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:: Home > OG Solutions > Pests

 
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Deer Fly Defense

Lure these pests into a trap they can't resist.


Related Articles
>  Critter Control
>  Resources For Deer-Plagued Gardeners
Products
>  Deer Fly Defense Patch
>  Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening
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Deer flies—sometimes called "yellow" or "pine" flies—are blood-sucking insects belonging to the horse fly family, Tabanidae. Deer fly bites can be painful to people, pets, livestock and wildlife. On people, the bites often swell into red sores, and for some, cause allergic reactions.

The various species of deer flies emerge at different times during the year. When they are active, they often congregate in dense populations in gardens, around ponds and at other natural areas, driving people indoors.

Deer fly facts:
  • Adult deer flies are present from early spring to late fall but each species has its own period.
  • They are active primarily during the day, though a few species feed just after dark.
  • Adult deer flies may fly more than a mile from their breeding areas.
  • Most of the immatures or larvae are found in water or wetlands.
  • Natural deer fly enemies include dragonflies, wasps, spiders and birds.

    So what can organic gardeners do to protect themselves and their pets from a cloud of deer flies? Lure the pesky biters to a sticky trap. You can make an effective trap yourself or buy from Gardens Alive! (see Useful links) a sticky strip you can wear when you're outside.

    How a trap works:
    Most deer flies attack people and pets around the head, neck and shoulders. The flies respond to the trap's motion, color and size. The trap is effective because it is covered with a special sticky material which catches the flies when they land.

    How do you make a trap:
    Through careful experimentation, Russell F. Mizell, Ph.D., and other researchers at the University of Florida"s North Florida Research and Education Center determined that a 6-inch plastic nursery pot painted a bright blue is the optimum size and color. Placed on a rod upside down, the blue pot will rotate and shake which attracts deer flies. Dr. Mizell and his team found this trap effective when it was mounted on a moving truck, tractor or lawnmower.

    But if you want to reduce the number of deer flies landing on your body, you can make a smaller "hat" trap you can wear (and be the height of gardening fashion). Deer flies usually fly at heights lower than 10 feet and usually attack the highest available area on the human body first.

    Clean up:
    Tanglefoot (available at many garden centers) is a sticky substance spread on the blue pot or cup that will trap the flies. As anyone who has ever used Tanglefoot will tell you, it can be a messy to use. To remove Tanglefoot from your hands and other places where has touched, Dr. Mizell recommends hand cleaners that contain citrus extracts like d-limonene. "GoJo Natural Orange Pumice Hand Cleaner works very well," he says.

    Information on this page provided courtesy of Russell F. Mizell, Ph.D., from the North Florida Research and Education Center of the University of Florida.


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