I live in NH and everyone is talking about them this year. I do my runs along more major paved roads to avoid them, if you ride or run a dirt road you will get chewed. I think its like a 6 to 8 week season for them and we have got to be at least half way now.
Deer flies are the worst. I have to spray myself from head to toes, clothes and all. Otherwise they bite right through bike shorts, jersey, etc.
Use these on your hat. This really works. I just used this over the weekend and for the duration of a 9 mile hike, I picked up 23 deer flies on the tape, and not one bit me.
(The image below is not my hat, just one I found on the interwebs)
Deer Fly Tape
Winner winner! We use them and the picture above is MINOR compared to what a 30 minute run in Northern Wisconsin will give you. The strangest thing is the buzzing that will come from them days afterwards. (You can use the strips for several days).
Worth every freakin penny!
Just after I posted this, my wife went for a 6 mile trail run. She put a fresh tape on her hat and came back with at least 100 (if not a lot more) stuck to the tape. Completely covered every available sticky spot on the tape.
I train almost exclusively indoors during deer fly season. I’ve been out on trails on long runs far far from shelter or help and have almost lost my mind due to deer flies. It’s honestly too mentally hard to keep doing that. Even slowing down on a ride can be tough. They get up into my helmet and easily bite through cycling clothing.
I’m not interested in dousing myself in chemicals. I’ve attached imitation dragon flies to my hat but that didn’t provide enough relief. That’s one creature that I’d be happy to see become extinct. Never tried the tape.
Here’s a little heads up on another biting fly you may encounter in the north east. If Vermont is like the Adirondacks, you’ll see the deer flies numbers begin to reduce by mid August but about the same time stable flies will begin to surge. Stable flies look pretty much identical to common house flies and have the nasty habit of biting your ankles after stealthily landing. You won’t likely notice until their painful bite. If you canoe or kayak dozens of these tormentors will land in the boat and take turns biting your feet, ankles, and even more tender parts through thin clothing like bathing suits. They don’t swarm your head like deer flies but seem to bite way more quickly and stealthily.
Hugh
Ahh ADK… Land of the flying critters that want to eat you all year… (I have a house just outside of Lake Placid)
May-June: Black Flies
June-September: Mosquitoes
June-July: Deer Flies
August: Stable Flies
All of them can go die in a fire as far as I am concerned
I live in NH and everyone is talking about them this year. I do my runs along more major paved roads to avoid them, if you ride or run a dirt road you will get chewed. I think its like a 6 to 8 week season for them and we have got to be at least half way now.
I wonder if they are worse this year. We moved from outside of Burlington, Vermont to a much more rural area in VT. We also now live in the middle of a forest block that has wetlands and streams with lots of ponds around. We are off the grid and our driveway is 3/4 of a mile. Our closest full time neighbor is a mile away. So I just figured we live in a much more rural and wild area in VT and the bugs are bad as a trade-off of no people/noise. But maybe they are worse this year? In our old house I didn’t go into the woods much training for Ironmans except early spring and late fall when I sometimes did lunchtime hikes.
They’ve been fucking horrific this year.
Vicks VapoRub also appears to be a decent repellant.
Use these on your hat. This really works. I just used this over the weekend and for the duration of a 9 mile hike, I picked up 23 deer flies on the tape, and not one bit me.
(The image below is not my hat, just one I found on the interwebs)
Deer Fly Tape
Winner winner! We use them and the picture above is MINOR compared to what a 30 minute run in Northern Wisconsin will give you. The strangest thing is the buzzing that will come from them days afterwards. (You can use the strips for several days).
Worth every freakin penny!
Just after I posted this, my wife went for a 6 mile trail run. She put a fresh tape on her hat and came back with at least 100 (if not a lot more) stuck to the tape. Completely covered every available sticky spot on the tape.
Keep the tape for a while – you will be amazed at how long the buggers live! In a gross sort of way.
When I was training for marathons and Ironmans all summer the last 10 or so years, I always wondered what it would be like to have a summer off from training and just play in the woods. Well it’s hot and buggy here in Costa Vermont.
Anyone who lives in the rural North East of the US knows what I’m on about. Deer flies are the worst! And having moved to a very rural location they are really bad when we run and bike in the woods. With our races canceled this season we are spending more time running/biking on the trails, log roads and the forests around our new remote off-the-grid home. I love it here but am hating these deer flies. Please don’t tell me to run or bike faster. They keep up with us on the downhills while on bikes! Nasty sons of bitches!
Any creative solutions? Bug repellents don’t work. Anyone try those deer fly patches on Amazon? Anything else?
Oddly enough deer ticks that cause Lyme disease are not common in our area. But the deer flies which are totally different love it here with all the wetlands, ponds and streams.
Great Post.
I have stopped running in certain spots during the year because of these flies. I also don’t golf on certain courses in May and June for the same reason. I did have someone suggest 2 things for me (on golf course)
- Use dryer sheets and rub on skin/clothes
- Use Vicks Vapor Rub and put on hat, behind ears (and anywhere else you feel you would be okay putting it).
Good Luck! Keep us posted on what works and what doesn’t!
One caution with feet is it can damage plastic, like the face of a sports watch.
I ordered one of those sticky strips for my hat I’m very excited about trying it out
Are deer flies the same as horse fly? I was living in Pemberton, BC a while back. One day I was running around this little lake and a giant fly was totally dive bomb attacking me so much that I was starting to panic and could not swat it.
The only way get rid of it was jump in the lake. I held my breath and swam as long as i could. Popped up a ways over and could see the fly still buzzing around the water where I went under. Then dove again and made my exit!
Are deer flies the same as horse fly?
Nope. Deer fly is about 2x the size of the house fly. A horse fly will be have a length about the diameter of a quarter (1.25"). BIG difference.
a couple of companies make fake dragon flies that you can pin on your cap. They are natural deer fly predator. They are said to work but I cannot personally vouch for them. Going to order one and give it a go.
a couple of companies make fake dragon flies that you can pin on your cap. They are natural deer fly predator. They are said to work but I cannot personally vouch for them. Going to order one and give it a go.
That’s a pretty cool idea. I might do the same. Keep us posted.
If you’re wearing a cap while trail running, you can grab a couple small fern fronds and tuck them into the back so that they sway a little (to provide a swatting motion around/over the back of your neck).
I actually use this trick, and it works.
a couple of companies make fake dragon flies that you can pin on your cap. They are natural deer fly predator. They are said to work but I cannot personally vouch for them. Going to order one and give it a go.
That’s a pretty cool idea. I might do the same. Keep us posted.
I’ve tried this and never had any luck with it, personally. But they look pretty cool, so there’s that.
They are the bane of my existence in the summer! I don’t know what purpose deer flies serve. 