# Head nets to detract gnats and skeets - any suggestions?



## Pieces Of E (Jul 22, 2014)

We went to a Civil War site last weekend that sat adjacent to a swamp and by the time we got 20 feet from the truck, we were bombarded by gnats to the head, so we're wondering if anybody has any tried and true product(s) to deter such critters. I will not use spray at all. I did buy Coghlan's "no see-um" head net, but it was too small. We're also wondering about being able to see properly through any such products to actually get any decent shots. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks - the two E's.


----------



## wsheldon (Jul 22, 2014)

I work in marshes off GA, and regularly have to deal with swarms of mosquitos and sand gnats. This is what we live in during the summer research season: http://www.bugshirt.com/. Overkill for the occasional foray into buggy locations, but can't beat the protection. It was a godsend in Denali last year too. Not a single bite.

I don't have any problem seeing through the mesh to focus, but the shirt is designed so you can partially unzip near your eyes and keep the rest of you protected.


----------



## Don Haines (Jul 22, 2014)

I have been using one of these for years when the bugs are really bad.

http://www.mec.ca/product/5016-842/original-bug-shirt-polyester-insect-proof-shirt-unisex/?q=bug%2Bshirt

Most of the time I just wear a hat and spray deet on the underside of the brim. The deet keeps the insects away and by spraying it on the hat, it is not touching my skin.

another option is to bring along someone that the bugs like more than you........


----------



## unfocused (Jul 22, 2014)

You got something against DEET or just sprays? I carry several of the little individually wrapped and sealed "Off" brand towelettes in my camera bag just in case I need one. 

From my experience gnats can be more annoying and harder to discourage than mosquitoes. DEET-based products seem to do a decent job of discouraging mosquitoes, but some gnats are like honey badgers -- they just don't care.


----------



## mackguyver (Jul 22, 2014)

I regularly shoot in the swamps of Florida and use repellents products most of the year. Mesh headnets and such are great until you put your viewfinder up to your face...so I don't use them.

When bugs aren't too bad (windy days and Jan-Mar), I use Repel lemon eucalyptus spray, but it doesn't last long. It doesn't eat plastic, at least. I normally use the Sportsman formula of Deep Woods Off! or the 100% DEET when things are unbearable or I'm in a static position. The Sportsman formula works really well with gnats and I soak my hat in addition to putting it on my face and other exposed skin. The clothes & hats with Permithrin work well for mosquitoes but don't do anything for gnats. The key to using DEET is to have a towel handy to wipe your hands off - otherwise you'll be leaving permanently etched fingerprints on your shutter and other plastic parts as I have done 

My only issue is with biting flies (deer flies, yellow flies, black flies). They are huge miserable devils from hell and don't care what you wear or spray on yourself. They are big, undeterred by the wind, and take chunks of skin out of you that leave scars and can get infected. The only solution is to run like hell or wear strips of sticky paper on your clothes and hats, but neither work well and they love to dive bomb your face after circling you like sharks. If I ever figure out a solution to them, I'll let you know


----------



## IMG_0001 (Jul 22, 2014)

mackguyver said:


> I regularly shoot in the swamps of Florida and use repellents products most of the year. Mesh headnets and such are great until you put your viewfinder up to your face...so I don't use them.
> 
> When bugs aren't too bad (windy days and Jan-Mar), I use Repel lemon eucalyptus spray, but it doesn't last long. It doesn't eat plastic, at least. I normally use the Sportsman formula of Deep Woods Off! or the 100% DEET when things are unbearable or I'm in a static position. The Sportsman formula works really well with gnats and I soak my hat in addition to putting it on my face and other exposed skin. The clothes & hats with Permithrin work well for mosquitoes but don't do anything for gnats. The key to using DEET is to have a towel handy to wipe your hands off - otherwise you'll be leaving permanently etched fingerprints on your shutter and other plastic parts as I have done
> 
> My only issue is with biting flies (deer flies, yellow flies, black flies). They are huge miserable devils from hell and don't care what you wear or spray on yourself. They are big, undeterred by the wind, and take chunks of skin out of you that leave scars and can get infected. The only solution is to run like hell or wear strips of sticky paper on your clothes and hats, but neither work well and they love to dive bomb your face after circling you like sharks. If I ever figure out a solution to them, I'll let you know



How about some tennis? 

http://www.theexecutioner.co.uk/html/index.html

Amazingly, deer/horse flies survive the blow but are often dazzled enough for you to escape. Admitedly, they are not very suitable when you are on the move or on a canoe.


