Look At What I Caught

Gary_C · June 27, 2011, 01:32:55 AM

Late yesterday afternoon, I ran the forwarder out of fuel and had to walk back. I decided the work day was over and just locked it up and left it on the trail about 200-300 yards from the landing. Boy was I tormented on that short walk to the landing.

So this morning I was prepared for the walk back carying two one gallon jugs of diesel. And just look at what I caught.

I counted 12 of those nasty hard biting deer flys on the sticky stuff and they were still squirming when I took the picture. The one older forester that introduced me to those deer fly patches said after all the misery those deer flys had caused him over the years, the best part was watching them squirm. ;D

With all the rain we have been having, the woods are full of bugs. There's the deer flys, horse flys, gnats, billions of mosquitoes, and of course the ever present deer ticks and wood ticks. I generally pick off 3-4 ticks per day right now.

Yes, I've gotten soft with an enclosed cab and every day I pray that my A/C will continue working. :D

SwampDonkey · June 27, 2011, 04:16:33 AM

The only relief you get from those deer flies up here is during cool days half raining. They swarm like hornets in the hot sun and you can kill 3-5 with one swat. :D By August they die off here, then we get to deal with hornet's nests.

Norm · June 27, 2011, 07:58:25 AM

We don't have much for deer flies around here but plenty of the others. Horse flies are really bad right now and don't let up until early August. With all the rain we've been having the skeeters have been really bad this year.

Our central AC in the house died this year at the start of the hot and humid weather. We had the house opened up to find a billion of those gnats that are too small to be stopped by the screens. I went and put in a window unit until we got ours replaced. :D

Magicman · June 27, 2011, 08:39:17 AM

Thankfully our gnat problem has subsided a bit. A few weeks ago they were really bad. Banana Boat sunscreen lotion was the only thing that would keep them at bay.

pineywoods · June 27, 2011, 08:44:54 AM

Best thing I ever found for the gnats is a big nasty smelly cigar. Gnats don't like the smoke, but the wife don't either. ;D

thecfarm · June 28, 2011, 07:43:41 AM

They always seem to get on my shoulder blades where my shirt is tight. My Father always called them sweat flies. They would poison him awful.They just came out here. All the black fies are gone now or have let up alot.

WDH · June 28, 2011, 10:16:48 AM

Skin So Soft by Avon works great for gnats and smells good too if you have a feminine side

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SwampDonkey · June 28, 2011, 06:42:23 PM

Grandfather used it for 30 years. 8)

The deer flies were wicked thick today and it was 83 degrees out. I saw a doe crossing a big tater field on the way to work. Saw cow moose and calf in field in view of the house when I got home. 8)

Yesterday saw two bear (one was dead). DNR probably picked it up off the road and dumped it beside my block. Nice smell.

jander3 · June 29, 2011, 11:54:53 AM

Hate those things. Ticks are starting to fade, gnats are not quite as bad; however, those deer flys come out and cause plenty of misery right about now.

Gary_C · June 29, 2011, 12:03:36 PM

Jon, I don't know how anyone can survive in that country without those deer fly patches. If you have one of those patches on your hat, the problem just seems to disappear. The mosquitoes and ticks are another problem though.

jander3 · June 29, 2011, 03:59:51 PM

Gary,

Where do you get the patches? I need to try them out.

Where are you cutting?

Gary_C · June 29, 2011, 05:26:34 PM

Jon here is the link to those patches: deerflypatches

I originally bought a case of them many years ago and have pretty much used or sold all but a few. There may be some sporting goods stores that carry them but I don't know which ones.

I have moved to the Cheng SF just east of Pine City but will be moving out of there in a couple of weeks.

Chuck White · June 29, 2011, 09:22:37 PM

A guy who lives next door to my most frequent "mobile" customer has the freedom to travel the 4-wheeler trails on my customers property!

He rides his 4-wheeler around while wearing an old military helmet liner that is covered with just plain old grease, like out of a grease gun. The grease is about 1/8 inch thick and he can go riding for 10 minutes and when he comes back he usually will have anywhere from 50 to 100 deer flies on the helmet, stuck in the grease.

Burlkraft · July 02, 2011, 07:30:39 AM

Just got back from Da UP and the bugs up there are bad.
The skeeters are everywhere including the middle of the yard in blazing sun!
The deer flies are bad too.....Can't wait till fall now :D :D

Ron Scott · July 02, 2011, 07:30:55 PM

That sure spoils a fun visit to the U.P. woods. ;)

SwampDonkey · July 02, 2011, 07:35:26 PM

I was just enjoying the evening outside in a nice breeze, not a fly in sight.

Earlier in the morning I cut a wider path in between the raspberry rows and took the shovel to some burdock and afterward (2 hours) I was soaked, and that was before it got hot.

Jeff · July 02, 2011, 07:38:11 PM

We still had fun, just had to keep moving while on the bikes. Steve was getting a kick out of watching the deerflies swarming around my head when we did less than 15 miles an hour.