Gnats, Anyone?

[so lucky]

Especially in the Midwest and Southeast, where we've had so much rain, are you getting a lot of gnats?
I didn't notice them till a few days ago. They are not the big buffalo gnats like we had about 5 years ago--or longer? But they are plenty annoying. And Deet doesn't seem to deter them one bit.
I just put the chicks out in the coop a few days ago, have a heat lamp for the cool nights, so I think they are too young to put a fan on, like I did for the hens I had during the last gnat invasion.
I have had a full gamut of excuses why I couldn't work outside this spring:
Too cold
Too windy
Raining
Raining
Raining
Too muddy
Raining
Too muddy
Too hot, and now,
Gnats.

 

[Zeedman]

Gno sign of them right gnow. Gnada. Gnot that I miss them, mind you.

A co-worker lives in a rural area about 50 miles Southwest of my location, says she got a few gnat bites Saturday while doing yard work. What with all of the rain we've had so far (matching last year's record pace) I'm more worried about the mosquitoes we'll get when the weather finally warms.

 

[Carol Dee]

The gnats are back and going to be bad

 

[flowerbug]

there are usually a few out and around once it gets warmer. that's why the early spring is such a good time to get projects done while i can get out there. this year, the rains have certainly interferred with a lot of those plans.

i keep pretty well covered up so that the bugs that come out later are not too bad. a hoodie and a hat (on top of the hoodie). yeah, it can get hot in all that, but i have to keep out of the sun anyways. once it gets to be too hot outside then i siesta in the middle of the day.

 

[baymule]

Gnat repellent: VANILLA. For the coop, hang those car air fresheners shaped like a Christmas tree, vanilla scented. When chickens go to roost at night, spray with vanilla. Spritz yourself when going outdoors. Smells better than bug spray. Buy Mexican vanilla on Amazon.

 

[so lucky]

You know, Bay, I had heard of this remedy a few years ago, but then, it was suggested to use cheap artificial vanilla. Maybe real vanilla would work better.

 

[flowerbug]

Gnat repellent: VANILLA. For the coop, hang those car air fresheners shaped like a Christmas tree, vanilla scented. When chickens go to roost at night, spray with vanilla. Spritz yourself when going outdoors. Smells better than bug spray. Buy Mexican vanilla on Amazon.

this is funny Bay! i use vanilla infused vaseline as a lip balm. nothing else i've tried to use i like and many of the normal commerical chap sticks will get reactions from my skin so i've gone to this as my home remedy. the main thing for me and chapped lips is just to make sure i'm drinking enough water. that works the best. but once in a while i'll get a combination of wind and sun that will set them off.

 

[baymule]

We had swarms of gnats one spring and I used vanilla. It works!

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

I don't think we have your kind of gnats out here in OR. We do have those pesky flies that simply hover and swirl in a room/breezeway. One of my dogs leaps and snaps at them. And of course, the fruit flies are starting back up...

 

[Carol Dee]

Gnat repellent: VANILLA. For the coop, hang those car air fresheners shaped like a Christmas tree, vanilla scented. When chickens go to roost at night, spray with vanilla. Spritz yourself when going outdoors. Smells better than bug spray. Buy Mexican vanilla on Amazon.

That is all I use for gnats. When son started raising chickens the gnats got so bad he lost 2 chicken! Learned really quick to put out vanilla scented things to keep gnats at bay.