----------



## YuengLinger (Jul 22, 2014)

No spray? Shoot at a different time or place.

I hate those gnats. They go right into my ears.

Ugh.


----------



## mackguyver (Jul 22, 2014)

IMG_0001 said:


> mackguyver said:
> 
> 
> > I regularly shoot in the swamps of Florida and use repellents products most of the year. Mesh headnets and such are great until you put your viewfinder up to your face...so I don't use them.
> ...


That looks fun! They often swarm me by the dozen, though, and they have all but driven me insane. I actually spent three hours hiking through high grass to avoid having to go back through a particularly infested swamp. I decided I would rather take my chances with rattlesnakes, water moccasins, and alligators instead of biting flies. I used my tripod to feel my way through the grasses, which was not a lot of fun, either, but better than the flies. And I only ran into one snake (water moccasin or banded water snake); I didn't see the head as it slithered behind me and they look alike otherwise.

It's days like that when I _really _question my decision to shoot wildlife


----------



## Pieces Of E (Jul 22, 2014)

Yes, I do have a thing against DEET and sprays. They don't play well with camera gear, not to mention it's hot as hell and muggy to beat the band 'round here - ya sweat like mad. The BugShirt is a great option and will get a good look. Of course, The Executioner tops all for entertainment value alone. Thanks everyone. The damn gnats go straight for the ears, don't they? They won't find anything in my head!


----------



## AcutancePhotography (Jul 22, 2014)

Check out www.sportsmansguide.com

They have several head nets and a bunch of other stuff at pretty good prices.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/productlist?k=head+nets


----------



## Pieces Of E (Jul 22, 2014)

God, I used to get the Sportsmen's Guide in print years and years ago. Thanks for that link!


----------



## RustyTheGeek (Jul 22, 2014)

Pieces Of E said:


> Yes, I do have a thing against DEET and sprays. They don't play well with camera gear, not to mention it's hot as hell and muggy to beat the band 'round here - ya sweat like mad. The BugShirt is a great option and will get a good look. Of course, The Executioner tops all for entertainment value alone. Thanks everyone. The damn gnats go straight for the ears, don't they? They won't find anything in my head!


Personally I stopped using DEET based sprays years ago for the single reason that DEET destroys most plastics and waterproof coatings on tents, etc. I made this decision after a walkie talkie clipped to my belt got overspray on it and it melted it pretty good. I don't have a problem putting DEET on my skin but when my skin eventually touches other things that will likely get damaged then that's a problem.

I like the idea of putting repellent on the hat brim. I also use an alternative replellent that seems to work well which contains *Picardin* as the active ingredient and that doesn't affect plastics, etc.

http://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Premium-Repellent-Picaridin-4-Ounce/dp/B0015KG5NK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1406054300&sr=8-2&keywords=picaridin


----------



## scottburgess (Jul 22, 2014)

Pieces Of E said:


> We went to a Civil War site last weekend that sat adjacent to a swamp and by the time we got 20 feet from the truck, we were bombarded by gnats to the head, so we're wondering if anybody has any tried and true product(s) to deter such critters. I will not use spray at all. I did buy Coghlan's "no see-um" head net, but it was too small. We're also wondering about being able to see properly through any such products to actually get any decent shots. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks - the two E's.



I can understand your reluctance to use chemical products for any of a number of reasons--but do consider whether DEET is less damaging to you than dengue fever, chikungunya, or West Nile.

Having said that, there are some things which research has shown to be less effective, but still noticeably helpful. Most of the critters are attracted to carbon dioxide, motion, and chemical compounds given off. In the latter category, some critters are now attuned to artificial chemicals in addition to natural excretions--the compounds in cologne, deodorant, and antiperspirant scents specifically. 

To lower carbon dioxide, you can reduce your exertion and pace, stay in areas where wind scatters your breath, and if you are disciplined control your breathing a bit. To lower motion, settle down. Sometimes settling into grasses further restricts the ability of the bugs to find you, at other times it just causes the CO2 to pool around you.

