The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has begun its annual Black Fly Suppression Program. Black flies are gnat-sized — much smaller than house flies. They like to swarm human heads and aren’t dismayed or dispersed by swatting. They get in your ears and eyes, and sometimes bite.
The suppression program’s goal is to make adult black fly populations tolerable during the spring and summer recreational season.
“As the weather turns warmer, Pennsylvanians will be spending more time outdoors, and black flies (biting gnats) are a pest that can put a damper on an otherwise beautiful day,” said DEP Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley in a news release. “This annual treatment program reduces this nuisance so that Pennsylvanians and visitors can fully enjoy outdoor activities.”
DEP monitors and treats 48 rivers and streams spanning more than 1,800 miles. Teams of scientists and student interns monitor and treat rivers and streams where larva live. Equipped with backpacks or low-flying helicopters, DEP will be spraying brown water with a naturally occurring soil bacteria. Treatment doesn’t harm fish, people, or birds — just black fly larva and mosquitos.
This is the program’s 40th year. Rivers and streams in 35 counties will be affected, including Fayette, Westmoreland, Armstrong and Indiana. State officials are asking anyone who encounters an issue with black flies (gnats) to report it. DEP notifies county and local emergency management officials and asks fishers or boaters who see these helicopters to try to make themselves known to pilots so as to avoid being accidentally sprayed.
