Great Lakes Black Flies

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Mon May 20, 2013 9:26 am

We went out on Lake Michigan Sunday, and didn't find much wind. What we found were millions of black flies a couple miles off shore.

Does anyone here have an effective fly repellent? You can see a picture of my sail cover here http://svcopacetic.webs.com/ and the entire boat was like that.

CaptainScott · Post by **CaptainScott** » Mon May 20, 2013 10:21 am

The link does not work for me but either way . . .

YIKES!

Scott

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Mon May 20, 2013 11:01 am

Link fixed.

astrorad · Post by **astrorad** » Mon May 20, 2013 6:06 pm

Tom, if there is any remedy for those flies there should be plenty of info available from all those boaters at the marina...that is the ones who actually use their boats as more than an occasional weekend retreat.
I have heard about those flies over the years from guys who fish salmon out there, but since I was not a boater at the time I really didn't pay any attention to what they said about it.
I plan on bringing my mosquito net hat with me if I ever get my boat in the water...(self deprecating lol)

Padiunka · Post by **Padiunka** » Tue May 21, 2013 4:51 am

I ran into a big swarm of them last year. They stuck with me for 8 - 10 hours. They were everywhere!. We had the chute and a big boy up that day so there was alot of foot traffic on the fordeck. The made for alot of squished bugs to clean up the next morning. YUCK!

BTW: bug spray seemed to have little effect on them.

CaptainScott · Post by **CaptainScott** » Tue May 21, 2013 5:34 am

Curiosity got me!
This not the Great Lakes. It is Africa. All I can say is YUK!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlhN0vPSP0s

Scott

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Tue May 21, 2013 6:13 am

We have used a Thermacell with good results in the past, but Sunday it wasn't doing it. I was just doing some googling and some folks swear that rubbing gin on their skin keeps them from biting. Of course the smell might be hard to explain to the Coasties or Cops on the drive home.

astrorad · Post by **astrorad** » Tue May 21, 2013 6:31 pm

I checked out some boating forums and found these recommendations...White vinegar in a spray bottle...spray it on yourself and reapply after you sweat it off...Mosquito net hats... and this product for deerfly abatement, which a fellow says works for the black flies also...
http://deerflypatches.com/

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Wed May 22, 2013 5:07 am

I saw the deer fly patches too. I just don't like the idea of hundreds of dead or dieing flies stuck to my head.

Mario G · Post by **Mario G** » Thu May 23, 2013 4:43 pm

We hit them cruising thru South Caro;lina, called may flies. they don't bite or sting but the deck was black and I had to wear a ski mask with sunglasses to be able to travel thru them.

Even closeing up the cabin of the boat the best we could they still got in.

Now I hear the 14yr cicada or expected.

astrorad · Post by **astrorad** » Thu May 23, 2013 5:55 pm

too bad it isn't locusts...at least they are edible !!!