What is you favorite way of dealing with flying and biting insects when outdoors?

...I moved here primarily for a reason; there are minimal biting insects...
In August the biting flies come out but an electric fly swatter is an entertaining way to do them in...
To kill tiny vampires off, in the tent; I use a small bug zapper for 15 minutes or so before crawling into the bag.


I think I have part of a spray bottle of noxious bug chemicals around some where; but I haven't seen it in years.
... as I remember; whey your lips get numb; you have almost applied enough... to induce nerve damage and dissuade the bugs...

Enjoy!

Around here (Colorado) August (which is coming) is the start of biting fly season...
A not entirely serious (but somewhat, temporarily, entertaining) way to deal with the Biting Buggers (... no mercy; fry 'em) is a racket shaped battery powered electric fly swatter;

I bought one as a gag, from harbor freight some years ago and found that they actually work (powered by alkaline batteries that you supply; D cells I think).
(...don't test it by inserting fingers; it gives a painful bite itself).

Enjoy!

Insect spray and screened canopy

Equipment: ground sheets, tents, awnings, tarps, jackets, shoes, pants, etc. can be treated with a permethrin-based product to repel bugs. Burning coils have been used for years. I've also had good luck with a Thermacell device I bought. Netting (of course) for sleeping area.

After being bitten, by far the best I've come across and use all the time is "After Bite" "The Itch Eraser". It comes in a tube, a bit like the old pen lights of decades ago. Shake it, remove the cap and the dabber head applies an ammonia-based solution that nearly instantly gives you relief from the itching.

When I was in Alaska (many years), the only thing that really worked was DEET, and Ben's 100% was the most used. However, that is vile stuff, and will wreak havoc on some synthetic materials, like the black rubbery scales on Kershaw knives, leaving them forever sticky and gooey feeling to the touch. I'd use the permethrin-based treatment on outer wear as well as netting as the first line of defense, the bug repellant on skin as a last resort.

For when I was in Alaska, that Avon "Skin So Soft" lotion was garbage for those Alaskan vampires

Now, I've been told that one CAN learn to ignore the flying bastages and they'll leave you alone. The rumor is that they fly near your face to get your blood pressure elevated, getting you to become flush in appearance, then they come in and feast. I've been told it's true, but it never worked for me, and those bastages LOVE feasting on my hide.

The crackle of bug-zappers is always cheap entertainment while drinking cold beer too.