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I have been visiting Turneffe Island for a couple of years to fish and dive-great fun! But each year I come home with over 75 bites from large brown flies. These bites blister and itch like crazy. Not even 100% deet stops these blood sucking pests. I only seem to encounter these flies while fishing on the flats or in a boat not at the resort. What kind of flies are these and any repellant suggestions? HELP!!

I believe they are called Doctor Flies. I used a natural repellent that consisted of Tea Tree oil and Citronella. Worked great!To ease the itch when I forgot to put on the repellent, I used hand lotion. I don't know why, but it worked!

Could these be the same flies that in Canada and elsewhere are totally repelled by Avon's Skin so Soft?

On the West Coast we don't have flies like that, so I wouldn't know.

Try painting the incredible itch with nail polish, you can use clear if it's not Halloween.This also works great on chiggers. Just got back from Cayo Mountains and Am. Caye with every bite available except for the vampire bats. Seed ticks, mosquitos, no-see-ems, flies, chiggers. Then there was those trees in the jungle that leave a reaction like poison ivy. All worth it. Fantastic country, wonderful people!