Invasion of the Gnats

June 26th, 2018

   They’re back… and worse than ever.

Black flies aren’t just minor annoyances. They bite and can cause welts and allergic reactions.

   Those swarming, biting gnats have exploded in population this spring, making outdoor life miserable or impossible for anyone living within a mile or two of a central-Pennsylvania creek.

   More accurately called “black flies,” this pest is one we had solved for 25 years before we stopped committing the control money.

   If you were here in the early 1980s, you’ll remember that black flies were so bad that public pressure led legislators to start a statewide Black Fly Suppression Program.

   The defining push came when our leaders realized this was more than just an annoyance that people should get over. Swarms were bad enough that it became an economic issue, discouraging tourists from coming back, keeping golfers off the courses, and costing restaurants outdoor-dining business.

   For more than two decades, the state Department of Environmental Protection and participating counties shared the cost of spraying Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis), which is a naturally occurring soil bacterium highly effective at controlling black-fly larvae without harming people, mammals, birds, fish, and most aquatic life.

   Enough regular sprays went on affected creeks and streams via helicopter and back-pack spraying that black flies became a non-issue. All was fine in black-fly land for two decades, and people could garden, golf, and go outside again in peace.

   Then state funding started to lag. Costs went up, and spraying went down, opening windows that let populations break through.

   Douglas Orr, a water program specialist with DEP, says it’s possible to keep a lid on black flies by spraying every 10 to 15 days from mid-April through early September. That’s what we once did.

   This year, we’re down to a handful of sprays over the Susquehanna River and Conodoguinet and Yellow Breeches creeks – spread over the whole season.

   As soon as we stop spraying, new eggs hatch, and adults fly as much as 20 miles away from their watery breeding grounds. The worst populations are within a mile or so of creeks and rivers.

   The high water levels we had this spring made things even worse. High water means more spray is needed, and that runs out the budget even faster. Spraying doesn’t even happen when levels are high enough, as they were for much of this spring.

   Orr says the budget likely will allow only two more sprays in July and August this year. In other words, things aren’t going to get much better the rest of the summer. And it could get even worse in September and October without any spraying.

   Relief probably won’t happen until sustained cold weather by late October ends breeding.

   “We’re doing what we can with what we have,” says Orr. “The treatments we did complete were targeting very large populations, which means it would’ve been even worse.”

   The sad part is that this is one of the few problems that we can (and did) solve relatively easily and with relatively little expense.

   However, legislators hear much more often from people wanting their taxes cut, so they’re reluctant to increase spending on anything – even when the money is well invested.

   The additional problem here is that not everyone has a black-fly problem. Legislators from urban areas and regions with few waterways don’t view this as a problem at all and see budget line-items for “spraying black flies” as cuttable waste.

   Even local legislators don’t always go to bat. For one thing, they’re busy frying bigger budgetary fish, and for another, they’re not hearing much from people plagued by black flies.

   I just sent letters to my state representative, state senator, Gov. Wolf, my county commissioners (Cumberland), and my township (Hampden). To their credit, I heard back from most, but I was also told that I was the only (or one of the few) who had mentioned anything.

   Apparently, we’re quick to complain to each other and quick to comment on social media, but we’re not telling those who can do something about it.

   If you care at all about controlling black flies, start by filing a complaint through the state’s Black Fly Suppression Program. Besides giving the program validation to show to legislators, it helps DEP monitor where the problem is becoming unacceptable.

   Click here to file an online complaint.

   Then write a letter to your state representative, state senator, and county commissioners. They aren’t going to push for more money for something unless they know it’s something we care about.

   Click here to go the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s Find Your Legislator page.

   If you’d just like to commiserate and stay up to date with follow black-fly victims, check out the Friends of the Pennsylvania Black Fly Suppression Program group on Facebook.

   Keep in mind, this isn’t a problem that’s just related to the weather or one that’s really hard to control, such as the emerald ash borers killing off our ash trees.

   Unlike mosquitoes, it’s also not related to any damp shade, water gardens, birdbaths, or rain gardens you have in your yard. If you have lots of black flies, they’re coming from a flowing creek or river, not breeding in standing water.

   If we muster enough resolve to adequately fund Bti spraying in our waterways, we can solve it.

   Otherwise, we’re headed back to the 1980s when people had to smear themselves with repellents, carry around “punk” sticks, and wear nets to go outside.