Bit of a strange thread, sorry. The last 2 rides I’ve been on (Dunkeld and Glenlivet) I’ve ended up being totally swarmed by flies whilst my mates have pretty much avoided them, wtf is that about?! I’m not talking midges but proper flies. Does anyone else get this, and what can I do to keep them away cos it was unbearable yesterday! Are there any fly repellents as opposed to midge repellents?? I sweat a lot so maybe that attracts them? Or have I got some dog poo on me somewhere?

Thanks folks 🙂

You have a friend.

Try having a wash, you and your kit.

Yes – went for a short run last night and was surrounded by them. All clean kit etc, I’d only been going a mile. The swearing was intense.

Theory in our group that it’s ‘dirty’ helmet pads. Try washing/replacing?

I don’t live that far from Glenlivet and cycle there regularly. It’s been a bad year with flies – not seen so many before.

It has been particularly bad this year, I’m only 5 miles from dunkeld so ride there a lot. Usually when I park my car its covered with flies within minutes but when riding its not been a problem. Get up out of the tree cover certainly helps.

If midges are anything to go by, it’s genetic. Some people just attract them more than others.

They were a nightmare at Hamsterley Forest last weekend for UKGE. I did a track walk for one of the stages when I got there (after a long drive so not particularly sweaty!) and got swarmed straight away, never seen anything like it! They were just as bad when riding over the weekend.

I’m going prepared with a mozzie head net for the next round at Ae Forest!

Stopped to let a couple of horses through the other evening. Lead rider and horse plodded past in a cloud of insects other horse & rider all clear

Rode off sharpish when they’d gone past 🙂

Flies, wasps, you name it this weekend. Humid damp weather seems good for the little buggers!

I got eaten alive by the river on Saturday night too, ended up having to go home as I was just constantly under attack, currently nursing 10 bites.

Cooked some BBQ sauce at home yesterday afternoon, 11 wasps in the space of an hour. But I took care of them all, after chewing one earlier in the year and taking a sting to the tongue we still aren’t even.

I have T shirt they love. Post swim bear was ruined by sitting in a cloud of flies while mates took the mick.

A couple of days later the same shirt on the washing line had a cloud of flies

I was trail-building with the volunteers at Gisburn yesterday. There were lots of flies around, but they were buzzing round me a lot more than everyone else. Showered that morning, all clean clothes, same repellent as everyone else. No idea why, but it annoyed me a lot.

Sounds like I’m not alone in this misery which is nice to know! Presumably no one has found a suitable (practical) solution?

Presumably no one has found a suitable (practical) solution?

Cycle faster 🙂

Just another downside of a wet summer (after a mild winter) I guess.

On the plus side I knocked almost 30 seconds of my fastest time up a six and a half minute climb at the weekend trying to get away from the buggers as the only solution I’ve found is to keep moving.

I get it too. This year has been a nightmare on one of my walk/ride locations and yet just a couple of miles away it’s fine. The sooner there is a frost the better. Someone told me years ago to take brewer’s yeast to keep them away. I haven’t tried it yet. Will try smidge though. The usual deet based products just don’t work for this. They do melt your grips though 🙂

loads of them at Drumlanrig on Saturday. In answer to the other part of your question – Smidge keeps them off, along with Clegs and ticks, although I find it needs reapplied more often that just for midges

Yep, guess I’ve got a stinky helmet.

I’ve been harassed by wasps all weekend, working in the garden.
For some reason they keep buzzing round my ears and landing on my hair..
I put it down to the smell of my hair gel.

Friday my boy got stung on the finger,
Yesterday me and my mrs got stung on the arm..

Now it’s on like donkey Kong!

What shampoo/conditioner do you use?
I tried some of my girlfriend’s Raspberry flavoured stuff and I was mobbed by flies. About 20 of the buggers at any one time. Same with Fructis hair gel. I’m sure anything vaguely nice smelling brings them in swarms.

Particularly bad at Hamsterley right now as mentioned above. Thick clouds of the little buggers swarming all over us.

On my last ride I had a tumble in the gravel and took loads of skin off the back of my hands and elbows and was bleeding quite a bit. From that point on I was getting dive bombed by millions of big black flies and constantly having them attacking my wounds getting stuck in the blood. Used all my water trying to wash them off but it was a losing battle. It was a long and grim ride back to the van. The van then got full of flies while we were packing up so we were swatting them all the way home.

Properly horrible.

What colour helmet and kit do you all wear?

Im switching back to black kit, black helmet.

Won’t make any difference Hora. They don’t think you’re a flower.

Post swim bear was ruined by sitting in a cloud of flies while mates took the mick.

😯

Ok the internet says flying insects tend to hate the below, so pop down the hippy shop pick up a little bottle of each of the below, mix then up, and bam the ultimate anti fly repellant, or a new break through in potpourri
1, Cloves
2, lavender
3. Citrus
4. Basil
5. Pine

I had one such friend on a campsite over the weekend. Followed me everywhere the little sod. Even got in the car to come home!