Effective black fly repellent
I am looking for solutions on how to effectively repel black flies while hiking or picnicking. In my experience, repellents that are effective against mosquitoes do not work at all with these ankle-biting pests as they seem to outright ignore the repellent while they feast upon my flesh.
Responses based on firsthand experience are preferred. I just got done scouring the first page of Google and found little more than articles stating "doing this may help" or "applying this could help" (ie, a lot of could/can/might/may/probably). I am most interested in the holy grail of repellents that will, in fact, keep black flies at bay without doubt, question, or speculation. Of course, if that holy grail doesn't exist, I'll have to end up settling for the next best thing.
This post was sourced from https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/q/22860. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1 answer
I have never succeeded in keeping black flies away with a chemical approach. A hat is important to keep them out of your hairline. Long sleeves, long pants, tuck your pants into your socks. Yes, Ontario June can be too hot to dress like that. So you might want to go with something like this:
A bug jacket (and pants are also available) made of lightweight mesh with elastic at the wrists and ankles. The jacket has a hood, and mine has a faceplate like a fencer's that attaches to the hood with velcro. I've worn the jacket (usually without the faceplate) for gardening at the height of black fly season and it works and is cooler than full-on clothes.
This post was sourced from https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/22875. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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