Deer Flies

They make an excellent Pizza topping.

In high school, I used to leave a can of Raid in the bushes on my loops. Then, like Charles Bronson, I'd lure those bastards into my "Death Wish" trap. Deer flies can only fly at about 5:30 pace at best. They'd swarm behind me and just when they thought they got me, I'd stop...and face them down....and psssssssssst...psssssst...pssssst...... then jog away leaving dozens of writhing bodies on the pavement in death throes.

Then I'd ditch my weapon in the bushes, just in case the authorities got wise to me.

Get out of the woods and run near the ocean or a more urban setting where there aren't any.

Grow a long tongue.

Try a Burt's Bees product.

Spray OFF all over you before you run..it works

It is easier to out pace them on a bicycle. If those god damn things are real bad I'll only run if it is windy. If not, I bike.

A hat definitely helps as well as speeding up. The faster you run, the less they bother you.

I just finished a run without any deer flies for the first time in 2 weeks. I was about to give up the trails until fall, nut i decided to try this buzz away stuff my wife uses on the kids. It worked, i will stay on the trails and might stay injury free all summer.

Yeah, I was thinking of using a hat and putting some Off or something on it. Running faster does help.....but then all my runs turn into workouts or tempo runs everyday.

They seem to like the smell of a fresh shower.

NE Runner wrote:

Yeah, I was thinking of using a hat and putting some Off or something on it.

Exactly... find an old baseball hat and spray OFF all over it and your neck and the flies won't bother you.

There is a natural repellent without all the deet and chemicals in it available from a company in Florida called "Web-Away". Disney World provides it for employees. No nasty chemicals, smells decent for repellents, and works very good. They charge a single small postage charge for whatever quantity you buy, so stock up. Do a Google search for Web-Away or call. 1-800-562-3415 is the number on the bottle. One strategy when they get bad is to put you hand on your head, let a few land then smack them with the free hand. Nothing sweeter than killing some of those bastards.

Do they only bite your heads or something? What's with all the advice about hats and putting your hand on your head and such? I live in Florida, and they bite any exposed skin down here. My usual strategy is to sprint for awhile and flail around a bit if there is one buzzing around me. If I get lucky I'll notice it on me before it bites, and kill it.

the worst is when you turn your head and get a glimpse of the horde of them following along behind you. ugh

dirt roads and trails are the worst places

it all gets better later in august

not that that is so comforting

best advice: wear a cap and spray it

it's the best you can do

(for trails)

Wear your hat backwards, so that the brim hangs low, down to the top of your shirt, tough for them to get in on your neck. No spray that I know will stop these bastards.

Also, when you get a good group swarming behind you, pick out a low hanging branch, and duck under, and they all smack into the leaves, and half of them quit.

(roads)

If they are so tough that they follow you out onto the roads, good freaking luck.

Dale, They get me mostly on the head, neck, and shoulders. I guess I just put up with the other body parts. With the all the bugs you Florida guys put up with (I lived there once), I'm surprised you would let little deer flies even gain your attention.

Forget dear flys, try putting up with tse-tse flies.

That does seem to work the best..I run trails tuesday thru Friday mornings..it is bog area..very wet..one tried to fly in my eye the other day..but spray all overbody and hat..they will follow but wont land