Black Flies in Central Arkansas
Black flies are small, blood-sucking insects found in many parts of the United States and Canada. Other names for the pest include turkey gnats and buffalo gnats and they are known for surrounding people’s heads. Not only do they swarm around people, but they can crawl in hair and get into the ears and eyes of the people. Only the females are blood feeders and will bite animals and humans to reproduce. In the late spring and early summer, black flies will emerge and may do so in large numbers depending on the latitude.
Black Fly Habitat
Black flies breed exclusively in running water, and larvae and pupae develop in flowing, typically non-polluted water, with a high level of dissolved oxygen. During the immature stages of black flies, they develop in oxygenated water, such as creeks, slow-moving streams, or rivers. The adults will stay near these areas as well after they have developed. They will likely not be found in non flowing water areas such as lakes or ponds.
Black Fly Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers
While black flies are capable of biting, they are not known to transmit diseases to humans in the United States. Black fly bites have varying reactions in humans, ranging from a small puncture wound where the original blood meal was taken to a swelling that can be the size of a golf ball. There are reactions of black fly bites that are known as “black fly fever” and the symptoms include fever, nausea, headache, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck. While a nuisance to humans, black flies are a threat to livestock. They can transmit several disease agents to livestock, including protozoa and nematode worms, none of which cause disease in humans.
If you are dealing with a black fly problem on your property, contact your local fly exterminators.