There are a number of things you can do about chemicals. First, don't wear a bunch of smelly stuff (I use an unscented antiperspirant). You can also obtain modest gains by eating plants whose chemicals will come out of your pores--particularly garlic and onion. This may confuse a few into thinking you're a plant. Some skin creams and sun screens have *citronella* in them, and this works similarly for some critters--this may be the most useful thing to try, but how effective it is depends on the particulars of your bugs and locale. One personal, untested observation I have made is that areas heavily trafficked by people have bugs more attuned to human scents and less thrown off by citronella. Still, give California Baby Sunscreen a try and see if that works for you as it also has lemongrass and cedar.

A lot of light-weight outdoor pants and shirts do a good job of preventing larger bugs from biting through the fabric--especially mosquitos. I now wear such clothes exclusively when shooting in nature. These won't prevent some smaller bugs, especially noseeums, from getting under the clothes and driving you nuts, but I find them very effective at protecting arms and legs. Button down the collar and sleeves to reduce the quantity of small nasties getting under your clothes. Hit an REI or similar "backpacker-oriented" store for this light-weight protective gear--North Face, Marmot, REI, and Columbia are common brands, and I buy convertible pants (the legs zip off to turn them into shorts). Recent visits to "sportsman-oriented" stores have revealed that some of their gear has caught up to or even surpassed the backpacking gear (IMHO), so check those out too (eg: Cabela's, Sportsman's Warehouse). Note that some of the fibers used are artificial and may be incompatible with using DEET so remember to ask a store clerk if that matters to you.

Sometimes your only defense is leaving. Once my wife and I were exploring NE Nevada, and decided to camp at Angel Lake which all the locals raved about. The large campground was virtually empty when we arrived because it had opened only two days before. The camp host informed us that tomorrow was Saturday, and all the locals would be arriving to enjoy the first weekend at the lake. This "lake" was basically a mud-hole that kids could float around on, nestled below a small peak in brushy hillsides. My wife and I were unimpressed with the photographic opportunities, though the little two-toned mice who joined us for dinner were adorable. 

We were packing the car Saturday morning when I noticed something wrong with our cooler. I got closer and realized its normally blue sides were covered black with noseeums. I turned around and studied the hillside. Arising in great black clouds from the thick underbrush were billions of freshly hatched, hungry noseeums. My wife and I threw everything into the car, drove to a ranger station parking lot in the nearby town of Wells, and spent two wonderful hours unpacking the car, shaking off noseeums, and then repacking the car properly for travel. The locals can keep their sucky lake. We're not going back.


----------



## NancyP (Jul 22, 2014)

Sea to Summit has a usable head net that can go over a hat. Much much better than Coghlan's version, also more expensive than Coghlan's. I will have to try the DEET-on-hat method too. 30% DEET comes in roll-on solid form, which can be daubed around the ears.


----------



## Mt Spokane Photography (Jul 22, 2014)

We bought head nets from Cabalas to use in Northern Ontario, and in the Yukon, they are only a start, since mosquitoes bit you right thru blue jeans and shirts. Fortunately, they don't follow you out on a lake, or fishing would be miserable. One of our fellow campers owns a sporting goods store, and proudly brought along a box of ultrasonic repellers. We laughed at him, but he persisted in firing them up. Mosquitoes landed all over them, they made nice perches. Needless to say, he threw them out, and used some of our spare deet, which works quite well. It is not something to apply to the face though. Spraying a cap with it works when they are not so thick and hungry.


We put a long sleeved sweatshirt in a plastic bag and soaked it with DEET for a couple of weeks before going to the Yukon. We still had to spray our jeans. We had to use a no pest strip indoors, because dozens would fly in thru any crack, or when you opened a door.


----------



## Valvebounce (Jul 23, 2014)

Hi IMG 001
I just broke our bug bat, not this brand, cheapy crap! Apparently the shaft was not strong enough to overcome the inertia of the head when accelerating the thing after a fly that had really pissed me off! Buy a good one! ;D

Cheers Graham.



IMG_0001 said:


> How about some tennis?
> 
> http://www.theexecutioner.co.uk/html/index.html
> 
> Amazingly, deer/horse flies survive the blow but are often dazzled enough for you to escape. Admitedly, they are not very suitable when you are on the move or on a canoe.


