Our summers may be short, but they are brutal with short breaks of not so brutal. You know you’re in Southern Ontario at a music festival when performers are from Georgia or NC and they say, “It’s hotter here than at home.” We get all Louisiana’s garbage weather toned down just a bit by the time it gets here. So, anyway, melting of goops and goos is a definite thing, sadly 
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I find that all fly sprays are a disappointment .
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The other suggestion I might make, except I’m still figuring ratios out, is starting with a fly spray that sort of works (I’m starting with Flicks or Clac) and then gelling it… First experiment with https://soapandmore.ca/products/sepimax-zen-powder was just completed, and I think I went a little too enthusiastically with the thickener. My horse Can’t Cope with spray bottles, so this is my tentative solution (no pun intended).
i used it topically for midline dermatitis and it helped a lot. Healing and repelled insects. It stinks to high heaven though. So maybe you need more concentration? i got an oil off of amazon that was cosmetic grade.
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Ditto. I think it’s psychological for us! It makes us feel better that we put it on them.
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Agreed! The last few days in Ottawa have been miserable. 37c and humid. And blazing sun. Today we got a 30 min monsoon.
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I use it too, works great, as does belly balm.
I keep going on about it but “lemon eucalyptus” repellents (Cutter and Repel both make a version that’s cheap) work really well on mosquitos, cullicoides midges that cause sweet itch, and I’m reading now that horseflies hate that stuff too. At $6 a bottle on Amazon it’s a cheap test. I just spray it on the belly and away you go. ETA it’s very effective for ticks too!
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I like that there’s no DEET!
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Wouldn’t be so bad if it didn’t cost so darn much!
Right!?!?!
Here’s a recipe I found that might be worth trying:
Ingredients:
- 90 ml of oil. It is best to use an oil that has a long shelf life like olive or soy bean.
- 10 ml of coconut oil to make a richer balm (optional).
- 7 g of beeswax or more. Some recipes recommend 4 parts of oil for 1 part of beeswax.
- Essential oils / tincture / infused oils of your choice.
I’m guessing you could use lemongrass eucalyptus oil, citronella, lavender, neem and peppermint.
Anyone tried this?
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I’m going to give this a try for donkey knees. 
Doesn’t do much for regular flies but mosquitos, ticks and culicoides? Yes!
This is a great idea! I copied it and I’m going to try it next year.
