Yep, never helps me where ever I have tired it. I guess it is just my body's chemistry. Or maybe it is like my dad said, "those flies around your head are foo-foo flies, they fly around anything that looks like a horse's ass. Gee I miss him.

Bill

Fortunately, I don't seem to have an issue with biting flies in my area. Mosquitoes on the other hand, except for a bit after area spraying has been done, are awful. Fortunately, as long as you are moving, even slowly, mosquitoes aren't an issue. I will say that I can see why some wouldn't bother with insect repellant--it's nasty, unpleasant stuff to put on and to have on. I hate using it if I'm working in the yard but do so since the insects are far worse to deal with.

Okay, I'm applying for a government grant to study this first thing Monday morning.

The speed listed for Horse flys has been disproved from what I understand. It seems the origional estimation was done back in the early 1900s by pure observation and guess work based on what one man thought they were doing as they blured by. Later on a physicist more or less proved that speed would crush the head of a horse fly from air resistance. Plus to fly that fast they would have to consume 1.5 times their body weight per second to get the energy. (At least so I have read.) The moth listed seems to be pretty much accepted.


I have to friends that ride in our club that are Farriers and they tell me placing a fan blowing in their work area cuts down on horse flys considerably. I can't imagine the fan would be blowing at close to 30 mph. I could see a fly hitting 30 mph however if they were so inclined. So my 10 mph comment was just from what I have experienced.
just from my experience they seems disinclined to attack me at much over 10. That could be a territorial thing I suppose and they simply aren't willing to expend the effort. Once again only from what I have experienced.

I have never tried insect repellant however as someone asked.

Teeth you say? That's nuthin, ours have fangs.

Years ago, I recall a bunch of deer flies coming out at us. We fooled around with our speed until they could just keep pace drafting right behind the rider. I think that was about 12 mph. So a figure of 10 mph is probably pretty close.

My experience with the ones in northern MN and western ON is that you need to go > 25MPH to drop them. Maybe they can't go more then 10MPH solo but they DRAFT YOU!!!