So....trail running

[The Expert]

TFW… it’s a million degrees in FL, so you head to the damp, wooded trails that feel 10° cooler than the roads for an easy run, only to go anaerobic trying to escape the ruthless pursuit of a yellow fly intent on biting you. Took 1/4 mile to drop that sucker and that was pretty much me done. The good news is I escaped a really painful bite, at least. Yay summer?!

I had a big horsefly that was following me and dive-bombing me for some reason. Got rid of it by stopping, taking off my baseball cap and holding it in one hand, and then spinning around to try to whack it. I guess it worked, because I didn't see the fly again. The nice thing about trails not usually being busy is no one saw me looking like an idiot to do that!

Ironically I've been fine on trails, but my little wooded country road where I walk my dog is absolutely teeming with bugs that seem to aim right for my head. I actually set off the incident detection alarm on my Garmin a few days ago trying to get rid of one. Thank goodness it waits 10 seconds to allow you to cancel if you set it off by mistake! I swear I put on bug stuff, but I may have to pop by REI and pick up one of these to add for my dog walks to make them bearable.

 

[Herding_Cats]

We are entering deer fly season here, and it makes me not wanna trail run. I'm seeing lots of entertaining video clips of people with giant fake dragonflies clipped to their hats as a deterrent. Or people who make their own fly patches safety pinned to their hat (because the pre-made ones are $$)

 

[Naomeri]

We are entering deer fly season here, and it makes me not wanna trail run. I'm seeing lots of entertaining video clips of people with giant fake dragonflies clipped to their hats as a deterrent. Or people who make their own fly patches safety pinned to their hat (because the pre-made ones are $$)

You need to run near water to avoid those little $h!ts, plenty of real dragonflies to keep the population down

 

[PrincessV]

We are entering deer fly season here, and it makes me not wanna trail run. I'm seeing lots of entertaining video clips of people with giant fake dragonflies clipped to their hats as a deterrent. Or people who make their own fly patches safety pinned to their hat (because the pre-made ones are $$)

Yellow flies are the FL equivalent of deer flies: I’ve been bit by both and the impact is about the same, as is their level of determination. I’m allergic to them, as well as mosquitoes, so I coat myself in DEET anytime I’m outdoors in summer, but I’ve found that nothing at all will deter yellow flies other than not being where they are!