Bugs :(

[Onawhim]

Does anyone else have a major black fly problem. This is the worst year we've had yet, they are horrible. Keeping us stuck inside. I bought a bug zapper hoping it would help, I sprayed my permitter with a natural repellent, I have all natural bug lotion. But nothing is helping. I called about having my property naturally treated it's $250 every 3 weeks. I can't afford that, bug nets for all my kids would be $200+ I doubt the kids would wear them. I feel so helpless towards these flipping bugs.

[childcaremom]

We have no-see-ums. They are such a pain! Thank goodness they only last a few weeks.

We just stay covered as much as possible. I have also found that if we stay on the deck, they aren't as bad.

[Leigh]

I use Cutter Bug Free Backyard at my house. It works great for ticks and mosquitoes. I don't know if it covers black flies, but you could check the label for that.

[finsup]

We tried the natural stuff last year and honestly, it just didn't cut it. Switched to Off Family Care and had much better results!

[Play Care]

We tried the natural stuff last year and honestly, it just didn't cut it. Switched to Off Family Care and had much better results!

This.
My neighbor used to use the all natural spray until her daughter got a bad mosquito bite which required medial care. Doc basically told them that the all natural stuff does not work. She suggested using a spray with the lowest levels of DEET in it, and spraying socks, shoes and clothing rather than the skin and bathing nightly to wash off.
We have too many cases of Lyme, encephalitis, etc for me to chance natural sprays.

[daycarediva]

We had sand fleas (GAG ME NOW, my skin crawls just thinking about it) that had to be exterminated 5 years ago. They were from the former owners pool sand that they had spread ALL OVER the yard.

We have REALLY bad stink bugs this year, NOTHING kills them. Even the exterminator said he could spray but.... *shrug*. They hide in the SMALLEST spaces and were hibernating all winter, so they're literally everywhere. I opened up the sand and water tables, which I emptied, dried and closed up in fall, and stored in my daycare shed (closed/locked/waterproof) and it was FULL of them. literally hundreds. GROSSSSSSSSS!

[LysesKids]

We had sand fleas (GAG ME NOW, my skin crawls just thinking about it) that had to be exterminated 5 years ago. They were from the former owners pool sand that they had spread ALL OVER the yard.

We have REALLY bad stink bugs this year, NOTHING kills them. Even the exterminator said he could spray but.... *shrug*. They hide in the SMALLEST spaces and were hibernating all winter, so they're literally everywhere. I opened up the sand and water tables, which I emptied, dried and closed up in fall, and stored in my daycare shed (closed/locked/waterproof) and it was FULL of them. literally hundreds. GROSSSSSSSSS!

I had that problem last year... not so much now; Why? I discovered that a spray made with Kaolin clay and water sprayed on my plants & under pinning (manufactured home) actually deterred them . I also use Diatomaceous Earth. - it works great keeping all bugs out of my house and is safe around kids ; put it in all cabinets and line where the wall and floor meet. Ants also hate cinnamon

[Leigh]

This.
My neighbor used to use the all natural spray until her daughter got a bad mosquito bite which required medial care. Doc basically told them that the all natural stuff does not work. She suggested using a spray with the lowest levels of DEET in it, and spraying socks, shoes and clothing rather than the skin and bathing nightly to wash off.
We have too many cases of Lyme, encephalitis, etc for me to chance natural sprays.

My pediatrician told me that DEET is the ONLY thing to use, too. Does it work for flies, too?