Discover proven techniques to rid your surroundings of biting flies. Explore practical solutions and preventative measures for a bite-free environment.
There are two main types of biting flies at the beach. First, there are the tiny ones, which are called sand flies, biting midges, and no-see-ums, among other names. Along the southern coast, these little guys are common, but they are not the only ones.
Beach or horse flies are the other main types of insects that bite, and their bites are painful. Horse flies look like house flies, but their heads are green and they tend to be much bigger than house flies.
The scientific name for the common housefly is Musca domestica, and it doesn’t bite. But each one could have more than a million germs on it. Trusted Source that can spread to surfaces and food.
Beach flies like it when it’s warm and humid, and tidal flats, marshes, and beaches have everything they need: heat, safety, water, and a steady food source, people. They are most likely to be out and about during the day, which is when you and your family want to go to the beach. Biting flies are attracted to the carbon dioxide you breathe out and the warmth of your body. They can be pretty persistent, leaving you with painful welts as a reminder of your time at the beach.
Which Types of Flies Bite?
Many kinds of flies feed on blood by biting people and animals. The most well-known stinging fly is the mosquito. Mosquitoes only bite to breed, and only the females do so. Mosquitoes bite more people than any other species, and they spread diseases like Zika, West Nile, dengue, and malaria. The mouth parts of deer flies and horse flies look like scissors, and their bites are known to be painful.
Sandflies are small flies with long, sharp mouth parts that they use to siphon blood. Midges are small flies that live near water and bite. Black flies, yellow flies, and drain flies are some other types of biting flies.
Also Read: How To Get Rid of Bird Nest: Do’s and Don’ts
How To Get Rid Of Biting Flies At The Beach
You don’t have many ways to get rid of beach flies, but you can make it less likely that they will bother you. One of the best ways to keep flies from biting you is to cover up. Wearing light-colored long-sleeved shirts, pants, and hats limits how much skin they can reach.
Beach flies can also be kept away by using smells, ideally in the form of a natural bug spray. Look for bug sprays with essential oils like lavender, tea tree, or eucalyptus, and make sure to repeat after you get out of the water. Consider bringing a small fan to keep you cool and make a breeze that will keep beach flies from landing on your skin to get a quick bite.
How to Get Rid Of and Deter Biting Flies
- Biting flies will stay away from porches, patios, and picnic places with more air flow, but this usually isn’t enough to keep them away completely.
- Some fly bites can be stopped by burning candles, coils, or lights that have citronella or other bug repellents. When these things are burned, they make smoke that keeps mosquitoes from biting.
- Most biting flies rest on low plants until they find a person to bite. The amount of biting flies in an area will go down if you cut back shrubs, mow weedy areas, and open up the airflow.
- Biting flies may still be a problem, no matter what you do. Space sprays can be used to kill biting flies that get into the house. Aerosols that kill on touch include space sprays like Styker 54, CB 80, and PT 565.
- Take everyone and all pets out of the room, turn off the air handling systems, apply the product according to the directions on the label, and wait about 10 to 15 minutes before turning on the air. Keep the room empty for as long as the sign says to.
- Treatments with insecticides that stay in cracks and crevices can be used.
How To Combat Biting Flies
Flies that bite can make it hard to enjoy the outdoors. There are many different kinds of biting flies, including deer flies, horse flies, stable flies, black flies, biting midges (also called “no-see-ums”), and sand flies.
No matter what kind they are, they all have one thing in common: they want blood. Even going inside doesn’t mean you’ll be safe from biting flies, because they can get inside your house. But you can get rid of these annoying birds. Here are some tips:
Clean Up & Treat Your Yard
Even though getting rid of weeds and trimming back bushes won’t get rid of biting flies, it will probably cut down on their numbers. This is because pest insects like to hide in thick plant growth. If you want to have a party outside or spend a lot of time in your backyard, you might want to get a tent.
A fly fact sheet for the Colorado State University Extension by W.S. Cranshaw and F.B. Peairs talks a lot about how important these methods are for getting rid of flies. Take note of their slightly different view on the use of insecticides, especially indoors.
Seal Cracks Around Your Home
If there are biting flies in your home, try to figure out how they are getting in. Be sure to seal any cracks, fix any broken screens, and use weather stripping around doors. You can also make a barrier by treating around your windows, doors, and other places of entry. Midges can be a problem, but they are so small that they can get through window and door screens. The best thing to do is to keep the windows and doors shut when they are being used.
Improve Air Circulation
Biting flies may seem worse when the air is still. If you spend time on your deck or patio, you might want to plug in a big fan. This probably won’t help if you’re pulling weeds or mowing the yard, but if you’re just trying to read or relax outside, the movement of the air might keep these bugs from biting you.
Burn Candles Or Torches
Biting flies can sometimes be kept away from you and your friends in your outdoor living space by burning candles or torches. The smoke can keep the flies away. But if you have a big problem with biting flies, you may also need to use other ways to keep them away.
Cover Up
If biting flies bother you while you work in your yard or mow your lawn, make sure to wear long pants, a hat, and a light-colored long-sleeved shirt. You might even want to put netting on your hat to keep gnats and tiny flies from getting to your face.
Use Insect Repellents
You can also spray yourself with a DEET-based insect repellent that has been cleared by the EPA if you are going to have a backyard barbecue, go hiking in the woods, or spend time on a beach where there are biting flies. Make sure to do what the can or bottle says to do. That might keep the flies away so they don’t bite you and make you unhappy.
How To Treat Bites From Flies
Most bites from flies don’t hurt. They might make you itch and swell up, but your symptoms should go away in a few days. If you get bit in a place where mosquito-borne illnesses are widespread, talk to a doctor and watch your symptoms closely.
Here are some things you can do at home to get rid of fly bites:
- Use soap and water to clean the area.
- Hydrocortisone or calamine lotion should be used.
- Try a bath with oatmeal.
- Put ice on the swell
- Take over the counter antihistamine
What Diseases Do Flies Spread?
Most of the time, a fly bite hurts, but most bites don’t pose a major health risk. But there are some species that can spread illness to both people and other animals. In rare cases, deer flies can spread tularemia, a bacterial disease also called “deer fly fever.” This disease mostly affects mammals and birds. Horse flies can give people bites that get sick, but they are not known to spread disease to people. More information can be available on the CDC website.
Onchocerciasis is a dangerous illness that can be spread by the Simulium blackfly. It can cause skin diseases and loss of sight. In 2017, more than 20 million people around the world got sick. Africa was the place where most of the illnesses happened. People who go to these places should be aware of the risks.