# Knats and No-see-ums



## skiff23 (Apr 22, 2012)

Question 

Will a thermo cell keep this bugs at bay ? 
We fished yesterday and almost went crazy with the bugs. If the thermo cell will not work , what will. I use deet , but it does not work well enough on me .


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## bamaboy (Apr 22, 2012)

I use my thermacell and never have any bugs bother me any time i use mine.I love it and would not take anything for it. I wish you luck and try your thermacell and see what happens.


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## wharfrat (Apr 22, 2012)

flying teeth! this stuff works preety good:
http://www.gnatbgon.com/faq.html


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## fishbone001 (Apr 22, 2012)

Im sorry to tell you, but the thermacell wont work on sand gnats.I tried it and they were flying around in the smoke.


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## creekrocket (Apr 22, 2012)

Old Spice Aftershave. The Original Old Spice. Works great for gnats. 
 A buddy of mine turned me on to it, and I have a bottle in the boat, at the house, and in the truck. 
 It's not the best smell in the world, but it works like a charm. And, you're not spraying Deet all over you.


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## Artfuldodger (Apr 22, 2012)

Citronella oil in the gnatbgon will only work on regular inland south Georgia gnats. Avon Skin So Soft works pretty good on sand gnats.
You can buy Citronella oil  at the drug store from the Pharmacist. I haven't tried Old Spice. If it works they shouldn't bother my Dad!


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## southgaoriginal (Apr 22, 2012)

wharfrat said:


> flying teeth! this stuff works preety good:
> http://www.gnatbgon.com/faq.html



looks similar to the no/natz made here in Georgia


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## Capt. TJ Cheek (Apr 23, 2012)

Africa's Best Herbal Lotion. I'm not even joking. It's made for hair and skin... but gnats can't handle it.


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## Mweathers (Apr 23, 2012)

Only thing I ever found was Rhino, and the guy quit making it.   TJ, where do you find the Africa's best Herbal Lotion?


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## Capt. Tim Cheek (Apr 23, 2012)

Dollar General


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## marlin (Apr 23, 2012)

*Sand gnats*

For sand gnats try No Add sunscreen in the 15 & 30 spf. You can find it Walmart. It beats skinsosoft hands down plus its a sunscreen and has no smell.


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## Steyr (Apr 24, 2012)

Spot on.... No Add works.....


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## Reel Big-uns (Apr 24, 2012)

Fishing List--

Thermacell, check
Gnatbgon, check
Citronella oil. check
Original Old Spice, check
Avon skin so soft, check
no/natz, check 
Africa's Best Herbal Lotion, check
Rhino, check
No Add sunscreen, check

Thanks Guys!! 
OK, bring it on you miserable skin knawin’, infective, fish ruining, unseen, flying teeth, blood sucking demons of the salt marsh, I’m ready to take you on.


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## Vernon Holt (Apr 24, 2012)

The old fashioned way is to make you a "smudge fire".  Take a metal bucket, fill it with dirty rags (preferably dirty underwear), pack the rags then set on fire.  Place the bucket where wind will cast the smoke on the fishermen.

It works.  Not sure what it does to the lungs.  If the fish are bitin', the smoke doesn't matter.


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## breampole (Apr 24, 2012)

*sand gnat repellant*

Thanks for that check list so I don't have to write them down.  I'm going to mix them all together (except the dirty underwear) and put mixture back in the bottles the ingredients came in.  I'll be deet free and repellant rich.  

I also heard ole timers boiled sassafrass (sp?) root and rubbed it on or rubbed the leaves on the skin.  However I don't know where that grows or what it looks like.  I think that is what is in root beer that gives it that horrible taste.  Might add some root beer to this supposed potent new potion.


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## Artfuldodger (Apr 24, 2012)

breampole said:


> Thanks for that check list so I don't have to write them down.  I'm going to mix them all together (except the dirty underwear) and put mixture back in the bottles the ingredients came in.  I'll be deet free and repellant rich.
> 
> I also heard ole timers boiled sassafrass (sp?) root and rubbed it on or rubbed the leaves on the skin.  However I don't know where that grows or what it looks like.  I think that is what is in root beer that gives it that horrible taste.  Might add some root beer to this supposed potent new potion.



