Insect Protection?

[Fly2Fish]

Has anyone had any experience with the head nets or net jackets as protection from mosquitos and flies? Ever since I "melted" some plastic lounge chairs when I sat down with a Deet mosquito repellent on , I've been reluctant to use it no matter how effective. The Picaridin-based repellents are said not to damage plastics, etc. as Deet will, but from my experience the Picaridin repellents may not be as effective and certainly don't last as long between applications.

 

[OregonStreams]

Has anyone had any experience with the head nets or net jackets as protection from mosquitos and flies? Ever since I "melted" some plastic lounge chairs when I sat down with a Deet mosquito repellent on , I've been reluctant to use it no matter how effective. The Picaridin-based repellents are said not to damage plastics, etc. as Deet will, but from my experience the Picaridin repellents may not be as effective and certainly don't last as long between applications.

Fly2Fish...I use a roll on DEET repellent on the back of my hands, face and back of my neck and wear nylon/quick drying long sleeve fishing shirts and pants. When I am in the river, I roll up the sleeves and secure them with the roll up tab. When the critters get really intense I will resort to a head net over a baseball type cap. Sometimes the critters will bite through your shirt, so some people use "bug off clothing."

 

[Fly2Fish]

Fly2Fish...I use a roll on DEET repellent on the back of my hands, face and back of my neck and wear nylon/quick drying long sleeve fishing shirts and pants. When I am in the river, I roll up the sleeves and secure them with the roll up tab. When the critters get really intense I will resort to a head net over a baseball type cap. Sometimes the critters will bite through your shirt, so some people use "bug off clothing."

Hi OregonStreams,
I also use long-sleeved fishing shirts (Cabela) with those roll-up button tabs, but since I also wear them other times as everyday wear in a hot climate, mine are all cotton for breathability, although I don't know if one fabric or another is more resistant to being bitten through. Do you think one of those head nets would fit over a brimmed hat?

Last summer there was a Consumers Reports in-depth article rating various types of bug repellents, which confirmed the primacy of deet in high concentrations (Off Deep Woods pump @ 98% concentration was tops). In that article they found the clothing with bug repellency built in that they tested to be ineffective, but noted that "permethrin"-treated clothing might work better. Interestingly, a plant-based repellent - Repel Plant Based Lemon Eucalyptus - came in right above the highest-rated picaridin product, Cutter Advanced Sport.

 

[tbrillinger223]

when i fish flamingo here in the summer, deet, bug suits and a very very fast boat!! the mozzies down there have landing gear and and a wing span that rivals a b-52 bomber! the bugs arent so bad on the north bay or in the indian river, but mosquito lagoon (well... thats how it got its name)

 

[OregonStreams]

Hi OregonStreams,
I also use long-sleeved fishing shirts (Cabela) with those roll-up button tabs, but since I also wear them other times as everyday wear in a hot climate, mine are all cotton for breathability, although I don't know if one fabric or another is more resistant to being bitten through. Do you think one of those head nets would fit over a brimmed hat?

Fly2Fish.. You might try a nylon shirt from Cabelas. It basically acts as a sunscreen. I think you would be cooler in a nylon Cabelas shirt acting as a sunscreen than in your birthday suit. I have switched completely to nylon quick trying clothes except for cotton shorts and smart wool socks. That includes spandex moisture wicking under clothing, poly thermal under layers and fleece jackets. I can just peel off a layer or add a layer depending on the temperature. They breath and they wick moisture. If I fall in the river they dry off.

A crushable wide brim hat will fit inside a head net, but the opening on mine is small so a stiff hat may not fit through.

 

[Trucha]

I use regular Skin so Soft as my bug repelent.

 

[Fly2Fish]

I use regular Skin so Soft as my bug repelent.

In the Consumers Reports ratings, it came in just above Cutters' 7% picaradin pump, although below their 15% aerosol (although I haven't been able to find the latter). Skin-so-Soft's active ingredient is apparently "IR 3535", whatever that means.

 

[BigCliff]

I like this stuff best Insect Repellent : SmartShield Its a sunblock/bug repellant combo. Its also a lemongrass based natural repellant, not a toxic chemical like deet. added note- I've been assured by the owner of the company that the stuff will not damage fly lines.

The 'chair melting' Fly2Fish experienced with deet on a plastic chair happens to another plastic that's important to us- waterproof breathable membranes in waders. The one exception is polytetrafluoroethylene, aka Gore-Tex. So if yer wearing waders that have a non-Gore-Tex membrane, be careful where you spray that Deet. You may not notice any visible damage, but that thin membrane can be dissolved and make that part of your waders just expensive polyester pants.

 

[Kai]

I wear long sleeved shirts, a hat with a sun cape on it, and use insect repellent.

The repellent I use is the "Ultrathon" brand by 3m. It is encapsulated, which has two benefits: less is absorbed through your skin, and it lasts longer.

