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Oh, summer, how I await your arrival! After enduring months of cold weather, with the arrival of warmer temperatures, we Midwesterners are able to strip off all our layers and bask in the sunshine. It's like being at a party you wish would never end.
But every party has a pooper, and summer in the woods comes with a few uninvited guests: stinging insects. The worst offenders? Deer flies. You'd think after dealing with them every year, I'd be prepared for their arrival. But no, the nice weather of spring and early summer gives me amnesia about my past encounters with them. As a child growing up in a rural area of Illinois, my sisters and I would spend our days swimming in the family pool, only to be stung in the head by one or more eagerly awaiting deer flies when we came up for air. I could just imagine them hovering above the water, rubbing their little arms together in anticipation of a tasty meal. I looked back on old blog posts and found that every year at this time, I write about these awful little pests.
I 'did my own research', aka a Google search on deer flies. Know your enemy and all that. Apparently, there's
nothing to deter them, but besides the super spray I use, there are some things I can try. Wearing light colored clothing can help, according to some sources. Multiple trail runners and hikers suggested
applying sticky tape to a hat so when they land on your head, they stick to it. Another suggestion is to wear 2 hats--one forward and one backwards, so the brim covers your neck. I have a
head net that I bought a few years ago, but I haven't used it. Don't ask me why. The last suggestion was attaching
a fake dragonfly to your hat. Apparently, deer flies are afraid of dragonflies. Remember, this was all on Google, so I know it's true.
I ordered the items from Amazon, so stay tuned for the results! I also learned that they are mostly evil for about 5-6 weeks in late June/July, when they are biting to find blood to feed their eggs. Ewww. I also found a hilarious essay about deer flies
HERE.
Soon they'll be gone and I'll be able to run in the woods without fear of being bitten. Next up...yellow jacket season...
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| Deer flies enlarged for dramatic effect |
