I always lit a torch on fire and carried it with me while I ran. I looked like I was carrying the Olympic Torch when I ran but it was worth to here that sizzle when you swing at them and catch one on fire. Now as an unrelated story there were a lot of forest fires in my area that summer.
jjjjjj wrote:
malmo wrote:There's no way in hell you can lose a deer fly at 7:30 pace.
They drop at about 5:30 pace.
This is pretty much right on the money, though down in Florida with the heat they may be peeled off at around 6 min pace, except that you can also lose them at a slower pace if you're on a trail with sharp turns and you hit the turns hard. Since they go after my head, I also try to get them by running right under low-lying palm and oak branches and foliage and ducking my head. That slows down the little devils. I have never once had any luck swatting them while running.
Its funny that something I wrote three years ago is pulled and challenged. I did lose them at a 7:30 pace (and its not like a letsrun poster to claim that they are running at a much slower pace than they are)
There are many factors regarding how fast you need to run to lose a deer fly. Air temperature, wind, your attractiveness to the fly (carbon dioxide, your body heat) and what you are wearing (hat helps).
But then again maybe I was running a 5:30 pace. Yeah that's right, three years ago I'd run a 5:30 pace all the time but I was so good it just felt like a 7:30 pace.
They're deer flies. Wearing a cap and thick t-shirt helps. Sometimes it's best to just stop running, kill them and then move on again. You can kill one in 15 or 20 seconds usually.
6 squirts of the Salazar secret sauce and the horse flies run from you
Bumping for another summer of horseflies
Not a summer goes by that I don't think of this thread.
Buy one of those sticky tape traps, put it on your running hat, done. They work pretty good. Think it's called a horsefly/deerfly bait trap. Google it if you have to.
These buggers are relentless when I run on trails. They are attracted to our carbondioxide. If you are running on a trail in a forest/boggy area and notice them, if you look behind you, you'll probably see a swarm and it gets very annoying. Usually ruins my runs and takes the joy away.
Happened to me running in Tallahassee all the time!!!! Best thing to do is run with other people. Lead the horseflies toward someone else in the group and laugh your ass off when they all attack that one person.
my farts usually attract buzzards, because they smell like a rotting animal
anyone know what time of day is best to avoid them? seems like they are out all day long no matter when i leave to run
LebronFAM wrote:
anyone know what time of day is best to avoid them? seems like they are out all day long no matter when i leave to run
One of the many reasons I moved to California: there is no time of day to avoid them. These fukks ruin trail running. Get used to the bites and itching or run the roads.
"I had a fly chase me for two miles and failed to swat it the entire time"
LebronFAM wrote:
anyone know what time of day is best to avoid them? seems like they are out all day long no matter when i leave to run
8:30-10 am where I live. FYI they seem to like low lying wet areas by creeks much more. As long as you keep running you won’t be bitten
Train a bird or another of their natural predators to accompany you on your run
in NC wrote:
LebronFAM wrote:
anyone know what time of day is best to avoid them? seems like they are out all day long no matter when i leave to run
8:30-10 am where I live. FYI they seem to like low lying wet areas by creeks much more. As long as you keep running you won’t be bitten
I have been dealing with these quite a bit in Maine on trails. It seems like there are many more on cloudy day/rainy days (usually the most ideal times to run!) vs. bright sunny days.
But the part about keeping running is false. They will follow in a huge swarm and attack. I have killed nearly 30 per 7 mile run but I don't even make a dent. Pretty much avoid the trails that have the worst of them now even though it is a great spot to get a long run in on soft ground.