I only know what sassafrass is when I dig it up. I like the smell thought. Mix all that stuff up and market it as Gnat Butter.


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## Bryannecker (Apr 24, 2012)

Let's see now, you could just fish only above the gnat line,  which can be as far inland as Macon, Georgia, but that would exclude all saltwater fishing.  Or, you could do as I did at 17, and join the USMC and go to Parris Island for boot camp right out or high school. But you must go there in June through September to get the full effect of the training for gnat resistance.  As a boot you will be required to stand at attention out by the rifle range and not swat the sand gnats or fleas away.  They will cawl up your nose holes and into your ears and you can do nothing about it but stand there and take it.  But the real fun begins when they get into your eyes and they will sting like an open flame.  Still you can do nothing about it because you fear the drill instructor more than the mere discomfort of the little devils who pounce upon you on a daily basis as the tempreture comes into the right range of coolness.  In the heat of the day they will not bother you.  The sweat will run into your eyes so that you cannot see, but that is a whole nother story in itself.  Over the ten or twelve weeks that you on this island of gnat torture you will build up a tolerance to them that will stay with you all the rest of your life.  It will never leave you even when you go off to college, graduate, or law school.  You will still have an immunity to them to a degree that most folks do not.  They cannot drive you crazy, because you probably already are.  Believe me, I know because that happened to me in 1960.  Over fifty years ago, and I  am still immune to them and as crazy as ever.  Maybe, it is mind over matter or just maybe old Marines are just as tough as they said we were after boot camp.  That my friends is the only real solution to the problem that I know of and recommend to you!
Semper Fi,
Capt. Jimmy


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## JimJack68 (Apr 25, 2012)

Long pants, long sleeve shirt, buff, hat, and sun glasses/goggles. IF they do  get between your glasses and buff they will bite you in the eye ball, as Necker said it will feel like fire  little suckers get desperate when they can't bite you elsewhere. 

It must be the fear of DI while being bitten that helps necker. I spent the first 8 years of my life at PI, born in PI Naval hospital, afraid of DI's but not while being bitten by no seeum's so it did not take for me.


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## sentrysam (Apr 25, 2012)

*Listerene*

My wife swears by listerene mouth wash ,seems to work allright but like everything else ,it wears out quickly..


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## SapeloJoeBro (Apr 25, 2012)

Going to give NO ADD sunscreen a try.  Different things work on different people. Hope it works for me. Tired of using Skin so Soft, but it works. Thanks for all the post.  We just want to go out Fish and


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## ridgerunner404 (Apr 25, 2012)

no- gnats is the only thing I have found to work. I keep a good supply on the boat and the backpack for the beach.. A in my book


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## Reel Big-uns (Apr 25, 2012)

Bryannecker said:


> Let's see now, you could just fish only above the gnat line,  which can be as far inland as Macon, Georgia, but that would exclude all saltwater fishing.  Or, you could do as I did at 17, and join the USMC and go to Parris Island for boot camp right out or high school. But you must go there in June through September to get the full effect of the training for gnat resistance.  As a boot you will be required to stand at attention out by the rifle range and not swat the sand gnats or fleas away.  They will cawl up your nose holes and into your ears and you can do nothing about it but stand there and take it.  But the real fun begins when they get into your eyes and they will sting like an open flame.  Still you can do nothing about it because you fear the drill instructor more than the mere discomfort of the little devils who pounce upon you on a daily basis as the tempreture comes into the right range of coolness.  In the heat of the day they will not bother you.  The sweat will run into your eyes so that you cannot see, but that is a whole nother story in itself.  Over the ten or twelve weeks that you on this island of gnat torture you will build up a tolerance to them that will stay with you all the rest of your life.  It will never leave you even when you go off to college, graduate, or law school.  You will still have an immunity to them to a degree that most folks do not.  They cannot drive you crazy, because you probably already are.  Believe me, I know because that happened to me in 1960.  Over fifty years ago, and I  am still immune to them and as crazy as ever.  Maybe, it is mind over matter or just maybe old Marines are just as tough as they said we were after boot camp.  That my friends is the only real solution to the problem that I know of and recommend to you!
> Semper Fi,
> Capt. Jimmy



Thanks for you service
Man, I have all the respect in the world for ones, like you, that can endure and tolerate the miserable, physical and mental conditions in which basic training puts on enlistments.


