Massive Swarms Of Black Flies That Bite And Crawl Beneath The Skin Are Invading Communities Throughout Louisiana, And They Are Not Easy To Control

The time of year when the black flies that are known for biting and crawling into open orifices, such as ears, nose, and eyes, begin pestering people and infest any areas within Louisiana that have standing water. These flies are also known as “buffalo gnats,” and the East Baton Rouge Parish’s Mosquito Abatement and Rodent Control department warned residents that they will be sticking around until the weather gets warmer.

These annoying black flies, or “buffalo gnats”, are small, robust flies that pack quite a punch. They are chiefly known for their annoying habit of biting people and animals in order to get their blood meal. Thankfully, while their bite can be annoying and sometimes painful, they do not transmit any diseases to humans. It is the female black flies that actually do all the biting, as they need the blood meal in order to develop their eggs, similar to mosquitoes. Their bites can cause a range of reactions in humans. Sometimes the puncture wound is small and a mere annoyance, while it can swell up to the size of a golf ball in other people. Certain people do have more severe reactions to these bites, referred to collectively as “black fly fever,” with symptoms including fever, nausea, headache, and swollen neck lymph nodes. Experts say that these black flies tend to bite people throughout the late morning.

Black flies also have another annoying habit that many might consider worse than their biting. They will fly around people’s heads and try to sneak inside our mouth, nose, ears, and eyes. This can, obviously, make them quite a nuisance to those trying to enjoy the outdoors when they are flying around. They are not easily dealt with either. There really isn’t much a person on their own can do to control these nuisance flies. Insect spray does not work to deter them from bothering humans, as it does with mosquitoes or other insects. The best way to avoid their unwanted attention is to stay inside during the periods of the day when they are most active.

Have you seen these annoying black flies swarming in your area this year?