"A How to" on managing Deer Flies AND horseflies...

[Keltara]

Quote:
I hear ya! They are such vicious nasty things. I can't wait for the deer fly season to E.N.D.!!!!

 

[dretd]

So yesterday I decided to try a new approach. I cut out netting from an old tent big enough to drape over my head and arms. I draped it over a hat and topped it with the blue tanglefoot-coated cup. I then went trolling in my pasture on the perimeter by the ditch. Usually my face gets swarmed by deer flies. I got two landing on my exposed legs for a snack. I got 1 mosquito and 1 small moth on the cup. Zip on the deer flies.

The netting worked really well to keep everything off, but my hubby was laughing so hard he couldn't breath, so I am not sure if I want to mow like that every day...

I think I am still going to go back to the flesh colored idea and see if I get better luck. I wonder if different region's flies have color preferences since this article was out of Florida? I'll let you know how this new experiment turns out.

 

[emys]

With video?

I agree with you that color preference could be regional.

 

[UmbrellaGirl]

I have trapped over 11,000 deer flies in the first 5 weeks of the 2012 deer fly season in Michigan using my version of the trolling deer fly trap developed by Dr. Mizell. My trap uses an umbrella, blue cups, and Tangle-Foot. Check out my blog for how to make and use this easy effective trap. I've also posted my trapping data there. Happy trapping! http://deerflytrapumbrella.blogspot.com/

 

[dretd]

I have trapped over 11,000 deer flies in the first 5 weeks of the 2012 deer fly season in Michigan using my version of the trolling deer fly trap developed by Dr. Mizell. My trap uses an umbrella, blue cups, and Tangle-Foot. Check out my blog for how to make and use this easy effective trap. I've also posted my trapping data there. Happy trapping! http://deerflytrapumbrella.blogspot.com/

Thank you so much for all of your hard work and energies and the link, of course.

After looking at your set-up, I am wondering if my downfall was the tanglefoot. The one my local nursery sold is an amber color, just like those fly-trap rolls you get. The amber color might tint the blue enough that it no longer seems attractive to the flies. Where did you get your tanglefoot?

I especially love the brilliance of using disposable plastic baggies for the traps!

 

[UmbrellaGirl]

in reply to dretd:

I purchase the Tangle-Trap Sticky Coating from Amazon. They sell it in an 8 oz can that includes a small brush. They also sell it in a quart can with a top like a paint can. No brush supplied with the quart can. I've started using a foam applicator on a stick (purchased in the paint section, displayed next to paint brushes) in order to apply the sticky coating because the foam applicator is 2 inches wide and so the job of applying the Tangle-Trap coating is much quicker and easier than using the supplied tiny brush.

I'm not sure if having the blue color dimmed a bit because of the amber color of the product you used would actually deter the deer flies, because they're attracted to non-blue humans and deer afterall, but who knows.

Good luck to you. Let me know if you have any other questions regarding my deer fly trap umbrella. I'm really hoping it will work for you, because it has certainly worked like a miracle for me and now my husband and I can fully enjoy the outdoors.

 

[dretd]

Thanks umbrellagirl. I did go over to Amazon and the one eligible for free shipping is temporarily out so now I have to decide if I want to pay as much in shipping as the product costs

I stopped by Ace and they can order it for me from Florida or Alabama since their regional distributor doesn't carry it. No one else locally carries it. There must be some pretty ferocious bugs in the South! She was going to call me back with shipping costs.

I haven't even looked for the umbrella yet. Where does one go for the stripy kind? We are pretty dry around here and not many folk even own umbrellas so this may be another online purchase.

Many thanks!

 

[UmbrellaGirl]

I bought the black-and-white umbrella a few years ago online from Kmart.