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## Silver Bullet (Apr 26, 2012)

Ah, it's easy to avoid gnats.  A light, 20 knot breeze usually knocks them back...


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## Mechanicaldawg (Apr 26, 2012)

If you want to keep them out of your eyes tear a hole in the seat of your pants.


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## saltysenior (Apr 26, 2012)

some of the stuff works better than others on different insects....there is the ''no-see-um'' thats hard to see....the ''sand gnat'' that u can see....and the pesky  ''eye gnat'' commonly called the ''dog d*ck gnat''..I can vouch that nothing works for these, and they are easily attracted in great numbers to a turkey call..


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## Artfuldodger (Apr 26, 2012)

saltysenior said:


> some of the stuff works better than others on different insects....there is the ''no-see-um'' thats hard to see....the ''sand gnat'' that u can see....and the pesky  ''eye gnat'' commonly called the ''dog d*ck gnat''..I can vouch that nothing works for these, and they are easily attracted in great numbers to a turkey call..



Buy Citronella oil from the drug store or pharmacy for the dog parts gnats. It works good for them but not on sand gnats.


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## breampole (Apr 26, 2012)

*repellant*

Try Bengal repellant.  Not sure of the biting sand gnat, but on all other insects put some on your hands and smear on forehead cheeks ears and neck and you won't know a common south ga. gnat is anywhere within 100 miles or a mosquito.  Its 25% deet with two other active chemical ingredients plus the inert stuff.  Bengal also makes the most effective roach spray I have ever used.  Not cheap however.


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## ridgerunner404 (Apr 28, 2012)

*no seeum  bug stuff*



this is the best


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## breampole (Apr 28, 2012)

*African herbal*

Bought some of the African Herbal Oil stuff at Dollar General.  It has the same fragrance as Skin So Soft so it seemed to me which may be why it works for some.  I prefer the gnats myself.  Skin So Soft never worked for me as far as I could tell, and I hated being with myself cause of the smell.  Will try some of the others.  I tried Cactus Juice once.  Put some on my arm and watched the gnats gravitate to it and gnaw away. 
Hope some of these others will work.  It seems some work for some people and not for others probably because we all have faint (hopefully) scents ourselves, and it may be how it all blends when scent is what is driving them away.  I've heard of people taking mega doses of some herb like garlic and having their own oder drive the gnats away.  I must smell pretty good to them 'cause they love me.  Couldn't find any No-Ad Sunscreen.  Neither Dollar General nor Wal-Mart had it.


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## Mlrtime (Apr 28, 2012)

My son will be heading to Parris Island in mid September. I will definitely get him to read this thread. I'm sure that DI will not allow any of the above mentioned remedy's in the footlocker though.


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## Gaswamp (Apr 29, 2012)

This works for gnats
http://pfharris.com/pages/swampgator.html


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## Artfuldodger (Apr 29, 2012)

ridgerunner404 said:


> no- gnats is the only thing I have found to work. I keep a good supply on the boat and the backpack for the beach.. A in my book



Is this the product you are talking about?
I would like to introduce my product to you called “NO NATZ”. It was developed for my family on the Wilminton River close to Savannah and Thunderbolt. 
It is the best selling gnat spray in coastal Georgia, coastal South Carolina,  and Florida.   Why?  Because it really works and it smells good.  Just shake and spray when the gnats are biting and you can start enjoying the outside again. 

http://www.nonatz.com/


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## Artfuldodger (Apr 29, 2012)

6-12 insect repellant use to work good for regular gnats.


