bug repellant, containing large amounts of Deet in its formula. Though I still question how good it is for you, for long term use. A third way to avoid these critter is to do a lot of winter sailing when all these critters our dead or hiding. Usually you will have a good wind to give you an exciting ride. But, if you are bothered by these Critters, you do what you have to do, to enjoy what you want to do, which in our case is is to be on the water sailing. Hope this helps someone in avoiding feeding those that love to feed on us,while we try to enjoy ourselves sailing. Ed Merta Pacific Dream M-36 OI Ketch Bellingham, WA
Flies
We have tried all sorts of commercial products and of course the swater but nothing worked. That is until July of this year. I ran into an "Old Timer" born and raised on the shore of The Chesapeake Bay. He gave me this recipe: two equal parts, one rubbing alcohol the other white viniger and a couple dashes of hot sauce (tabasco) mixed in a spray bottle. He said that "Old Bay Seasoning" could be added for extra effect. My first thought was he's "nuts". We'll smell like a crab feast and attract more flies but the flies are driving us "nuts" so off the store we went. The damn thing works! I have to tell you that we opted not to use the Old Bay. We sprayed the cock pit and have continued to use it all season and, seriously, no flies. Ed
We have tried all sorts of commercial products and of course the swater but nothing worked. That is until July of this year. I ran into an "Old Timer" born and raised on the shore of The Chesapeake Bay. He gave me this recipe: two equal parts, one rubbing alcohol the other white viniger and a couple dashes of hot sauce (tabasco) mixed in a spray bottle. He said that "Old Bay Seasoning" could be added for extra effect. My first thought was he's "nuts". We'll smell like a crab feast and attract more flies but the flies are driving us "nuts" so off the store we went. The damn thing works! I have to tell you that we opted not to use the Old Bay. We sprayed the cock pit and have continued to use it all season and, seriously, no flies. Ed
enclosure
Six grand and a full enclosure later, and the flies, skeeters, etc. are a thing of the past. Yes, sailing in the open air, the sun overhead the wind in your teeth and so on are all a big part of the sport but the FLIES will drive you nuts! We sail Lake Huron and the flies are a huge problem. The enclosure; dodger, bimini, fly (ironic, eh?), side curtains with screens and plastic windows has solved the problem of insects. Of course you need a deck mounted traveler to pull this off so add a thousand bucks for one of those if you don't already have one. The enclosure is also good for extending the season on rainy, chilly days. Zip everything up and you're snug as a bug.... well you get the picture. Bug repellants seem to be some sort of skin spice for the flies in my part of the world, but repellants may work elsewhere. Mike
Six grand and a full enclosure later, and the flies, skeeters, etc. are a thing of the past. Yes, sailing in the open air, the sun overhead the wind in your teeth and so on are all a big part of the sport but the FLIES will drive you nuts! We sail Lake Huron and the flies are a huge problem. The enclosure; dodger, bimini, fly (ironic, eh?), side curtains with screens and plastic windows has solved the problem of insects. Of course you need a deck mounted traveler to pull this off so add a thousand bucks for one of those if you don't already have one. The enclosure is also good for extending the season on rainy, chilly days. Zip everything up and you're snug as a bug.... well you get the picture. Bug repellants seem to be some sort of skin spice for the flies in my part of the world, but repellants may work elsewhere. Mike
Pelee Island Flies
While mosquitoes can be a problem at times - most commercial preparations (like OFF) seem to do the trick - the dreaded and infamous Pelee Island fly has a deserved reputation for visciousness! We've tried everything from constant swatting to Avon's "Skin-so-soft" lotion in a spray bottle (fair success) I'm anxious to try some of the remedies mentioned here and hope one works! Bill on STARGAZER
While mosquitoes can be a problem at times - most commercial preparations (like OFF) seem to do the trick - the dreaded and infamous Pelee Island fly has a deserved reputation for visciousness! We've tried everything from constant swatting to Avon's "Skin-so-soft" lotion in a spray bottle (fair success) I'm anxious to try some of the remedies mentioned here and hope one works! Bill on STARGAZER
Flies
We use Skin-So-Soft for biting flies. For no-see-ums and mosquitos, we use Off Coils, a hard coil that burns like insense.
We use Skin-So-Soft for biting flies. For no-see-ums and mosquitos, we use Off Coils, a hard coil that burns like insense.
Try electronics!
I have had astounding results on mosquitoes with the ultrasonic repellers. Some of them are as small as a lipstick, and the AA battery in them lasts for months, even if left on. Once on the Seattle islands, I was bothered by the critters while eating, so I flipped the switch-- gone instantly. I was so intriqued that I did this over and over. It worked every time. Then I put it in the middle of the round table and moved out to see how far the effect worked. About 10-12 feet in radius. It was so funny, after people started finding out what I was doing, I had over 20 people at my table. I have heard that they don't work on all mosquitoes, but they sure work on some.
I have had astounding results on mosquitoes with the ultrasonic repellers. Some of them are as small as a lipstick, and the AA battery in them lasts for months, even if left on. Once on the Seattle islands, I was bothered by the critters while eating, so I flipped the switch-- gone instantly. I was so intriqued that I did this over and over. It worked every time. Then I put it in the middle of the round table and moved out to see how far the effect worked. About 10-12 feet in radius. It was so funny, after people started finding out what I was doing, I had over 20 people at my table. I have heard that they don't work on all mosquitoes, but they sure work on some.
Off
During the day, we don't have big mosquito problems. Sometimes the flies do come out though (especially on those odd days when the breeze comes from the land). I usually swat and bear it as Off seems to have no effect on them. However, I can't wait to try the garlic/olive oil method described below. If nothing else, it sounds like a delicious spread for the hors d'oeurves. No-see-ums are a different story. They can attack at anytime of day, but dusk is the worst. They don't tend to get out over the water, but it can be sheer torture at the dock. I keep a bottle of "Family Off". It smells better and seems to be less sticky than regular Off. Works like a charm.
During the day, we don't have big mosquito problems. Sometimes the flies do come out though (especially on those odd days when the breeze comes from the land). I usually swat and bear it as Off seems to have no effect on them. However, I can't wait to try the garlic/olive oil method described below. If nothing else, it sounds like a delicious spread for the hors d'oeurves. No-see-ums are a different story. They can attack at anytime of day, but dusk is the worst. They don't tend to get out over the water, but it can be sheer torture at the dock. I keep a bottle of "Family Off". It smells better and seems to be less sticky than regular Off. Works like a charm.
Stick It To Them
Yo Sailors, try this method of dealing with pesty bugs: in your home and garden sections of stores, go to the house plant section and get a sticky tube which can stand or hang, also the sticky traps used for ants or spiders will attract the flying insects. this is on the lines of the old sticky fly strips but more user friendly; somethimes we have to deal with aggressive yellow jackets in the late summer where we live, this works pretty well without using chemicals which are not good for people to inhale. if you get the sticky stuff on you, use orange desolvent stuff with a rag to remove. good luck, happy sailing. ellen weiser
Yo Sailors, try this method of dealing with pesty bugs: in your home and garden sections of stores, go to the house plant section and get a sticky tube which can stand or hang, also the sticky traps used for ants or spiders will attract the flying insects. this is on the lines of the old sticky fly strips but more user friendly; somethimes we have to deal with aggressive yellow jackets in the late summer where we live, this works pretty well without using chemicals which are not good for people to inhale. if you get the sticky stuff on you, use orange desolvent stuff with a rag to remove. good luck, happy sailing. ellen weiser
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