Yellow flies?

[Sisdy]

Back in the early 90's, we camped at the fort. The yellow/deer flies chewed us up pretty badly. Are they still bad there?

 

[SewBzzzy]

Mosquito's were pretty bad last April, 2008! I don't recall being bothered by them that much before? I wonder if they "spray" like they do at the State Parks here in Michigan?

 

[FlaFortCampster]

The nasty yellow flies or deer flies usually are only around in the months of May and sometimes Sept. Their bite does hurt!!!!!

 

[Sisdy]

We have these yellow flies in South Ga, from enem.d of May to Middle of June. I didn't know of any spray that would get rid of them. I thought since WDW has thinned the brush so much, that they might not be so bad now. The year we camped in June, you could not even eat at the picnic table because of th

 

[Tnbob]

The nasty yellow flies or deer flies usually are only around in the months of May and sometimes Sept. Their bite does hurt!!!!!

We were at the fort last May and within 10 mins of getting out of the truck the DW got bit. Her hand swelled up and got infected almost on the spot. Within an hour she had a few more and her hand was twice its size and her leg looked like someone took a bite out of it, she had 5 or 6 good bites believe me it looked horrible. We went to the urgent care center at the Cross roads and they gave her antibiotics and it was a good week before it cleared up. This was the second time this happened to her. The year before she got bit on the foot and she soldiered through it til we got home and went to our own doctor, that time her foot swelled like a football making walking hard. The Doc at the urgent care crnter said they get a lot of people with those bites in May and a few other times a year.

 

[Sisdy]

That is what happened to my niece who went with us on that particular trip. It was her feet that were bitten. We were considering camping around Memorial Day until I thought of the yellow flies. I really would like to go at that time, but I also love the outdoors and do not want to fight the yellow flies.

 

[FlaFortCampster]

Here's some more info on our lovely little yellow flies.

The worst time of year is from May to mid June.
They are attracted by dark colors, so remember this when dressing. Wear long sleeve shirt and pants. (GREAT, just what you what to do in our Florida heat.)
Deet is an effective repellent. (Deep Woods Off contains a high % of Deet).
Placing traps under trees helps to keep the populations down.
Yellow Fly Trap

This trapping device is used to reduce the number of yellow flies in the vicinity of a fly breeding area.
Below is a list of materials to use and instructions for constructing the yellow fly trap.

Materials

20" inflatable beach ball (available at WalMart, Kmart etc.)
10"of ¾ inch PVC or 10" of 1" x 2" wood strip
Glossy black spray paint
String
Glue

Construction

1. Inflate the beach ball.

2. Assemble the inverted L-shaped stand using PVC or wood strips.

(The upright portion of the stand is 6" high with 2 " inserted into the ground. The remaining 2" serves as the right-angled support. The ball may also be hung from a tree, but beneath the canopy.)

3. Paint the ball glossy black and allow the paint to completely dry.

4. Tie the string to the inflation tube on the ball and suspend it from the angled support or tree branch.

5. Snip the corner from the plastic glue bag and squeeze the contents on the top of the ball.

6. Wearing disposable plastic gloves, or using a paintbrush, spread the glue evenly over the ball. (Avoid skin contact. Use mineral spirits to remove any glue that inadvertently comes in contact with the skin.)

Trap Location

The glue ball should be located underneath the tree canopy to take advantage of the yellow flies' preference for shade. Balls hung in the open will not collect as effectively as balls in the shade.

Trap Timing

Yellow flies emerge early in May and are gone by mid-June. Trapping should be done in this time period. Once the nuisance has decreased, the trap should be removed. You may do this by puncturing the ball with a sharp object, then carefully, slide the ball into a plastic garbage bag. Dispose of the bag as you would normally with any household waste.

Keep in mind

When a food source (you) is nearby, the flies will go for the food not the decoy. Avoid going outdoors without repellants or appropriate clothing.

Remember....if you put out traps, put them AWAY from where you wish to eat or sit. Kinda like when folks put out bug zappers right by the picnic table, it DRAWS the bugs to the zappers. Better to put them as far away as possible.

Hope this helps.

 

[Colson39]

The worst are chiggers, ugh, hate those guys

 

[Born 2 Fish]

Don't hate me just cause I'm a fast drinker, that does not make me a chugger!







Oh,,chigger,,,never mind.