 

[Fly2Fish]

BigCliff, I couldn't tell when I clicked on your SmartShield link whether its active botanical natural ingredient was similar to Repel's Plant Based Lemon Eucalyptus, but it's good to have another non-DEET alternative. I've since confirmed that the Repel Lemon Eucalyptus product is not a solvent like DEET and shouldn't harm plastics, etc. like your SmartShield doesn't either.

You raise a good point about DEET causing damage to non-Gore-Tex breathable waders. I wonder about its effect on all the other plastic-based items we routinely use and forget about, like (as you mention) fly lines, leader, high-end vests, chest packs, wader jackets, etc. that often have plastics incorporated in them, etc. If you drill down deeper into what else DEET can damage, leather (as in car seats) comes up.

 

[2fly4u]

I am with Kai , long sleeve shirt, hat with trim, and usually sun protection instead of bug repellant. However, I have used Deet and have had good results.

 

[Frank Whiton]

Ho to All,

Since we are talking about insect repellent destroying things we should not forget that sun block is hard on certain finishes. When I lived in the Phoenix area I removed the varnish on the arms of my rocker and where I rested my arms on the kitchen table. I have not destroyed any fly lines but I bet sunblock would be hard the fly line finish if you were not careful.

 

[45fisher]

ThermaCell Mosquito Repellent
I used this thing while helping out in New Orleans during Katrina.
I have since used it while working outside fishing, hunting etc and it seems to work quite well. It is over priced and the replacement parts are proprietary and not real 'cheap' but it does work.
Bottom line: When I didn't used it, I got bit. When I used it I didn't get bit.
ThermaCell Mosquito Repellents

 

[Fly2Fish]

45fisher,
I looked at the link you posted; rather intriguing. It wasn't clear from the linked website whether you can wear this on your wading belt, how much the package weighs, etc. Can you add to this?
Thanks

 

[Jackster]

I voted for insect repelling clothing.
I'm not one to take what Consumer Reports has to say to the bank as over the years I have found huge, gaping holes in their reviews. There is no way they can specialize in everything and they prove that from time to time.
Anyhow, rant over.
I won a Buzz-Off cap at a TU meeting. I was camping and at night with a bug attracting head lamp on was swarmed with all sorts of buzzing, biting critters. Remembering I had the Buzz-Off hat in that car, I put it on, put the head lamp back on and never heard or felt another bug around my head the rest of the evening.
I now own Buzz-Off pants and shirts and can honestly say they do repel bugs effectively where they cover you but don't seem to put bug proof shield around you. I always spray other repellants on large areas of exposed skin like my arms if sleeves are rolled up or my legs if the pants are worn as shorts.
All the stuff I bought (Orvis and Ex Officio) I got at extreme discount either at the Orvis blow-out shop in Salem VA or at the local department store (Belks) at the end of the season.

 

[Fly2Fish]

Jackster, I share your skeptiicism regardingConsumers Reports, but would note that they themselves said that they had not tested Permethrin-based products, adding that evidence seemed to suggest that those products might prove to be more effective than what they had reviewed.

 

[bonefish41]

I use the Buzz off...and it works on andros on doctor flies and moskees and noseeums...then I will use deet for exposed...however, I fish long pants and long sleeve when the bug season is bad...may june july...but always noseeums

 

[Fly2Fish]

Ho to All,

Since we are talking about insect repellent destroying things we should not forget that sun block is hard on certain finishes. When I lived in the Phoenix area I removed the varnish on the arms of my rocker and where I rested my arms on the kitchen table. I have not destroyed any fly lines but I bet sunblock would be hard the fly line finish if you were not careful.

Frank, I'm a little late with this follow-up question, but is there a difference with different types/brands of sunblocks as there is with insect repellents? In other words, are there some brands or formulations that you think would be safer when coming into contact with fly lines, rod finishes, etc.?

 

[Frank Whiton]

Hi FlytoFish,

I am not an expert but here is what I know. There are sunscreens and sunblocks. I use a sunblock. To be an effective sunblock you need one of these components. Parsol 1789, Titanium Dioxide or Zinc Oxide. I have only used sunblock with one of these ingredients and they all would remove varnish and I think damage a fly line. The best thing for the line is to take a towel right after you have applied your sunblock and wipe your palms and inside of the fingers dry. This will usually remove the sunblock to a point it won't hurt the fly line. I don't know of any sunblock that won't hurt your fly line if you continually get it on the line.

Frank

 

[Fly2Fish]

Thanks, Frank. Based on what you say, I may from now on use one of those sunblock stick tubes instead of the more liquid formulations. I know that they're intended more for small areas like nose, ears, lips, etc., but with my arms, legs and hat all covered with (Permethrin-treated) clothing during intensive sun periods anyway, I figure about all I would need to cover with the sunblock was my face, the back of my hands and possibly forearms. My thinking is that should be easier to limit sunblock onto my rod finish and lines if I used this solid form that wouldn't flow and didn't get on my palms and fingers in the first place.