Skeeters!

[guppieguy]

Had my first really terrible mosquito experience of the season this evening. What do you guys do to combat the skeeters? I've heard that bugs spray and fishing don't pair well. It was absolutely miserable trying to concentrate on my indicator with a constant buzzing in my ear and pricks on my arms all evening.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

smoke a pipe.

 

[SBecker]

Long sleeve shirt, hat, sunglasses, Buff.

 

[tomgamber]

DEET works great. Just get it off your hands or it will eat the coating off your fly line. It is also one of the worst tasting things in the world. But nothing works better to keep skeeters and other biters away.

 

[Luke]

Cigars - whether there are bugs around or not!

 

[Gorosaurus]

The electronic mosquito repellant (I can't remember what it's called right now) works pretty well. If they are hungry enough to work through that, you would've been mauled without

 

[azjackstraw]

Bounce dryer sheet. 1 in the hat, 1 in the shirt pocket! Works great, smells funny for a bit, but you get used to it.

 

[dubthethorax]

I had them on Sunday night too. My legs got mangled up. I usually will light a cigar as well, but didnt have one with me. I'll have to try the dryer sheets. I've also heard they are more attracted to black and dark colors so if you wear bright colors, it keeps them away (although that wont help the fishing much)

 

[JackM]

Exposed skin gets deet and my hat as well. I keep it off my hands and equipment. And, I smoke.

 

[greenghost]

DEET.. keep it off finger tips and palm of hand... never had a problem with keeping fish away.

 

[giantsjim]

Try a product called Bug Band. I have been using it for years. It is all natural and was developed at the University of Florida. They have wristbands and towelettes. A wristband on the back of your ball cap works great as does the towelettes wiped on your exposed skin and placed on the inside of your hat. It smells a little different, botanical, but it does work. I used to hang a couple of wristbands on the stroller handle when the kids were little and it kept the skeeters away. It is available at Target, Bass Pro, Home Depot, etc...

 

[pcray1231]

I use a little DEET on my hat, neck, and arms, if exposed. I try not to get it on my face or hands, and I wash my hands after application (even if just in stream).

I also wear waders. And often spray a little Deet around my chest area (top of waders, before putting waders on). Reasoning for that is ticks. If they crawl up my waders, I want the wiff of DEET present as they approach a spot they can get on me. Gnats are annoying, skeeters a pain in the rear. But ticks are what scare me.

Cigars work, till you finish it, and then it's like it's an attractant!

 

[geebee]

i have a $5 head net that goes over my hat and head. long sleeves and cinnamon or cedar oil on the back of my hands.

if you don't like the smell, mix it with lavender oil.

cinnamon bark or cedar also works to keep bugs out of fly tying boxes

 

[guppieguy]

Dryer sheets? interestng.. I'll have to try it. never would have thought of that

 

[BeastBrown]

Bug Band, as someone mentioned. I used the bottle spray, and it works against ticks and mosquitoes very well. It is made with Geraniol and it definitely does the job. I spray all points of access for ticks: belt, neck, cuffs, wrists, and I do not find them on me, where I was covered previously.

I lather it all over my face, neck, legs and hands for mosquitoes and they do not bite those areas. Some people do not like the smell; it's a coniferesque aroma.

 

[afishinado]

Insect Shield Clothing really works

Link to info: http://www.insectshield.com/ourTechnology/


I bought a hat because I liked it and it just happened to have insect shield treatment, which I forgot all about. The first time I wore the hat was when fishing on a stream that always seems to have gnats and other bothersome bugs in the spring and summer. I did not use any bug repellent that day. I fished for an hour or two without being bothered by bugs and sat down on the bank to have a drink. I took off my hat. In about 30 seconds, I had bugs swarming around me. I put on my hat and in about 30 seconds they seemed to disappear. I finally put 2 + 2 together and remembered the insect shield treatment on the hat. I really didn't believe it until I saw it in action. I really does work. IMHO.

 

[BeastBrown]

afishinado wrote:
Insect Shield Clothing really works

Link to info: http://www.insectshield.com/ourTechnology/


I bought a hat because I liked it and it just happened to have insect shield treatment, which I forgot all about. The first time I wore the hat was when fishing on a stream that always seems to have gnats and other bothersome bugs in the spring and summer. I did not use any bug repellent that day. I fished for an hour or two without being bothered by bugs and sat down on the bank to have a drink. I took off my hat. In about 30 seconds, I had bugs swarming around me. I put on my hat and in about 30 seconds they seemed to disappear. I finally put 2 + 2 together and remembered the insect shield treatment on the hat. I really didn't believe it until I saw it in action. I really does work. IMHO.

Permithrin treated clothing always repels ticks like a charm, however, it is a pretty harsh chemical.

Check out some Geraniol studies on ticks and mosquitoes, very promising, and I personally know it works on both well.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1948-7134.2009.00002.x/full


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19839268

 

[barrybarry]

It'll be Bounce dryer sheets for me.

I'd love to see if they work for bugs. They probably will.

Anybody who has a mouse problem think "dryer sheets".

Nothing better.

I've been trying to get the wife away from dryer sheets because of the way animals interact with them. Pretty nasty something in there.

Chances of that happening—Zero.

 

[azjackstraw]

It'll be Bounce dryer sheets for me.

I'd love to see if they work for bugs. They probably will.

"Anybody who has a mouse problem think "dryer sheets".

Nothing better.

I've been trying to get the wife away from dryer sheets because of the way animals interact with them. Pretty nasty something in there.

Chances of that happening—Zero."





What?

 

[osprey]

An old fellow i knew who has passed on turned me on to Fennel , the wild variety that grows here in PA and is very easy to find. It's a weed really that is used as a spice when domesticated , we don't want that kind. For bugs we just want topick some of the tops of the fronds of the wild stuff and just rub it on the exposed parts , carry some in pockets stick some in your hat etc. Cigars work too.