Deer fly traps

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splatterdog
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Deer fly traps

Post by splatterdog »

Hope this helps someone.. As we have been clearing trees at camp, the deer flies moved in something fierce. Well the net comes in handy again. No secret about blue solo cup sticky traps but they were new to me. Well they work great! The 4 hanging ones did ok, but my 2 propane tank "dudes" did excellent. A lawn and leaf bag over the 100lb'er simulates a body and provides some movement from wind while the cup head does it's job. 65 deer flies total in two days(and as many smaller ones). By the second day I only had 2 flies harass me all day. But, as soon as I walked near a trap they were immediately caught. No bleeding this last weekend, too cool! Some people go as far as to put a sticky cup on a hat. Next berry picking season I will probably get a blue hardhat and sticky that up. Sorry for the sideways pics.
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The Professor
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Re: Deer fly traps

Post by The Professor »

Ok, what's the story with this?
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dlb
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Re: Deer fly traps

Post by dlb »

Ditto, I've never heard of these fly traps. I've actually never heard of deer flies either, are they like horseflies?

And what camp are you at? Hunting camp, or camping with the fam, or Camp Crystal Lake?

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splatterdog
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Re: Deer fly traps

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A lot of T4 owners like to get off the beaten path. A branch in the ground with a bag and a cup would be portable enough for a weekend camping trip. I rather dislike bugs that make me bleed. No amount of 100% Deet even slows them down as I found out on a one way river trip years ago. Melted my tackle box with deet on that one.

I sweated like a pig while berry picking for 4 weekend straight while I was over clothed for protection. Also used nitrile gloves to protect hands after getting bit in the palm. That worked great as you really need tactility for picking ripe berries. Next time they get to chase a blue hardhat, if the traps don't keep them under enough control. Our wild berries have really taken off after giving them some more sun.

I'm sure all the resident mammals will appreciate the trapping too..

dlb- I thought of you as you just got some land and up north bugs are very hardy. A friend and I each have 6 acres next to each other a couple hours out of town. They are smaller more aggressive verions of horseflies, if you have them you know it! I believe these traps would be effective on them or any other blood eating fly that hunts by motion. I did get a bunch of smaller flies too which I assume were biters. Even wore shorts Sunday.
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splatterdog
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Re: Deer fly traps

Post by splatterdog »

Almost forgot, Tanglefoot sticky coating in a brush can is what I used. There is an aerosol but I read it's a lot thinner consistency.
The Professor
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Re: Deer fly traps

Post by The Professor »

What does the blue color do? Is the sticky stuff a bait, or just a glue? I'm wondering what the thinking behind this is?
1975 Subaru SuperStar wagon
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1987 Subaru RX 3-door
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splatterdog
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Re: Deer fly traps

Post by splatterdog »

They are visual hunters and key in on blue/black and motion. They also like to go after heads. Stickum is only an adhesive, I could not detect any odor. Now if your are after garbage and poop flies those take stink traps. I did put out a couple of those but then I read the not so fine print at the bottom of the package- not for biting flies..

The sticky coating also comes in larger cans to keep crawling bugs from climbing anything. Saw a pic of a bunch of caterpillars stacked up beneath a band of goop on a tree trunk.
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dlb
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Re: Deer fly traps

Post by dlb »

Well, this is timely info. We've been slowly working away on our cabin several hours north and have noticed some annoying horseflies there on the hot days. Not a ton but any horseflies are too much, so I'll remember this and possibly give it a try sometime.
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Re: Deer fly traps

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Complete success! Not a single fly bite the last two weekends even in shorts and t-shirt. Also figured out what the smaller flies were all about. They are buffalo gnats, part of the black fly family. Just as evil an insect as deer flies. Both were bad due to all the rain we had. The hanging traps got more gnats, propane tank/leaf bag ones got more deer flies. Non targeted bugs were very minimal.
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The Professor
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Re: Deer fly traps

Post by The Professor »

Wow, that seems really effective! Too bad this doesn't work on mosquitos too!
1975 Subaru SuperStar wagon
1984 Subaru Turbo-Traction wagon & hardtop
1987 Subaru RX 3-door
1987 Subaru RX Type-RA 3-door
1987 Toyota Tercel SR5 wagon
1999 Subaru Forester S
2002 Subaru WRX sedan
2019 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited
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