Flies

[Hippocampus]

Just did Deltaville to near mouth of C&D. Although we left with no flies they’ve troubled us since leaving. Two types. Common house flies and something slightly smaller than Maine black flies but they also bite.
Have used fly paper in those rolls in the past. But with the boat rolling any they hit the walls and leave a residue. Been using an electric flyswatter but it’s a full time occupation.
What do you use?

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. (Dr.) H. We've used the sticky fly coils as well and have anchored the base to something solid so they don't sway about. I don't know if it would work but "up north" we've had success with mosquito coils which may control the ??black flies??. https://www.homedepot.ca/product/off--mosquito-coils/1000666219

 

[Captain_Michael]

Sailed in those waters for the last 16 years. The only completely effective solution is screeens. I put phantom screens on my pilot house doors and aft salon door.

We have treid the elctric fly swatter, but one needs the stamina and ability of Venus Williams to keep the large swarms at bay. I don't think coils would work underway as the breeze or apparent wind might disperse the smoke.

Our experience was that they were in swarms--had them for an hour and they then disappeared as fast as they apeared.

 

[twistedtree]

No screens, I presume? Or are the little guys getting through the screens? They can be difficult to retrofit, but retracting screens solve 95% of the problem for us.

 

[Comodave]

A couple of years ago we ran into a hatch of tiny black bugs, don’t know what they were. We came up out of the cabin and the boat was literally black with them. You would breathe them in and there wasn’t anyway around them. We were on our way north but my wife looked on the internet and found they were worse the farther you went north. We were underway in about 15 minutes heading south. Didnt have anymore issues as we went south.

 

[Marco Flamingo]

Electric fly swatter. The entertainment value hasn't dropped off yet. Plus, there is something very satisfying about zapping a horsefly.

 

[SteveK]

We use red and green coloured swatters, colour coded which left or right flies

 

[Delta Riverat]

Yeah, I always have a fly swatter around. I like to stalk them and wait for them to land. Then move into position and whack -

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
An electric bug zapper and a couple of cases of beer is a great evening entertainment. Every time you hear a ZAP, you can have a drink.

 

[Max1]

We have screens on all our windows. Mozzies are nasty where we boat.
For the flies that get into the cabin, you cant beat one of these. Got it from Amazon

Bug-A-Salt

Insect hunting as sport has entered the 21st Century with Bug-A-Salt. Our insect eradication devices fire ordinary table salt to kill pesky flies. We ship to all 50 states. Fast Shipping. Fire your flyswatter!

www.bugasalt.com

 

[AlanT]

Screens and a decent 12v fan for when its nice outside but the bugs are biting.

 

[Comodave]

We use 2 Ridgid 18/120 volt fans when on the boat. They move an impressive amount of air even on low. On low they will run for about 2 days on a battery charge and they are dead silent on low. We never use 120 volt because it is so convenient to be able to move our own fan wherever we are on the boat. She has her fan and I have mine. She is of an age where she is usually hot so her fan gets more usage than mine…

 

[mvweebles]

For those with a sewing machine and desire, Sailrite has a decent video on sewing a door screen with magnet closures. I made one for Weebles which has proven handy for our trek south. Took a half day with my feeble skills.

Peter

 

[TBill36]

In the SE mountains they hang baggies with water or pennies near the door to keep flies out. Apparently simulates a wasp nest that flies don't like. Have no idea if it works. Try it and report back.

 

[cafesport]

Screens to keep them out, peppermint oil to make them want to leave. Works for spiders too.

 

[Hippocampus]

We have screens. They come in anytime you go in or out.
Looking for old school fly paper in rectangle or square shape. Could lay it flat and not worry about roll or wind.

 

[ktdtx]

Have a friend who thought so highly of the Bug-Assault gun he uses in his RV that I bought one. I haven't used it yet but he says the amazing thing is that it leaves no detectable residue on the surface. He enjoys shooting them and no clean-up other than picking up the dead fly.

 

[psneeld]

Always wondered where all the salt went with a Bug-assault.

When I tried the fly paper rolls, I tied the ends down to lessen the swing, even used small suction cups if I had a flat, smooth surface underneath. They do catch bugs, but my estimates were less than 50% (maybe 25%) of the flies that wound up annoying me so I gave up on it. I just became better about using the screen doors and window screens I made.

