5 Ways to Avoid Getting Bitten by Black Flies This Summer

Black fly season in Maine is in full force. If you've spent any amount of time outdoors at all this spring you no doubt have experienced a swarm of these little annoying bugs around your head. Here are 5 ways you can avoid being bitten by Maine's most annoying summer pest. 

I was out at camp this weekend and the black flies were the worst that I can remember. As soon as I walked out the door there would be what seemed like hundreds of them swarming around my head. I can handle mosquitos, but black flies drive me nuts!

Maine Nature News has some great info on black flies including some ways to deal with them. Here's a list of the 5 that piqued my interest.

1. Wear a head net

At least with mosquitos, they don't tend to swarm around your head in the sheer numbers that black flies do. Why your head? According to Jeffrey Hahn at the University of Minnesota Extension Service, black flies are attracted to the carbon dioxide in your breath. Since you can't stop breathing, you need to find another way to keep them out of your face. A head net like this will do the trick. It may not be fashionable, but you won't be sucking up flies every time you inhale.

2. Wear lots of clothing

Unlike mosquitos, black flies can't bite through clothing. The more of your body you have covered the more you'll be protected from bites.

3. Spend time outdoors when there's a breeze

There are over 1800 different types of black flies but they are all tiny. Sizes range from 3 to 7 millimeters or about 1 to 3 tenths of an inch if you never got the grasp of the metric system. That size means they don't stand much of a chance in the wind. In fact my cousin set up a fan outside and sat in front of it and was good to go. Step outside of the range of the fan though and it was black fly city. If you can, enjoy your outdoor activities on a breezy day that's your best bet.

4. Black flies like dark colors

Black flies prefer dark colors over light colors, so this can work to your advantage. Wearing a light colored shirt should attract less black flies to your upper body and wearing dark pants like jeans may attract them to your lower body. Make sure you've got your pant legs tucked in at your ankles though or you're going to be sorry. Once again not fashionable, but who are you trying to impress?

5. Avoid areas near flowing streams

Mosquitos breed in still water while black flies breed in flowing water, typically clear running streams. The further you are from a stream the less black flies should be around in theory. However, black flies can travel several miles from their breeding site, so this one isn't a guarantee.

Bonus tip: I've heard many people say that black flies don't like the smell of dryer sheets, so stuff some in your pockets, strap some to your arms, put one in your ponytail, or make a nice pair of dryer sheet earrings. Not only will you keep the flies away but you'll also smell as fresh as a mountain spring.

The good news is that black fly season doesn't last all summer. Usually by mid-July the birds have eaten most of them and we can go back to dressing like normal people when we're outdoors enjoying the summer. After the winter we've had in Maine, we're going to need it!