I'll die with the Black Fly pickin' my bones...

It's that time of year again. The black flies are increasing in numbers, and being outdoors is no longer pleasant. Unlike mosquitoes, black flies feed during the day, and they feed on blood. (Female mosquitoes feed on blood after mating, for increased energy, but normally they feed on nectar.)

Black flies are sneaky too. Usually, you can't hear them like mosquitoes. They crawl on you, and you don't realize you've been bitten until you see the bloody, little bite left behind. My kids came home yesterday with a multitude of bites on their heads, and I only saw a couple of the flies! You need to make sure you are not only covered during black fly season, but that you have your clothing tucked in. Black flies will find any opening in your clothing to your skin.

Of course, once you realize the air is teeming with black flies, you start to get the "phantom itch" going on. You all know it. You start imagining black flies, and mosquitoes are biting you, even though they aren't. You swat your arm because you are positive something just bit you, but nothing is there. Lots of fun!

So, short of avoiding the outdoors during black fly season, what do we do?

Here are some recommendations:

Try to avoid being outside during the times of day when black fly attacks are most severe - morning, late afternoon and early evening. Going out on windy days will lessen the likelihood of being bit, but the flies will still land on you.

Black flies are less attracted to light-coloured clothing.

As mentioned, since black flies crawl and try to reach the warmer regions of your body, tuck your pant legs into socks or boots and wear snug, long-sleeved shirts.

If you are going to be in an area where black fly populations are thicker, bring a mosquito net to wear over your head. Black flies like heavily wooded areas and areas near running water, or pretty much anywhere up North.

Wearing an insect repellent containing DEET is effective; natural products such as citronella also work but may need to be re-applied more frequently. Keep in mind that "natural" products don't mean safe for children. They should not ingest either DEET products or natural products containing essential oils.

If you have a concern about applying DEET-based repellent to your children, a study published at www.cmaj.ca on July 15, 2003 found that DEET-based insect repellents are relatively safe when used as recommended. The researchers found the suggestion that young children are more prone than adults to the neurotoxic effects of DEET is not supported by critical evaluation of existing evidence. They also found even though Non-DEET-based insect repellents are available, based on a one-time application comparison, a product containing 10% DEET will provide a longer period of protection (3 hours) than any other repellent currently available in Canada.

(Data from the paper: DEET-based insect repellents: safety implications for children and pregnant and lactating women. By Gideon Koren, Doreen Matsui and Benoit Bailey. http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/169/3/209 )

Put the DEET repellent on hats or clothing, if you do not want to put it directly on your skin or your child's skin. If you have a very young child (less than one year old), put them in a playpen or a stroller with a mosquito net over top. Once your child is fairly mobile, it will be hard to keep her in an enclosed area, so just limit her exposure outside during times of peak black fly activity.