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Drier Sheets to Keep Bugs Away For Your Hackles...

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If vanilla keeps away gnats and cedar keeps away moths, I don't doubt that drier sheets would work. Lots of warning on breathing mothball fumes too.

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Didn't anyone read the link I posted above? Snopes (a site dedicated to proving or disproving commonly accepted beliefs) has indicated that dryer sheets as an insect repellant has proven to be untrue among other claims. It will impart its odor to your flytying materials...if that is what you want.

Here is the link again if you are interested.

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/bounce.asp

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Sealed zip lock bags keep the bugs out of my tying materials

 

Never accepting unclean animal parts from anybody helps also

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Sealed zip lock bags keep the bugs out of my tying materials

 

Never accepting unclean animal parts from anybody helps also

I completely agree here, quarantine if you suspect, otherwise visual inspection , and keep them sealed

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Shoebop, snopes only tested against ants and mosquitoes. Ants and mosquitoes are not the problem with tying materials. Not all insects are alike. For example, DEET does not on gnats. Dryer sheets may be worthless, but Snopes evaluations is meaningless for this discussion.

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Heaveynets

Snopes is by no means a scientific organization. I only cite them as a source that knows more than most what is true and what is likely false. As I understand them, they simply investigate things as far as they can to either verify or debunk urban myths and popular "truths" circulating the internet. So yes, I agree that lice (my understanding of what we are discussing here)was not in their report but bedbugs were covered and there are more similarities there. What I gleaned from the report is that there seems to be no qualities in dryer sheets that would recommend them to anyone to use them to either kill or repel insects...whatever the ilk. It is an urban myth! By the way,I was also told by some professionals they would repel mice from recreational vehicles if spread all around the RV. I can also say this is a myth as well. They actually used them as nesting material!

 

So...Are you actually disputing the Snopes findings or are you just arguing for the sake of argument? If you have some information to share contrariwise, please do.

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No, I'm not disputing the snopes findings. Since I saw nothing about lice or bedbugs in the link you provided, I don't know what you are talking about there. Besides, I have never heard of lice or bed bugs eating feathers anyway, but I'm no expert. To my knowledge various carpet beetles larvae are the most common culprit. Since your provide link appeared to only test against mosquitoes and ants, I failed to see the connection to insects that normally eat feathers and fur. I guess an ant may eat them, but I really doubt if a mosquito does. But again, I'm no expert.

 

I am definitely not arguing to be arguing. I have no idea if drier sheets work. I do know that many insects are either attracted or repelled by odor/fragrance, so the drier sheet thing does sound possible. I just fail to see how a test on mosquitoes and ants automaticly translates to insects that we know eat tying material. I guess my ability to read between the lines is not as great as yours.

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I think we sometimes worry too much about bugs. About the only bug that eats feathers are moths. Keep your stuff in airtight containers and you're good. Most other bugs eat skin (live skin) and blood. When an animal is dead, their source of nutrition is gone.

 

Mothballs well keep away moths. I don't know about cedar, I have some in my bins, but also have mothballs.

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diatomaceous earth.

 

http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/degen.html#symptoms

 

we use it for ANY type of bug infestation, both internal and external. it protects our animals from intestinal worms/fleas, has eliminated a bedbug infestation (oh the joys of apartment living), and now protects my feathers and furs. i use it to treat new materials (roadkill) that come into the house.

 

no chemicals, fumes, etc. any dust that is on fur and feather gets washed off the first time a fly hits the water

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Diatomaceous earth is the only thing I've ever tried that worked to kill fleas. We had it blown into the carpet and it killed fleas within a few days, then killed the fleas that hatched from the eggls laid. It gets in the joints of fleas and removes their outer protective coating or cuts them.

 

Excellent stuff.

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It's my understanding, Diatomaceous earth is fine enough to be "inhaled" into the Spiracles. It does cut, but it also clogs the intake of oxygen, which is hopefully painful to the little blood suckers.

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dryer sheets are used to keep static down in feathers and fur. I have used moth balls for over 40 years and never have had a problem. It works the best.

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Flytire,

I have had bugs get into closed ziplock bags before. Chewed little holes in them. Just thought I'd throw that out there, lol . Not looking for an argument........(Where's that little pot stirring emoticon when you need it?)

 

I use mothballs in my materials. I have a tall, 10 drawer chest for storage. I put 1 mothball (Naphthalene, not the fake stuff) in each drawer. There is a little bit of a smell when I open a drawer, but it isn't overpowering.

I only had a couple of bags get infected, and I burned them, and went to the dollar store and bought the moth balls.

Diatomaceous earth is also a component used in paint to make it reflective. If you have any handy, you might try putting it on a few painted flies to see what difference it makes.

 

Kirk

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