National Black Fly Day
It's National Black Fly Day and if you spend time near the foothills 🌄 of the San Gabriel Valley or are near running water ⛲, you've probably encountered Black Flies.
![May contain: insect, invertebrate, and animal](https://streamline.imgix.net/f82be683-a93a-4b4f-adbe-ac41ac4c300e/acb34051-354f-4776-a7fc-150bc59b280f/SGVMVCD_140814_2470.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&w=2000&h=2000&fit=max&or=0&s=7cb0225dbbf30610d2f0c9a2a11dcd21)
3 things you need to know about Black Flies:
- They grow in flowing water 💦 & fly in great numbers 😲
- They bite around the eyes 👀 & neckline of humans & domestic animals 🐕
- Wearing repellent (DEET) stop the bites 🙅🏽♀️
Black Fly bites are painful, but they do NOT transmit diseases in L.A. County.
Mosquitoes 🦟 VS. Black Flies
Mosquitoes are a threat to all communities because they transmit disease when they bite us. They emerge from stagnant water 💦, are bigger than black flies (about the length of the tip of one's thumb 👍🏾).
![person in Mosquito costume waving](https://streamline.imgix.net/f82be683-a93a-4b4f-adbe-ac41ac4c300e/8cb54773-599c-46d5-af4e-77aea17598c2/giphy.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&w=2000&h=2000&fit=max&or=0&s=293eac8f78f004ae932612875d665b9a)
But Black Flies emerge from running water ⛲ (rivers, streams, fountains, cascades, irrigation ditches, & etc.) They're only 2-3 mm large📏 and way smaller than mosquitoes. Most importantly though, black flies painfully bite people in LA County, especially around the eyes and neckline of humans and domestic animals 🐕🐈
How you can avoid Black Fly bites: 🙅🏽♀️
![person applying mosquito repellent](https://streamline.imgix.net/f82be683-a93a-4b4f-adbe-ac41ac4c300e/bc9b8062-3105-491c-9d34-2203634a617d/Apply-Repellent-CAH.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&w=2000&h=2000&fit=max&or=0&s=c8b00236b1b31f4edfc65b4832584f4f)
Wear repellent (DEET) on exposed skin to stop the bites 👍🏾
Turn OFF personal water features for 24 hours once a week 🚫💦
** Don't forget to turn water back on to prevent mosquitoes 🦟using the stagnant water **
Continue Learning: Want to learn more about Black Fly repellents?
🖋 Written by Ally Gaspar, Outreach Assistant