When is black flies season

Black flies can be a serious problem because they bite. When black flies are active they can develop into very large swarms. Sometimes black flies are nuisances by just swarming around people without biting. Because they like to swarm around heads, they might crawl into the nose, ears, eyes and mouth.

In Minnesota, black flies are not known to spread diseases. In other parts of the world, they can spread serious diseases. It is very difficult to prevent black flies from biting, especially when they are in large numbers. There is no control measure to reduce black flies in an area since they can fly from up to 10 miles away or more.

All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Home Insects Household insects Biting insects Black flies. Quick facts Black flies bite people and many different animals. Black flies are active spring through summer and bites are most common during spring. Wear a long-sleeved shirt, pants and a hat to avoid black fly bites.

Repellents are not always effective but may provide some help. Unlike Pennsylvania, which has a substantial blackfly suppression program that involves aerial spraying of Bti bacillus thuringiensis israelensis to kill blackfly larvae, Maine does not wage war against the blackfly. Experiments with Bti at Sugarloaf Resort in the s were controversial, pitting environmentalists against promoters of tourism.

Even if objections to dumping pesticides into our waterways are put aside, the effectiveness of such an effort is doubtful given the sheer number of rivers and streams in Maine and the fact that blackflies, with their strong flying abilities, can readily recolonize other areas. Where in Maine? Photography Workshops Birdwatching. Reading The Blackfly Survival Guide. Share Tweet.

See all results. Remember Me. Sign In. If a bandage helps you stop itching and forget about the area, slap one on. Aloe vera or calamine lotion can soothe irritation. If there are symptoms of an allergic reaction nausea, dizziness, fever , ask your doctor about an antihistamine. Tips to repel black flies. This clipping from The Post-Standard describes the black fly in detail. Black flies and Upstate NY culture. The insect may be a nuisance but its place in outdoor culture has remained part of Upstate New York's deal-with-it identity for centuries.

They have even been hailed as a blessing in disguise. In , the North Woods Walton Club also saluted the black fly, along with other biting bugs, as guardians of Adirondack solitude.

A clipping from The Post-Standard describes the black fly in detail, after its portrait was added to the Adirondack Museum. Inlet, N. In the peak of black fly season, cyclists cruise through the rugged Moose River Recreation Area, hopefully too fast for swarms to latch on. Katrina Tulloch writes music and culture stories for Syracuse.

Contact her: Email Twitter Facebook. Since they target legs and ankles, loose-fitting long pants and thick socks are recommended when stable flies are active. Deer flies and horse flies appear by mid-summer, generally when the mosquitoes and black flies decrease in number. Deer flies have brightly colored eyes and patterned wings, and come in a variety of different types.

The much larger horse flies are more drab brown or black, sometimes with light spots, and clear wings. Females of both deer and horse flies fly in noisy, fast circles around their chosen victim, and can inflict painful bites. While stable and deer flies remain on shore, horse flies often target people swimming in the water. No-See-Ums resemble miniature, short-legged mosquitoes, and are usually less than 3 millimeters long.

Only females of a few species bite humans. The majority bite other insects or eat nectar. No-See-Ums that bite humans are less common than other biting insects in Pictured Rocks. Ticks are not insects, but tiny arachnids related to spiders and mites that also bite humans. Ticks are present in the park although they are not as numerous here as in other parts of the country.

They are found in a variety of habitats, usually in tall grass or in dense shrubs where they wait for a four-legged or two-legged human mammal to pass by.