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Posts: 2754
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | We're headed up to Cedar Lake near Perrault Falls this coming friday. This is the latest in the season that I've been in Canada - since 1996. Usually we have been in Kenora/Nestor Falls area late May->late June or late September.
Mosquito's & a few No-See-Um's, but nothing really bad. My 17 year old granddaughter will be along on this trip, and I want to make sure I've got us covered for bug protection so we don't have to retreat to the cabin if the bugs are bad.
1. Mosquito's - Obviously Deet products should work but also bad for getting on sonar screen & lures. Do you have a better solution?
2. Black Flies: Have no clue here.
3. N0-SEE-UM's: Again no clue. The few I ran into were at the shoreline water edge. Surprising how hard those tiny bugger's bite!
What works, home remedies, commercial products, etc? I greatly appreciate any & all advice, other than stay home! Are there any other insects we should worry about during mid-late July in NW Ontario, Perrault Falls/Vermillion Bay area.
Thanks,
Al |
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Posts: 2378
Location: Chisholm, MN | You'll be fine!! Deet works for all of them but I like finding natural stuff that doesn't shorten your life buy 5 years. It might not work quite as well but its enough to take the edge off. |
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Posts: 1901
Location: MN | Al, you are correct - DEET works well on the skeeters. And if they are fierce, which in July they won't be as bad as May/June but still could be a problem at dusk or on cloudy, no wind days, DEET works a whole lot better than citronella or any of the other repellents. Just keep it off the hands/fingers, you should still spray the back of your hands.
But here's the problem, as good as DEET works on skeeters it doesn't work that well on biting flies. The stuff I've always had good luck with is DEET formulas that also has fly repellents added. There's only a couple that Ive found that make this stuff - one is called No Stinkin' Bugs by Scent Shield and the other is BuggSpray, though he makes versions with and without. What you are looking for is 25% DEET plus 326 MGK plus 264 Synergist on the label for ingredients. Those last two are the fly repellents. |
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Posts: 1901
Location: MN | DEET is also one of the most heavily researched chemicals in history. It won't shorten your life by 5 years 
And when the skeeters are bad you can keep all those natural products, they just don't work. I want to keep them from tearing the flesh off me, not jus take the edge off. If they're not bad, meaning a skeeter now and then, then some of those others may be sufficient.
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| Dear Esox Maniac---- the ONLY way to truly bug-proof yourself is to cover up completely. The bugs are only intolerable at dusk therefore----get a good set of lightweight raingear------some latex gloves(CVS,walgreens, walmart)-----and a mosquito headnet(Walmart----$1.97 in the camping dept). We have used this system for two seasons now and it works better than ANY repellant on the market. During this years' opener week-----it took 5 days before I got my first mosquito bite---and they were ravenous! Cover yourself up like this and the bugs are OUT of the equation. You just have to get used to the buzzing noise as they try and get to ya---good luck skeeters---not gonna happen. Good Luck-----Jobu |
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Posts: 439
Location: Lake of the Woods, Morson, Ontario | Watkins bug repellent has been the best in my experience. used lotion most often, but they have a spray as well. |
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| We tried Bye-Bye Blackfly deet free insect repellent last year. Works great for those black flies. About $5 for a two oz can. Works great. Got it at Gander. Didn't work for the mosquitos. Sleeves and headnet for them. |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | Thermacell. |
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Posts: 8834
| Pointerpride102 - 7/15/2012 11:42 AM
Thermacell.
Those might work for you, but I was trying to grill our steaks last year up at AML just after sunset. I had one of those things on the ground between my legs, and the only place I didn't get bitten was on my face. And that was only because I kept sticking it over the fire and buring the little buggers off me.
We go up the first week of August, and we've never really had a problem with anything but mosquitoes, and even then it was only at dusk. When you're out on the water and you can see them about 15 feet overhead, you've got about 10 minutes before they descend on you like a cloud.
Tried the environmentally friendly products. They suck. Tried citronella, and the little off fans, those suck. Cutter works okay if the bugs aren't that bad. Only thing that does any good for me at least is Deep Woods Off. Doesn't seem to repel the deer flies or black flies.
I know a few guys who swear that nothing works for black flies except WD-40. Yeah, that's what I said WD-40... Never tried it. I prefer lightweight pants and long socks. I'd rather be hot. |
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Location: North Metro, MN | Just make sure you buy it in the states! We had to get bug spray in ontario...$15 for a little can |
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Posts: 134
| Go buy a Bug suit. Cabelas have them on sale for $39.00. If you don't like spraying the chemicals all over yourself, it is the only way to go. Used them in Canada many times. Just put it on at dusk. They are light weight and roll up into themselves about the size of one tennis shoe. If you see a guy on Cedar that looks like Santa Clause fishing muskies with his wife, say hi from "Mack", he is a buddy of mine named Mike Danko. |
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Posts: 3913
| Hey Al,
Have a fly swapper for each person in the boat to deal with black flies in the daytime. Those little buggers target yer feet and ankles, staying down out of the wind within the boat. They are way, way too fast to kill with yer hands, you just shoo them away if you try and a minute later you are gettin bit again. But they can't outrun a well-swung fly swapper.
Rick |
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Posts: 39
| Also, keep any and all fish slime out of the boat, particularly northern. It is my experience that Black Flies in particular are attracted to fish slime. So straight from the net to the live well and rinse the net before it comes back in the boat. |
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| deep woods off will take care of you for the majority of the unwanted.
thermacell is useless in the boat,at least if there is just lil wind
if you want to be quiet nothing beat a good net hat
here is some.
http://acapchina.en.alibaba.com/product/290744957-209875701/Camoufl...
don't use dark colors clothes,and be careful with the perfumed thing like soap,anti perspirant,try to find odorless products
good trip
Edited by learntoswim 7/19/2012 1:28 AM
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Posts: 294
Location: Bloomer, Wi | totally agree with madhatteron the pike slime. six years ago my dad and i were up on lotw for 4 days and got bit so bad with black flys, three days later my bro and i went back up for 10 straight days this time we were smart enough to wear socks. drastically reduced the number of bites. we caught a pike as my bro was taking a pic with it it fell on the casting deck. one hour later there were literally hundreds of black flys exActly where that pike had layed.
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Posts: 294
Location: Bloomer, Wi | also word of caution bring some lotion or something to reduce the itching caused from the bites. i developed a contact dermatitous from scratching the bites on my ankles. in fact i still have bad sores from that trip.
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Posts: 462
Location: Syracuse, Indiana | Clothes dryer sheets hanging from my socks look goofy, but seem to repel most of the biting flies. That said, a fly swatter is a permanent solution to each fly! |
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Posts: 793
Location: Ames, Iowa | There is an equine insect spray called Bronco that I spray lightly on the floor of the boat and then allow to dry. No flies of any kind land in there. Bought it at Fleet Farm. |
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