 

[Adopo]

We had that experience on our short trip from Hinckley Savannah to Harbor Town HHI. In South Carolina low country the little bitty gnats that bite are called No-see-ums, or wings with teeth. The marine mechanics at Hinckley said only a fan will keep the NSUs away. It's unbelievable how hard they bite, and like in human nature, only the females tend to bite .

What Exactly Is a No-See-Um? - SWAT Mosquito Systems®️

Did you see that little bug? If it was a no-see-um, probably not. What is a no see um? They’re small, bl

swatmosquitosystems.com

Did you see that little bug? If it was a no-see-um, probably not. What is a no see um? They’re small, blood-sucking gnats just barely visible to the naked eye. They’re actually from a family of biting flies. But unlike their much bigger cousin, you can’t see no-see-ums. You may not be able to see them, but you will definitely feel their bite. These pesky little bugs can inflict big pain, and like mosquitos, only the females bite. They prefer warm weather and love hanging out along coastal areas with lots of water and marshland. Some people call no-see-ums biting gnats, while others call them biting midges, but everyone calls them annoying.

How Big Are No-See-Ums?​

No-see-ums are really small. They’re only about 0.03 inches long, which is even smaller than fleas. And because they’re so tiny, they can easily fit through screens on windows, doors, and on your lanai. These slow-movers usually travel in swarms.

 

[HopCar]

Bee keepers use sticky flat boards to catch bee pests. Probably work for flys if you can convince them to land on it.

Replacement Sticky Board

Buy Replacement Sticky Board at Mann Lake. Best & Biggest Beekeeping Supplier - Best Service.

www.mannlakeltd.com

 

[O C Diver]

I bought a 12" sticky tube from Walmart that had caps on each end. They're in the camping section. Basically like fly paper that you hang, only smaller. My saloon table had a 5 gallon bucket under one end for trash. I mounted the tube over it.

What was interesting to note was that flies were slow to be attracted to it, even with bait like honey. But once a few got stuck on it, others came to investigate what the stuck ones had found. Worked well on house flies, deer flies, fruit flies, and no see ums.

This is a picture of the tube, but the packaging was different. I believe they were $1 last summer.

Ted

 

[Marco Flamingo]

There is a cheap and dirty way to make window screens using the "hook" part of the Velcro self-stick tape. Stick on pieces of the hook material around the window. Cut out a piece of no-see-um netting of approximately the same size. Push it on to the Velcro hook tape while stretching tight. It will be held on and can be trimmed if desired. When removing, it will leave snags in the netting, much like little runs in nylon stockings. Don't hurt the runnin' none and the same piece can be used for at least a season.

Some mosquito coils also repel flies. I've had good luck in swampy anchorages with the coil on the swim step and the smoke wafting back towards the shoreline where I suspected hungry bugs were lurking. I keep a few coils aboard.

Worst problem I ever encountered was biting flies in Doubtful Sound, NZ. It took a couple of days for the full reaction to develop. Pilsbury Doughboy effect, so I took a selfie.

 

[RickyD]

I use a Liba bug zapper that has an electric screen and two bulbs to attract the pests. Works great. The only problem is the bugs explode with a loud pop that scares my dog. I find it a satisfying sound. I have two neighbors using the same one which is why I bought one. Found it on Amazon. Buy a set of extra bulbs as if you are like me and leave them on all the time they will go bad after a while. Currently available for $18 on Amazon.

 

[mvweebles]

Has anyone tried Thermacell devices? Wirecutter rates them very high.

Peter

 

[Larry M]

We do. They work very good for mosquitoes but I can’t say about other insects. We spend summers in Northern New England and mosquitoes are part of the landscape.

 

[Ken E.]

We have screens on all our windows. Mozzies are nasty where we boat.
For the flies that get into the cabin, you cant beat one of these. Got it from Amazon

Bug-A-Salt

Insect hunting as sport has entered the 21st Century with Bug-A-Salt. Our insect eradication devices fire ordinary table salt to kill pesky flies. We ship to all 50 states. Fast Shipping. Fire your flyswatter!

www.bugasalt.com

Got one of these for Christmas. They absolutely work!