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BLACK FLIES
Adults about 1/32-1/4" (1.2-5.5 mm) long; body robust, somewhat WHAT
HUMPBACKED
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BLACK FLIES
Color
dark, usually black or brown but sometimes reddish brown, gray, yellow, or orange.
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BLACK FLIES
vectors of a filarial worm that causes
onchocerciasis or river blindness.
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BLACK FLIES
common in northern areas especially around areas of
moving water such as creeks, streams, and rivers.
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BLACK FLIES
Larvae aquatic, usually in
swift- flowing water.
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BLACK FLIES
require a blood meal in order to
lay viable eggs.
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BLACK FLIES
Black flies are particularly severe pests in the
north temperate and sub-arctic areas where they occur in huge swarms.
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BLACK FLIES
Here they make life rather miserable for
humans, domestic animals, and wildlife.
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BLACK FLIES
There are records of hundreds to thousands of livestock being killed, probably by toxaemia or anaphylatic shock from
bites, blood loss, and/or breathing problems due to inhalation of large numbers of flies.
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BLACK FLIES
Lower levels of biting cause economic loss in livestock due to
agitation.
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BLACK FLIES
They also vector various protozoan diseases to
poultry in the United States.
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BLACK FLIES
Bites are
very painful.
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BLACK FLIES
Black flies feed from the
pool of blood exuding from the bite/wound, requiring 4-5 minutes for a blood meal.
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BLACK FLIES
Bites occur on
exposed skin, where clothing fits snugly, and also under clothing.
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BLACK FLIES
The bite typically has a small central
red spot surrounded by a pinkish swollen area.
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BLACK FLIES
Apparently a
toxin is injected.
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BLACK FLIES
Symptoms typically include
headache, fever, nausea, and adenitis (inflammation of 1 or more lymph nodes).
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BLACK FLIES
Bites become increasingly
itchy and swollen, and remain irritating for several days.
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BLACK FLIES
The larvae develop only in
fast-moving water where they attach to submerged objects.
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BLACK FLIES
The pupae also occur in
fast-moving water.
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BLACK FLIES
Both sexes
feed on nectar but the female requires a blood meal for egg development.
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BLACK FLIES
Feeding is essentially
diurnal, occurring during early morning and early evening hours in sunny areas.
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BLACK FLIES
They do not
bite late at night like mosquitoes and biting midges.
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BLACK FLIES
Within structures, they do not
bite even during the day.
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BLACK FLIES
They enter structures accidentally and typically
fly to windows where they crawl about until death.
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BLACK FLIES
Adults of some species readily
feed on humans while others prefer other mammals or birds,
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BLACK FLIES
Most human pest species begin to emerge as adults in
May and die off by early July.
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BLACK FLIES
control involves large area efforts usually possible only by
governmental agencies.
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BLACK FLIES
CONTROL It involves treating infested rivers, streams, canals, and ditches with
a larvicide and ULV treatment of surrounding areas for adults every few days.
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BLACK FLIES
For structures, control begins with
fly exclusion.
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BLACK FLIES
CONTROL Screens must be of
60 mesh material to keep out these small flies.
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BLACK FLIES
CONTROL
Inside,
aerosols may be used.
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BLACK FLIES
CONTROL
Personal protection consists of the
use of repellents and what is particularly effective may vary with the geographical area.
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