Black fly prevention and treatment?

[Parttimefarmer]

We have a bit of a black fly problem. There is a spring with a little creek that seems to be excellent larvae habitat.

Of the many people and 4 dogs that have been running around 1 dog and 1 person got bitten and had very bad reactions, the dog is on one drug and my poor mother is on two. My mom seems very sensitive and developed cellulitis, as did our dog. The rest of us are mildly itchy and annoyed.

I bought mosquito dunks and got the bug spray. Is there anything else I can do? It's really bad right now no one wants to have to go to the doctor or vet again.

[woodsy]

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2167.html

We use Bens 100 for people protection (any day now). Found in many outdoor sporting goods stores and some drug stores.



The dog gets a spot on treatment for ticks which repels most everything else too . Active ingredient is permethrin 45% solution.
Follow directions closely on both products if you use them.

[jross]

There is no such thing as a "bit" of a black fly season. Ben's is very good.

[Parttimefarmer]

It's a "bit" because I am not there dealing with it right now, my parents are. I am acquiring every bug spray, dunk, and anything else I can get and heading up to go to battle shortly.

Thank you for the Ben's pointer. I haven't seen it in the stores yet, but I'll find it. The OSU sheet is nice too. No one seems to know what I am talking about at Lowe's/HD/etc. I'll print it and bring it.

[mekasmom]

Vanilla perfume will keep them away, but you have to apply it often. Just buy the $2 stuff at WM and apply it every 2-3hrs you are outside.
Those will kill poultry and small animals, so try to be prepared to keep them inside.

[Use Less]

Lots of blackflies here. The bites seem to get nastier as the season progresses, too. Late afternoon is worse than earlier. I guess you'd say I'm allergic. I get the nasty, itchy bites, then they swell & ulcerate. Can take 2 or 3 weeks to heal Long sleeves & pants, everything tucked in helps some. I use Off! spray that smells like strawberries, and that works quite well for me. Sue

[woodsy]

You can find the Bens 100 on line if no where else. Rarely some people will have a reaction to it. FYI
The Black flies some years can be horrendous in the Maine woods with all the rivers and streams here.
I wouldn't spend any time out there w/o Bens 100, tried, tested and proven.
Also tried the Ben's 30% formula but have to keep reapplying frequently, PIA when they are swarming hungry for blood.

[MaineFarmMom]

Disclaimer: This company pays for advertising in a publication I own.

http://bearmountainbotanicals.com. Paid or not, I wouldn't recommend it if it didn't work very well for me.

[highlands]

Chickens love them and snatch them out of the air.

[haypoint]

YouTube

takes a moment to get going, but interesting.

[kaitala]

If you can, these are the absolute best. It takes some time for the predators to take effect, but you'll reduce populations greatly. Best of luck with it.

http://www.spalding-labs.com/Default.aspx

[MaineFarmMom]

That's the wrong kind of fly. Black flies lay eggs in running water. The larva hatch when the water is the right temperature in spring and again in fall. The fall hatch here is much smaller than spring.

They were so bad one morning this week that I couldn't sit still to hunt. In spite of having all by my eyes covered I was bitten.

[Parttimefarmer]

Originally Posted by haypoint

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjLBXb1kgMo
takes a moment to get going, but interesting.

That is a good song!

[Parttimefarmer]

Black flies are itty bity, they look almost like flying ticks. They are basically mini horseflies that love to eat people, livestock, and pets. They make mosquitoes look nice.

[Parttimefarmer]

Originally Posted by MaineFarmMom

Disclaimer: This company pays for advertising in a publication I own.

http://bearmountainbotanicals.com. Paid or not, I wouldn't recommend it if it didn't work very well for me.

Thanks! I'll link my mom and see if she wants some.