Last year I wrote an interesting (and somewhat popular) post featuring the much misunderstood blackfly. As blackfly season is early this year (by about 3 weeks), I’ve decided to republish these little known facts:
- Black flies (unlike mosquitoes) do not attack at night and will seldom bite indoors or even in a vehicle. Once they sense they’re trapped their attention seems permanently diverted to escape
- Only females bite and use blood for egg development.
- Black flies are strongly influenced by colour, finding dark hues more attractive than pale ones. Light-coloured clothing is a much better choice than dark-coloured clothing.
- On humans, bites are most common around the hairline, the neck, behind the ears and around the ankles.
- Black flies have several natural predators, which include birds such as swallows and other insects (i.e. dragonflies). Attracting these insectivores with feeders or by creating suitable habitats should naturally help control black flies.
