Here’s a “shout out” out to a new acquisition: “Trek” insect repellent by “Lemongrass Farms.” It’s not cheap ($10 for 8 oz. at Menards, but Menards has an 11% rebate.)
Some sellers are much higher.
“Trek” is a product new to me for repelling gnats and small flies. Those are annoying around our property sometimes, and REALLY bad around some (some) of the non-park lakes and ponds around here in late spring through early fall. My daughter and I were fishing at one of the West KY WMA ponds a few nights ago for not quite ~3 hours. The good news was that I landed a 4-1/2 lb. channel cat. The bad news was the attraction of the little flyers to my headlamp (head worn flashlight). I could only have it turned on for about 10 seconds at a time before hundreds of the little buggers were around me and in my eyes, nose, ears, and mouth (if the latter was open to say AAGGHH!!).
And that was with a good application of 40% DEET repellent. The DEET was doing a good job on mosquitos, but, it was all the other little winged attackers that were the problem. There must have just been a hatch...
So, I tried a little of this “Trek” repellent around my face and head and WOW, what a difference! I’d say at least 90% less bugs flying at me, even if I left my light on, and as time passed, that improved further.
I’ll test this stuff further in other circumstances — I have no idea if it repels ticks, for example, but my preliminary reaction is “Highly Recommended”! if gnats and small flies are the problem.
Otherwise, there’s more going on here than I have time to report! Including knocking down 5 “nuisance” walnut trees, including one growing at a crazy & twisted angle. Quadruple roped that baby to control where it went. Another was within a foot of a power line & leaning a bit that way too. Very tight to get that one down without damaging anything else either, but, all 5 ended up very close to or dead on their “target” landing spots. My Dad would have been proud. The biggest pain is all the cleanup: One tree is (was) 400 ft. from where all the downed wood has to go, with no real way to move it but cut it into carry-able pieces and lug it to the “brush pile”. My ankles are still sore. (And I followed that up by push mowing my Mom’s old place - a good acre. [The push mower died.]) Well, it’s good for me if it doesn’t kill me...
Lots more, but, I have rain & likely t-storms to beat this a.m. We do really need the rain.
Oh, also wanted to mention, if anyone is needing it, Tractor Supply has poultry netting and hardware cloth on sale, sale ends today. I’ll likely order a bit online - who wants to drive to town in a t-storm? :-)
Thanks for the tip on the bug repellent. Menard’s is on our usual rounds when we have an Errand Day. The gnats are awful some mornings when I’m out watering and it’s still shaded. I tried a spray we had on hand and it didn’t work all that well, so I will try the ‘Trek.’
“The biggest pain is all the cleanup...”
That’s where *I* always seem to come in, in the operations around here, LOL!
We took down a massive Cottonwood last summer, and ‘The Last Ash Standing’ in Wisconsin that finally gave it up to those @#$%^&! Ash Borers. :(