HOw can I control these green biting flies in my yard? I live near the beach in NJ and they live there in large numbers. They have found their way into my yard now. I was away for a week on vacation and when I was clipping yellow leaves off my maters yesterday they got me for hours on end! Arghh between this heat and the flies I am not happy! haha. Thanks for any help.
I either want a natural way to keep them from getting on me and biting me, or keeping their numbers down in general (which will probably be harder then keeping them off of me)

Flies. Intriguing species, most are beneficials!
This is a neat website with pix from the Benelux (Holland)

http://www.gardensafari.net/first/flies.htm

And of course, I would study behavior and look for a parallel. Nature is, after all, Nature....



The Dance Flies, also known as Balloon or Dagger Flies, look very much like Robber Flies, but they are a bit more slender usually. They are hunters as well, capable of capturing remarkably big prey. The bigger species can be easily distinguished from Robber Flies as they have a long, dagger-like snout. The males often dance in small groups, each holding a prey. Should a female pass by, the males offer her their prey. She chooses the best looking prey and the couple disappears in the bushes. While copulating the female sucks dry the prey offered by the male. The Dance Fly below apparently has no common name in Englsih.



Ya. As for non-chemical controls:

Avoid wearing blue.
Try using acetone as an attractant, spilling a few drops near the fence of the neighbor that you cannot stand is usually very effective...

http://informatics.icipe.org/nzi/index.htm

Just a thought, of course.



John

What is acetone and where can I get some? Is it somethin I could find at a health food store? My fiance works there, Ill ask her.

Most Big Box type stores, paint stores, etc.

Mighty stinky stuff!

John

I think the last issue of OG (or maybe it was the one before that) noted how effective catnip is as an insect repellent.

According to the article, catnip worked even better than DEET!

I assume your main issue with the flies is that they are biting you and other family members/friends when you're in the yard. You could try the catnip route and just rub some of the leaves on your exposed skin to keep the files away.

And if you don't have catnip in your yard, I'm sure your local garden store will have some ready to be planted. I bought one late last summer on clearance that proved very hardy.

Linda

I have a lot of flies too, I hung up sticky fly paper (you know, those old fashioned things with super sticky paper, about $1.50 for a pack of 4-8). I put those on the porch, in the greenhouse, near the duck pen. They help.

Acetone, by the way is a very toxic substance, just like nail polish. It is used to remove fingernail polish and you can buy it at any store that sells fingernail polish. Just be sure you get the one that says acetone, if that is what you want. It also removes the finish off of painted things, so be careful!

If you got some chickens, they'd run around eating the flies! :O

When I garden, and the flies are biting, I put on long sleeves, or I cover myself with a citronella based bug repellent (that is available in many stores, and also probably in health food stores). I have discovered, the stinkier I get (from working hard or using manure), the more the flies like me. On with the long sleeves!