Also known as, buffalo gnat, turkey gnat, or white socks, black flies are considered a nuisance near rivers and streams, and not without good reasons. Black flies can cause itchiness, numbness and their bites can be quite painful. Not only that, black flies are considered notorious in spreading blood related illnesses. Serious illness like River Blindness can be contracted by black flies. Moreover, they are an irritant, buzzing in the ears, sucking your blood, and sometimes causing allergies. Getting rid of black flies is necessary to live your life in peace and without having to visit the doctor every other day. Below are listed some of the tips by which you can get rid of black flies. Read on to know how to get rid of black flies.
Tips For Getting Rid Of Black Flies
- Black flies lay their eggs in moving water and so blocking the waterways will help the larvae from maturing and thus keeping the flies in check.Also, clean all the debris you find in the waterways as sometimes the larvae attach themselves for growing.
- BTis (Bacillus thuringienis var. israelensis) cakes are also available in the market. You can put them in the water to get rid of black flies. However, before you do that, check with your local conservation officer to know if it is legal to do so.
- You can also use a pyrethrin based insect fogger to get rid of black flies. However, it is a temporary method and you may have to fog repeatedly for better effects.
- You can also apply an insect repellent when going out to place where black flies have infested especially when you are going fishing. Check the insect repellent with the highest concentration of DEET (N,N-Diethyl-m-toluamide) which is the most common active ingredient of insect repellents
- It is also said that wearing light colored clothes as opposed to wearing dark colored garments works better in warding off black flies. White, light tan, light cream and off-white are some of the colors you should wear when you are going out in flies-infested area.
- If you are going to places, which are infested with black flies, wear clothes that come impregnated with insects repellent. Some apparel brands comes with products called as insect repellent clothing treatment, which you can apply on your own clothes instead of buying all new such clothes.
- Keep your area clean. As you may already know that flies are attracted to dirt, so you need to keep the home spick and span. Clean everything emphasizing on the kitchen. Thoroughly clean everything and wipe the shelf with a little boric acid. Don’t leave any food out and throw the garbage out.
- Get a screen patch for your doors and windows. Don’t give any space for the flies to crawl into the house.
- Keep your yard clean. Don’t allow any breeding ground to the flies like dog poop, garbage pile etc. Keep the dustbin clean and your yard gleaming. One more thing, which you can do, to ward off the flies is by keeping your yard airy and windy. Flies tend to avoid windy areas and so you can keep your yard windy to keep the area clean. Keep the grass short and the plants trimmed. Also, get rid of any standing water.
- You can also wear a headgear to ward off flies. There are various types of head gears available in the market and choose the one most suitable to you.