Strawberry flies tearing me up!!

[jgln]

That is what they call them around here anyway. Not sure if because they eat them or because they come out the same time they ripen. As soon as I go outside they swarm around my head and land and bite bad. They are relentless too, never stop and will follow you no matter what. They draw blood too and the bite itches. My left hand is a bit swollen from today. Hard to get anything done when you spend 50% of you time swatting them away. They are so persistant you can easily kill them but as soon as they land they bite instantly. I wet a towel and put over my head which helps but they will bite any exposed body part and through clothing. You hear buzzing aroubnd you head all the time. Sprays don't work either. Good thing is they are around for only about 3 weeks then dissapear. Wave you hand around you head and you will hit a couple flying around...but that doesn't stop them they keep coming!!

Any suggestions? They are driving me mad!!

 

[lumpher]

stay inside for those 3 weeks... and don't brew

 

[jgln]

I garden a lot and have lots of things I need/want to do outdoors.

 

[jgln]

Kill one and another is there to replace it......

 

[lumpher]

i understand carrying a dryer sheet in your pocket is good for driving off mosquitoes. ever try that? i know they're different, but it's worth a shot

 

[jgln]

I'll try it, pin one to my baseball cap.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Malathion. It works.
Regards, GF.

 

[Homercidal]

We call them black flies, or fckn flies over here. My dad was a bit allergic to them, but other than the flying around me head, their bites are not that bate to me. Usually dont' itch much, but can leave a tiny red spot.

What I hate are the 'No-Se-'Ems', which are so small you can't hardly see em! They require a very fine mesh to deal with. At least they are not a problem with the swarming, cause they are so small, but they leave the same tiny welt adn itch just as bad as the big ones for me.

 

[jgln]

We call them black flies, or fckn flies over here. My dad was a bit allergic to them, but other than the flying around me head, their bites are not that bate to me. Usually dont' itch much, but can leave a tiny red spot.

What I hate are the 'No-Se-'Ems', which are so small you can't hardly see em! They require a very fine mesh to deal with. At least they are not a problem with the swarming, cause they are so small, but they leave the same tiny welt adn itch just as bad as the big ones for me.

Odd to call black flies, they kind of have a "stripe" or "bar" across each wing and are not black much IMO. I looked them up and says they are actually horse or deer flies of which we have both in the area. I think their bite is bad, as bad as the green head flies we have down the shore (Jersey expression lol, BTW the show "Jersey Shore" is a joke).

Didn't have them just 20 miles north where I used to live (more suburban,less rural) and when we moved here I thought my neighbor went mad. He was outside with arm flailing all over the place like a monkey.....it was later I knew why. Now I am the lunitic outside waving my arms all around in the air cursing to no one

 

[Homercidal]

We have both deer and horse flies, and they are nothing like the black flies I'm talking about. The deer flies have a black band and can actually hurt pretty good if they bite. Horse flies are about twice their size and can REALLY hurt if they bite!

I thought you were talking about the small flies that make itchy welts.

Carry a fly swatter and smack the hell out of them!

 

[jgln]

We have both deer and horse flies, and they are nothing like the black flies I'm talking about. The deer flies have a black band and can actually hurt pretty good if they bite. Horse flies are about twice their size and can REALLY hurt if they bite!

I thought you were talking about the small flies that make itchy welts.

Carry a fly swatter and smack the hell out of them!

Yep, they have a black band on their wings. Probably deer flies and their bite is bad. I wonder what it would look like magnified? Seeing them chomping down on your flesh, must be nasty. They draw blood if on you too long..and I am talking seconds.

 

[Homercidal]

I hate those things. The horse flies are annoying, but they are so big and loud that you can hear them buzzing around. The Deer Flies are small and fast enough, and quiet enough, to sometimes get a bite in before you can get to them.

I've really only seen them in ones, twos, or very small groups.

 

[oldmate]

Aeroguard. Don't know if you have that over there. If it's powerful enough to keep away the flies here in an Aussie summer, then it should work for you.

 

[jgln]

Aeroguard. Don't know if you have that over there. If it's powerful enough to keep away the flies here in an Aussie summer, then it should work for you.

Never heard of it before, I will keep an eye out or seach internet, thanks. So bad I can't enjoy being outside at all, terrible.

 

[iaefebs]

Try using "skin so soft" from Avon

 

[jgln]

Try using "skin so soft" from Avon they will hover but not land.

Heard of it for mosquitoes but tried it for greed head flies and they didn't care, in fact I have yet to find something to keep greenheads off me.

 

[jgln]

The're back!! Almost to the day a year later. I was working in the garden today back toward the woods where they are the worst and was getting bit about every 2-3 seconds and was out there for a few hours.

 

[TheMan]

Haha, I started reading this thread and thought, "what idiot revived this dead thread?" Glad it was the creator.

When I used to go hiking we would just use a mosquito hat and long sleeves to protect from horse flies. Sounds like this may be one of your only defenses.

 

[BugLaden]

The kind that WILL NOT leave you alone is the deer fly. It has bands on its wings. The female needs blood during mating season. I hate those things. They terrorize me when I'm running. I swat it off, it lands on me again.

The horse fly is a huge black fly (the largest you will ever see) that scares the bejeezus out of me. Again, only the females bite and during only when they are about to lay eggs.

 

[jgln]

The kind that WILL NOT leave you alone is the deer fly. It has bands on its wings. The female needs blood during mating season. I hate those things. They terrorize me when I'm running. I swat it off, it lands on me again.

The horse fly is a huge black fly (the largest you will ever see) that scares the bejeezus out of me. Again, only the females bite and during only when they are about to lay eggs.

So does this mean I am going to be the father of several thousand hatches of these flies??? Perhaps millions/billions of baby flies??? I need to sit down.

I am so proud!!

 

[jgln]

Haha, I started reading this thread and thought, "what idiot revived this dead thread?" Glad it was the creator.

When I used to go hiking we would just use a mosquito hat and long sleeves to protect from horse flies. Sounds like this may be one of your only defenses.

Yeah this is the dumbest thread even on HBT....

Just kidding...

 

[jgln]

The kind that WILL NOT leave you alone is the deer fly. It has bands on its wings. The female needs blood during mating season. I hate those things. They terrorize me when I'm running. I swat it off, it lands on me again.

The horse fly is a huge black fly (the largest you will ever see) that scares the bejeezus out of me. Again, only the females bite and during only when they are about to lay eggs.

Worst part is they bite the moment they land. They are fairly fast too so unless they are deep into a bite they fly away before you can kill them...only to return a second later to bite again.