Black Flies / Mayflies
On the last day of April of this year, I woke up to an inch of snow and 34 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 deg. Celsius). The next day, after coming home from grocery shopping, we had a sunny 83 degrees (28.3 deg. Celsius)! I guess, winter did not want to leave and spring was in a hurry to come.
After all the cold we had to endure, the warm temperatures were welcome. Out came the t-shirts and shorts, and it felt great to be outside working at removing the pine cones and small branches winter had left strewn across our lawns. But there was a ‘fly in the ointment’ of my enjoyment- quite literally. People living in the northeastern US, know that starting around Mother’s Day and ending around Father’s Day it is black fly (also known as Mayflies for obvious reasons) season. These tiny 1/6th of an inch flies are found all over the U.S. (with the exception of Florida) and it seems to me, that from mid-spring to early summer they put a dent in the spring activities, like planting your garden, filling the flower boxes with impatiens, and so on.
Black flies do not favor either male or female victims, but only the female black fly bites; she needs a meal of blood to lay eggs. The male black flies do not bite, but rather drink nectar. If you have ever been bitten by a female black fly, it is not something you will easily forget. The moment you feel something, it is really already too late. As with most biting insects, before the fly punctures your skin, it numbs the spot by applying a topical anesthetic contained in its saliva. It also injects an anticoagulant compound to prevent the natural clotting properties and starts drinking your blood. Eventually you will feel something and wipe the fly away, which will leave marks of your own blood.. The puncture is tiny, but it is painful, very itchy and after ten minutes the swelling will start.
After all the cold we had to endure, the warm temperatures were welcome. Out came the t-shirts and shorts, and it felt great to be outside working at removing the pine cones and small branches winter had left strewn across our lawns. But there was a ‘fly in the ointment’ of my enjoyment- quite literally. People living in the northeastern US, know that starting around Mother’s Day and ending around Father’s Day it is black fly (also known as Mayflies for obvious reasons) season. These tiny 1/6th of an inch flies are found all over the U.S. (with the exception of Florida) and it seems to me, that from mid-spring to early summer they put a dent in the spring activities, like planting your garden, filling the flower boxes with impatiens, and so on.
Black flies do not favor either male or female victims, but only the female black fly bites; she needs a meal of blood to lay eggs. The male black flies do not bite, but rather drink nectar. If you have ever been bitten by a female black fly, it is not something you will easily forget. The moment you feel something, it is really already too late. As with most biting insects, before the fly punctures your skin, it numbs the spot by applying a topical anesthetic contained in its saliva. It also injects an anticoagulant compound to prevent the natural clotting properties and starts drinking your blood. Eventually you will feel something and wipe the fly away, which will leave marks of your own blood.. The puncture is tiny, but it is painful, very itchy and after ten minutes the swelling will start.
Not everyone is equally pestered by these flies. My husband is rarely bitten, even as we work elbow to elbow in the garden, and I am swarmed by dozens of them! He likes to tell me that it is because I am sweeter and nicer than him, but the truth probably has more to do with individual body chemistry. The flies that have attacked me, love to go behind my ears, on top of my neck (where the hairline starts), crawl up my arm under the t-shirt sleeves or make their way up my pants. Each time, the swelling will follow.
I found that the best treatment for me to getting the swelling down, is to use an antibiotic ointment. Of course, that is not the end of the “Injury”. After a day or two the swelling and itching will come back, and I put the ointment on again. I’ve had these swellings for two or three weeks.
Some people claim, that you will build up an immunity over time against these flies. Well, after over thirty years, my immunity must be still low.
Some people claim, that you will build up an immunity over time against these flies. Well, after over thirty years, my immunity must be still low.
So what can you do against those nasty flies?
Black flies are most active in early morning and right before sunset. If you go out during this time, wear light-colored clothes with long sleeves, gloves and tuck your pants into your socks. You might also wear a hat with mesh, tied around your neck. No skin should be exposed. If you choose to apply a commercial insect repellent containing DEET, apply it to the outside of your clothes, not to your skin. This will reduce your chemical exposure and absorption through your skin.
A bird feeder will help, as birds catch black flies.
If you move around a lot, the black flies have a hard time catching up with you, as they are a little slow. But if you stop, they are all over you.
Black flies are most active in early morning and right before sunset. If you go out during this time, wear light-colored clothes with long sleeves, gloves and tuck your pants into your socks. You might also wear a hat with mesh, tied around your neck. No skin should be exposed. If you choose to apply a commercial insect repellent containing DEET, apply it to the outside of your clothes, not to your skin. This will reduce your chemical exposure and absorption through your skin.
A bird feeder will help, as birds catch black flies.
If you move around a lot, the black flies have a hard time catching up with you, as they are a little slow. But if you stop, they are all over you.
I learned one interesting fact about black flies: They are attracted to humans largely through the carbon dioxide we exhale, but dark clothing and sweat will also do the trick. Most people don’t realize that mosquitoes also find their victims by following the plumes of carbon dioxide that we exhale. There are many commercial (and homemade) carbon dioxide mosquito bait traps available on the market, that use propane. It is possible that one of these may help reduce your exposure.
For me though the best solution is wearing this hat:
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