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## killswitch (Apr 29, 2012)

Stopped by wal-greens today for a birthday card, mothers day card, and a bottle of Africa's Best.............should have seen the look I got at check out.    Hope it works. Can't wait to see the looks on the faces of the guys I'm fishing with this weekend when I bust out the bottle.


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## Forest Grump (May 1, 2012)

killswitch said:


> Stopped by wal-greens today for a birthday card, mothers day card, and a bottle of Africa's Best.............should have seen the look I got at check out.    Hope it works. Can't wait to see the looks on the faces of the guys I'm fishing with this weekend when I bust out the bottle.



When you wake up the next am with a 'fro , albeit a shiny one, you may regret taking advice from folks on the Internet...then again, you might have the finest jheri-curl on the boat, who knows?


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## Artfuldodger (May 1, 2012)

Forest Grump said:


> When you wake up the next am with a 'fro , albeit a shiny one, you may regret taking advice from folks on the Internet...then again, you might have the finest jheri-curl on the boat, who knows?



I picked up a bottle at Fred's. It was $3.00. If it don't work for bugs i'll use it for dry skin or as a lubricant. Here is a list of ingredients:
 Soy Bean Oil , Walnut Seed Oil, Kiwi Fruit Extract , Olive Fruit Oil , Castor Seed Oil , Sesame Seed Oil , Jojoba Seed Oil , Carrot Seed Oil , Sweet Almond Oil , Tocopheryl Acetate , Safflower Oil , Calendula Extract , Yarrow Extract , Cucumber Extract , Carrageenan Extract , Ginseng Extract , Sage Extract , Comfrey Extract , Aloe Extract , and Fragrance.


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## killswitch (May 1, 2012)

If it doesn't work,  I will donate mine to TJ.


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## gsp416dre (May 7, 2012)

I found that any of the brands like Cutter, Off, etc. with "picaridin" instead of "deet" worked very well. I have used it working on the islands and causeways. Seems to do very well. Also, picaridin, once dry, has no odor or oily fee. It does have s stale smell to it on application, but goes away once it dries.


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## killswitch (May 8, 2012)

Capt. TJ Cheek said:


> Africa's Best Herbal Lotion. I'm not even joking. It's made for hair and skin... but gnats can't handle it.




It worked ...............they laughed and joked, then about 15 min on the dock and they were all scrambling looking for the bottle.     However, had to take a shower with dawn liquid soap that night.


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## Steve762us (May 9, 2012)

Looks like at least some Walmart's carry it.  Think I'll grab some Old Spice with it!

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Africa-s-Best-Ultimate-Herbal-Oil-8-fl-oz/10451303


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## breampole (May 10, 2012)

*african oil*

Don't know about the bugs, but it sure ran me off.  I opened the bottle and couldn't stand the smell.  Smell is very much like Skin so Soft which I can't tolerate either and never worked for me.  Did Dawn get it off?


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## killswitch (May 11, 2012)

Not much left to wash off after that 20 mile soaking ride back to the sound.    However, that was a topic of conversation during the day.  Soap or degreaser


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## dfhooked (May 11, 2012)

swamp swatter


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## wareagle22 (May 15, 2012)

Coconut extract works great too!  It's what we use in South Alabama during turkey season.  You can find it in the spice section at Wally World.  It smells good too.


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## Workin2Hunt (May 15, 2012)

Bull frog sunscreen with repellant in it. It says mosquito coast on the lable. We have been using it for about 5 years in Steinhatchee and it works great.


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## Gaswamp (Jul 3, 2012)

Artfuldodger said:


> Is this the product you are talking about?
> I would like to introduce my product to you called “NO NATZ”. It was developed for my family on the Wilminton River close to Savannah and Thunderbolt.
> It is the best selling gnat spray in coastal Georgia, coastal South Carolina,  and Florida.   Why?  Because it really works and it smells good.  Just shake and spray when the gnats are biting and you can start enjoying the outside again.
> 
> http://www.nonatz.com/



picked up this product the other day.  It works pretty good on knats.  However, the swamp gator is longer lasting on the knats.  I haven't tested them both for mosquitoes side by side yet.


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