----------



## AcutancePhotography (Jul 23, 2014)

Pieces Of E said:


> God, I used to get the Sportsmen's Guide in print years and years ago. Thanks for that link!



It is one of the catalogues I look forward to getting. I have been ordering stuff from that company for many many years. ;D


----------



## Pieces Of E (Jul 23, 2014)

My wife wonders if our cameras omit a tiny, maybe ultrasonic sound that might also attract flying insects? What does anyone think about that theory? I thought it might be a possibility. I do believe in the carbon dioxide theory, too. Looks like we could all share some biting insect stories as we trek through the wilderness in search of our images.


----------



## mackguyver (Jul 23, 2014)

Pieces Of E said:


> My wife wonders if our cameras omit a tiny, maybe ultrasonic sound that might also attract flying insects? What does anyone think about that theory? I thought it might be a possibility. I do believe in the carbon dioxide theory, too. Looks like we could all share some biting insect stories as we trek through the wilderness in search of our images.


I'm not sure about that, but biting flies are definitely attracted to big whites!


----------



## AcutancePhotography (Jul 23, 2014)

Pieces Of E said:


> My wife wonders if our cameras omit a tiny, maybe ultrasonic sound that might also attract flying insects? What does anyone think about that theory? I thought it might be a possibility. I do believe in the carbon dioxide theory, too. Looks like we could all share some biting insect stories as we trek through the wilderness in search of our images.



One way to test it is to put your camera away from you and see which "body" attracts the most insects. I would opine that they will be more attractive to you than your camera.


----------



## scottburgess (Jul 23, 2014)

NancyP said:


> Sea to Summit has a usable head net that can go over a hat. Much much better than Coghlan's version, also more expensive than Coghlan's. I will have to try the DEET-on-hat method too. 30% DEET comes in roll-on solid form, which can be daubed around the ears.



DEET on a hat helps from our experience--at least around your face and neck. Tilley Hats are heavy cotton, so it is safe to spray a bit around the brim and later wash the hat. You may still have hordes of mosquitos around your legs, though. Love my Tilley!



Pieces Of E said:


> My wife wonders if our cameras omit a tiny, maybe ultrasonic sound that might also attract flying insects? What does anyone think about that theory? I thought it might be a possibility. I do believe in the carbon dioxide theory, too. Looks like we could all share some biting insect stories as we trek through the wilderness in search of our images.



For years companies marketed devices that produce a steady, high-pitched noise as a bug repellent. Tests show they have no effect on biting insects. They do annoy the heck out of humans, though.

My only problem with head nets is doing things with one's face--I would worry about seeing well through a viewfinder, for example. Hiking in the Olympics once I came upon a handful of Boy Scouts paused by a stream for lunch. The black flies swarmed ravenously that day, and I will never forget the image of one poor kid trying futilely to slip a sandwich under his head net so he could eat it. We have headnets, but almost never use them. By the time they are really useful, the insects are so thick that they would be landing all over the outside of the headnet anyway, and it's just time to leave then from our perspective.


----------



## Don Haines (Jul 23, 2014)

best bug quote ever..... "I must be irresistible.. millions of mosquitoes and black flies can't be wrong"

and for your amusement while you ponder biting insects... 

https://www.nfb.ca/film/blackfly

This is a National Film Board of Canada animated short film that really sums up the joys of biting insects....


----------



## sedwards (Jul 23, 2014)

i cant belive nobody has suggested thermacell. these things are amazing ! i use them in the spring in northern quebec where the black flies and mosquitoes are insane in numbers . it does exactly as they claim. i have taken my shirt off while in the woods cause it was hot and didnt get bit once. bug spray on you or your cloths will keep them 2 inches away , thermacell will keep them 10 feet away. walmart usually has the best price. just remember it takes at least 5 min for it to start working.
http://www.thermacell.com/mosquito-repellent/specials/campers-starter-kit


----------



## mackguyver (Jul 24, 2014)

sedwards said:


> i cant belive nobody has suggested thermacell. these things are amazing ! i use them in the spring in northern quebec where the black flies and mosquitoes are insane in numbers . it does exactly as they claim. i have taken my shirt off while in the woods cause it was hot and didnt get bit once. bug spray on you or your cloths will keep them 2 inches away , thermacell will keep them 10 feet away. walmart usually has the best price. just remember it takes at least 5 min for it to start working.
> http://www.thermacell.com/mosquito-repellent/specials/campers-starter-kit


I have heard mixed things about them from people here in Florida - with some complaining it doesn't work well or scares off wildlife with the smell it produces. I might have to give one a try next time I go to Walmart if you say it works against black flies up North where I hear they are a nightmare.


