• eating bananas before the trip 
• eating garlic before the trip 
• taking doses of vitamin B before the trip 
• eating lots of oranges 
• wearing different colours 
• wearing Avon 'Skin So Soft'  
• not washing 
• surrounding themselves with PIC® coils 
• wearing bug suits or hats 
• using citronella-based repellents 
• Using electronic bug repellers 
• using DEET-based repellents

And so on, and so on ...

Now to separate myth from reality.  Rather than going by the Old Wives' Tales, here are the results of these different methods based on actual scientific experiments.

• Eating bananas makes you more attractive
   
• Eating garlic does absolutely nothing (but will probably keep your paddling partners at a respectful distance)
   
• taking doses of vitamin B does nothing
   
• eating oranges might help a bit - possibly due to the citrus content (similar to citronella)
   
• colours definitely make a difference.  Flies like dark colours like blue and green, and are less attracted to light or pastel colours like soft yellow (anyone for a light pink Tilley hat?)
   
• Avon Skin So Soft® (in spite of how many people swear by it as the best bug repellent) had no noticeable effect in testing
   
• not washing ... a dubious approach, and as fair to your travelling partners as the purported garlic remedy.  Proven to make no difference at all
   
• PIC® coils or other pyrethrum-based materials.   These are not a repellent, but an insecticide.  They may kill off flies in an enclosed space, but out in the open, any wind current will disperse the smoke and render them useless.
   
• Bug suits or hats - they work, but aren't a lot of fun to wear.  They restrict your vision and they're hot!  Nonetheless, they're absolutely essential at times
   
• Citronella - does work (better on some people than others) although not as effective as DEET
   
• Electronic bug repellers supposedly work by imitating the high-pitched hum of a male mosquito, which in theory repels the biting females.  A nice thought, but in practice they do absolutely nothing.
   
• DEET-based repellents.  Discovered accidentally over 60 years ago, DEET is the only chemical proven effective in preventing insect bites.  Not a very gentle chemical however (we'll discuss this a bit more)

Sound like a hopeless battle?  To some extent it is.  Biting insects will undoubtedly be humming around many millions of years after man finally does himself in on this planet.

So what can we do to preserve our sanity?

Site Selection

Flies like still air and can't handle windy conditions.  We can utilize this by setting up our camp in an exposed area on a point or an island where the prevailing breeze is going to cause as much trouble as possible for the mosquitoes and blackflies.  We also make sure we set up well away from any swampy or low, poor-draining areas which might harbour mosquito breeding ground.  That cool, shady, damp area may feel good at first after we've been paddling in the sun, but we'll pay for it as soon as the sun goes down.

Clothing

As we've already mentioned, we should stick to pale or pastel colours like white or light yellow.  Black, dark blue and green are proven mosquito attractors.  The military, of course has chosen dark green as the colour their forces wear when sent into the bush.  Mind you, the picture of our combat forces in light pink uniforms ...

Loose-fitting clothing with a tight 'weave' tucked in at the ankles can help.   Tightly fitting wrist openings are good, and it may be worth sewing up or putting Velcro along any button openings at the wrists openings of sleeves.  Cotton gloves can be a life saver, also.

Chemical Warfare

Although DEET is effective, many of us don't particularly like the idea of slathering ourselves with something which has the ability to eat through Tupperware.  DEET is readily absorbed into the bloodstream, so use should be as minimal as possible.  I tend to put it on my hat brim, shirt sleeves, pant cuffs and a bandanna around my neck first, and if the flies are still intolerable I then put some directly on my skin.   Keep in mind that although DEET will stop flies from biting (until it evaporates or gets sweated off), it does nothing to keep the flies away from you.  You may eliminate some bites, but you're still going to have the bugs buzzing around inches from you,. which is half of the problem.

Pyrethrum Insect Coils

As previously stated, these are insecticide, not repellent, so it's not a good idea to sit in a tent with  one of these burning away.  You'll probably end up with a splitting headache.  However, we often let a little piece burn for five minutes inside the tent before we go in just to get rid of those pesky ones that lay in hiding to attack during the night.

Timing

The really bad bug season for blackflies lasts only until late May or early June in most of Ontario.  Mosquitoes seem to last a bit longer, but even they are beginning to wane by the end of July or beginning of August.  We paddlers hate to waste any warm weather, but you might want to consider staying away at least for peak season if you're really bothered by insects.

What else can we do?  For one thing, there are unlucky people who seem to be natural attractors of flies.  I, unfortunately am one of them.  When my wife Debbie is bothered by flies, she simply comes and sits next to me.  The flies immediately transfer over from her to me and after this transfer is complete, she goes back to her previous spot, bug free.  Sigh.

Sitting directly in the smoke from the campfire or smoking large, cheap cigars can also help, although there are those who might rightfully suggest that the cure is worse than the affliction.

Perhaps the answer is attitude - believing that the wilderness experience is worth some of the adversities like insects.  For most of us, the tradeoff is adequate.