Shop some of our faves
SHOP PRODUCTSYahoo News: Fort Worth Star-Telegram: This Texas fly can bite, leaving irritated skin. It loves the heat and moving water
Ways to protect yourself form irritating insects.
Yahoo News: Fort Worth Star-Telegram: This Texas fly can bite, leaving irritated skin. It loves the heat and moving water
Last updated:
July 14, 2023
| 5 min read
Yahoo News: Fort Worth Star-Telegram: This Texas fly can bite, leaving irritated skin. It loves the heat and moving water
No items found.
No items found.
This Texas fly can bite, leaving irritated skin. It loves the heat and moving water
Black flies, also called buffalo gnats or turkey gnats, are known to bite people during the day — particularly around the neck and head, leaving skin itchy and swollen. Black fly season lasts from April to July.
Black flies are small flies up to 5 mm that are active during the day, fast and strong fliers. They have a characteristic “hump-back” and can be black, gray, light tan or yellow in color. Black fly species can commonly be found along fast-moving rivers, particularly in northeast Texas.
Female black flies have mouth parts to bite and feed on blood of people, domestic animals, poultry and wildlife. The painful bite can cause localized swelling, and in extreme cases anaphylactic shock.
The larvae can be found just beneath the surface of rapidly flowing fresh water, according to Texas A&M. Most species develop while attached to submerged rocks or logs in shallow moving waters of streams and rivers, while some do well in sandy-bottomed streams and slow, muddy water. Development can take anywhere from two weeks to more than two months.
Adult black flies spread a long ways from their breeding habitats to feed, having been found far from streams and rivers in urbanized areas of Texas. Outbreaks are likely to occur whenever conditions for them to successfully breed in high numbers are present, most notably warmer temperatures and high amounts of rainfall that contribute to aquatic habitats needed for their development.
During periods of adult activity, the biting flies can become a nuisance. If not staying indoors, experts at Texas A&M say those working outdoors should dress in long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, wearing a cap and a mesh veil to protect themselves. While insect repellents can be used, particularly to the neck and head, they may not be very effective against the strong, fast flies.
Yahoo News
Your window to the news that matters most to you.
This Texas fly can bite, leaving irritated skin. It loves the heat and moving water
Black flies, also called buffalo gnats or turkey gnats, are known to bite people during the day — particularly around the neck and head, leaving skin itchy and swollen. Black fly season lasts from April to July.
Black flies are small flies up to 5 mm that are active during the day, fast and strong fliers. They have a characteristic “hump-back” and can be black, gray, light tan or yellow in color. Black fly species can commonly be found along fast-moving rivers, particularly in northeast Texas.
Female black flies have mouth parts to bite and feed on blood of people, domestic animals, poultry and wildlife. The painful bite can cause localized swelling, and in extreme cases anaphylactic shock.
The larvae can be found just beneath the surface of rapidly flowing fresh water, according to Texas A&M. Most species develop while attached to submerged rocks or logs in shallow moving waters of streams and rivers, while some do well in sandy-bottomed streams and slow, muddy water. Development can take anywhere from two weeks to more than two months.
Adult black flies spread a long ways from their breeding habitats to feed, having been found far from streams and rivers in urbanized areas of Texas. Outbreaks are likely to occur whenever conditions for them to successfully breed in high numbers are present, most notably warmer temperatures and high amounts of rainfall that contribute to aquatic habitats needed for their development.
During periods of adult activity, the biting flies can become a nuisance. If not staying indoors, experts at Texas A&M say those working outdoors should dress in long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, wearing a cap and a mesh veil to protect themselves. While insect repellents can be used, particularly to the neck and head, they may not be very effective against the strong, fast flies.
Yahoo News
Your window to the news that matters most to you.
This Texas fly can bite, leaving irritated skin. It loves the heat and moving water
Black flies, also called buffalo gnats or turkey gnats, are known to bite people during the day — particularly around the neck and head, leaving skin itchy and swollen. Black fly season lasts from April to July.
Black flies are small flies up to 5 mm that are active during the day, fast and strong fliers. They have a characteristic “hump-back” and can be black, gray, light tan or yellow in color. Black fly species can commonly be found along fast-moving rivers, particularly in northeast Texas.
Female black flies have mouth parts to bite and feed on blood of people, domestic animals, poultry and wildlife. The painful bite can cause localized swelling, and in extreme cases anaphylactic shock.
The larvae can be found just beneath the surface of rapidly flowing fresh water, according to Texas A&M. Most species develop while attached to submerged rocks or logs in shallow moving waters of streams and rivers, while some do well in sandy-bottomed streams and slow, muddy water. Development can take anywhere from two weeks to more than two months.
Adult black flies spread a long ways from their breeding habitats to feed, having been found far from streams and rivers in urbanized areas of Texas. Outbreaks are likely to occur whenever conditions for them to successfully breed in high numbers are present, most notably warmer temperatures and high amounts of rainfall that contribute to aquatic habitats needed for their development.
During periods of adult activity, the biting flies can become a nuisance. If not staying indoors, experts at Texas A&M say those working outdoors should dress in long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, wearing a cap and a mesh veil to protect themselves. While insect repellents can be used, particularly to the neck and head, they may not be very effective against the strong, fast flies.
Yahoo News
Your window to the news that matters most to you.
Media Mentions
browse all articlesDown East: Ultra-Athlete Katie Spotz Bikes 360 Miles Across Maine
Read MoreRecent articles
Other categories
You might also like
Media Mentions
We’ve used this filter for over 800 miles in the backcountry and it’s still the best option for clean drinking water.
Brett Kretzer
Adventurer. Writer. Creator.
Media Mentions
Squeeze Water Filtration System by Sawyer
Garage Grown Gear
Media Mentions from Garage Grown Gear
Media Mentions
This popular repellent from Sawyer has 20% Picaridin, which protects against a wide range of insects, including mosquitoes, ticks, biting flies, gnats, chiggers and sand flies.
Amylia Ryan
Associate Editor
Explore All Sawyer has to Offer
Built for the Outdoors
see ALL PRODUCTS
Follow us on Instagram
More Than an Outdoor Company.
@sawyerproducts
Follow Us
From the trail
Meet our ambassadors. They’re experts on the trail who love the way our products stand up to the elements and delight us with stories from their next-level adventures.
meet our ambassadors