----------



## scottburgess (Jul 24, 2014)

sedwards said:


> i cant belive nobody has suggested thermacell. these things are amazing ! i use them in the spring in northern quebec where the black flies and mosquitoes are insane in numbers . it does exactly as they claim. i have taken my shirt off while in the woods cause it was hot and didnt get bit once. bug spray on you or your cloths will keep them 2 inches away , thermacell will keep them 10 feet away. walmart usually has the best price. just remember it takes at least 5 min for it to start working.
> http://www.thermacell.com/mosquito-repellent/specials/campers-starter-kit



So what does one do about possible allethrin deposits on one's lens coatings? I'm not using this near my gear until I know it doesn't harm my gear.


----------



## sedwards (Jul 24, 2014)

i usually put mine at my feet . i think that is plenty far to not worry about deposits , but dont quote me on that. they advertise a 15 foot radius and it pretty much covers that distance even in a light breeze . the unit heats a pad that is soaked with insect repellent and the vapor it produces is what keeps the toothy bugs away. i have been using it with a video camera for about 6 years and havent noticed anything on the lens , although i dont really know what allethrin deposits would look like.


----------



## Don Haines (Jul 24, 2014)

The mosquitoes are so big up here that the cats hunt them


----------



## Click (Jul 24, 2014)

Don Haines said:


> The mosquitoes are so big up here that the cats hunt them



;D ;D ;D


----------



## IMG_0001 (Jul 24, 2014)

Valvebounce said:


> Hi IMG 001
> I just broke our bug bat, not this brand, cheapy crap! Apparently the shaft was not strong enough to overcome the inertia of the head when accelerating the thing after a fly that had really pissed me off! Buy a good one! ;D
> 
> Cheers Graham.
> ...



Sorry about the loss, but don't be so modest, surely no racket can withstand such accelerations as you can provide when mad at a fly...


----------



## Logan (Jul 24, 2014)

try the mosquito coils. they are green spirals, really cheap, you light one end and it burns like incense. i try not to breath it but after a couple minutes it works like a hot damn. in the morning you find a pile of dead mosquitos around it. i try not to breath it.


----------



## Valvebounce (Jul 24, 2014)

Hi Don. 
Just watched the film, very funny. 
As a child I used to go to a farm in Cumbria for the summer holiday, there was a stream running through a small copse there, it was in a small valley maybe 8ft deep 15ft wide, I recon you could have walked across on the midges, (very small very high pitched biting things) but for the fact they would have grabbed you by the feet and pulled you down to feast on you! ;D We used to use insect repellant, I do believe they thought it was an appetiser before the main course of me! 

Cheers Graham.



Don Haines said:


> best bug quote ever..... "I must be irresistible.. millions of mosquitoes and black flies can't be wrong"
> 
> and for your amusement while you ponder biting insects...
> 
> ...


----------



## Del Paso (Aug 10, 2021)

Ah, the joys of camping on the western coast in Scotland, free meal guaranteed whenever you open your mouth... I'll never forget the Fort William midges, nor will I forget the excellent medical care my son was provided with at the Belford's (broken wrist).
What helps? Setting up one's tent in the Northern Highlands (or those green spirals inside the tent).


----------



## stevelee (Aug 10, 2021)

Don Haines said:


> another option is to bring along someone that the bugs like more than you........


A few years ago I was in Savannah with a friend shortly after they had had a hurricane go by. That seemed to bring out the mosquitos even more than usual. We went for a walk along the river after supper, going our slightly separate ways. My arms were shortly eaten up with bites, so I moved away from the water. When I saw my friend later, I found out he didn't get a bite. I obviously taste better. He took me to a drug store to buy a tube of cortisone cream to bathe my arms.


----------

