Deer Flies
 

The deer flies are out here. What do you all do to deal with them? Permetherin? Deet? Something else?

I have had some luck with permetherin in the past, but before treating my clothes i figured I'd ask what others are doing. I am and early morning every day trail riderand riding before daylight works best, but I don't want to get out that early every day.

Decades ago I used to use some mil-spec tape we called armament tape. It was a high quality 3" wide duct tape that was olive drab one one side and somewhat close to flesh colored on the sticky side. It worked well on a hat when hiking or trail running. I also used it mountain biking without a helmet back decades ago, but don't want to ride helmet less these days I wonder about effectiveness for mountain biking with a helmet since they seem to be biting me mostly mid back. BTW, they bite right through clothing even a couple layers once I am sweaty enough for clothes to cling.

I may order some patches and try them, but I have some permetherin on hand so I may just go ahead and treat one shirt and see how that goes (I tend to ride in tech tees rather that bike jerseys most of the time)..

I could just make it a habit of getting out in the dark. Riding with headlamps is fun any way

I like clothing treated with permethrin; it lasts for more washings than the clothing you treat yourself. Permethrin for clothing, deet for exposed areas, and a serenity prayer (or two or three) will all help.

This^^^

I have them here too and nothing else works better.

To be clear I'm a Road Cyclist and don't have a problem with deer flies while riding. The patches work great when I am out in the yard gardening, etc. I've had as many as 8 flies stuck by the end of a day. I guess they would work on the back of a helmet when riding more slowly on a mountain bike?

Exactly.

Not necessary for road riding because you are usually moving at a fast pace than the deer fly and you are on an open road and not in the dense woods on a single track.

Not so sure about that. The issue may be less likely, but still can occur. We were bothered by biting flies at times in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming on our Trans America tour. The blood suckers easily kept up at 18-20 mph and I have no doubt would have at higher speeds judging by how easily they closed the gap when dropped, They seemed adept at drafting. Even elite riders climb hard climbs slower than the pace we were getting bitten at.

I have also had flies biting in the Sierras on difficult mountain passes a few times.

This hits close to home as I've become allergic to deer/horsefly bites - and my property is swarmed with them during late spring and early summer. I live by the Chesapeake and our entire area gets swarmed. Head over to the Delaware bay and the greenheads take over - think deer flies on speed, typically in 10x the numbers.

I have 3 acres of grass to mow and I get swarmed by the deer flies - badly. I have to essentially wear a bee keepers uniform while mowing.

I stay off the single track/out of the woods this time of the year. They typically don't get me on my road bike.

Bug sprays do not work.

Blue solo cups covered in tanglefoot will catch many of them. They like blue. But most make it to my hands/head.

I will put blue construction paper covered in tanglefoot on the towing mirrors of my truck and drive around the yard- I can catch 100's of them. I also hang giant blue balls in the back yard covered in tanglefoot - catch 100s and 100's of them. Doesn't seem to make a dent in the population.