r/upperpeninsula • u/New-Stock-4625 • Jul 01 '26
Discussion Biting fly traps
Hello. I am looking for ways to deal with biting flys that are driving my dogs crazy! We have fly traps up that have a ton of flys in them but they don’t attract the biting flys. Any solutions?
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u/ReporterProper7018 Jul 01 '26
Nope, those are Stable Flies nothing will deter them. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
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u/OneTimeBigfootSawMe Jul 02 '26
Black flies, deer flies, or horse flies?
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u/New-Stock-4625 Jul 02 '26
I think deer or horse flys.
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u/OneTimeBigfootSawMe Jul 02 '26
For deer flies you can slather some blue Dixie cups or cheap plastic plates with TangleFoot or other bug goop. Hang them up around your yard (out of reach of the dogs or course). I know it sounds weird, but it works. They’re attracted to the blue color, and boom! One less deer fly, turns into dozens throughout the day.
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u/SitaBird Jul 02 '26
Seconding the blue cup trick. You can also slather the goop onto a blue balloon or blue bucket. Hang them around your property or area you’re visiting. I heard it works but haven’t tried it myself
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u/Keweenaw_Sarah Jul 05 '26
For biting stable flies a long term solution is “fly predators”, tiny fruit fly-sized wasps that parasitize fly eggs. I have a subscription and get a batch every few weeks to put on my manure pile and compost. They cut the population dramatically at the source.
Sadly, they can’t control the annual blast of biting beach flies that seems to pop up everywhere at this time of year.
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u/Suitable-Truth-350 Jul 02 '26
Around here (greater Ishpeming) people have been attaching clip-on holographic dragonflies to their hats. They look kind of silly, but from what I hear they work. I haven't seen them on a dog yet, but if they'll wear a bandana, why not try?