Bugged by Bites

Almost the end of bug season....

Flies, ants and spiders bite too.

Horse flies, deer flies and black flies are vicious. Did you know that their mouthparts are shaped like razors? – and they cut through the skin to create a wound from which they suck up blood if we let them sit long enough! Like mosquitoes and ticks, their saliva contains a blood thinner to prevent clotting while they work.

The saliva is a potential vector for several diseases, mostly for farm animals but may include Lyme disease. Because the flies leave small open wounds, the bite site has potential for local infection, especially if scratched. While most people will develop a welt from black fly bites, only a few people will be allergic to the saliva of horse or deer flies, a sensitivity that increases with repeated bites. Black flies are daytime feeders although the long twilight hours of the North means that they can be looking for a meal long into the evening.

Ants bite in defence – they aren't actively seeking humans for food. Their mouthparts dig into the skin and then release. People experience pain and rarely much of a reaction. If caught under our clothing, an ant will leave a series of bites creating a “family” of small welts.

Spiders on the prairies are rarely the cause of skin reactions. Most are completely uninterested in humans. Although the “brown recluse spider” is not supposed to be in Saskatchewan, I have seen a few people with reactions that resemble their bites. The bite is practically unnoticeable but the result is attention-grabbing. A red spot or blister usually develops some time after the bite followed by a shallow ulcer that takes up to six weeks to resolve. Antibiotics have no effect upon healing.

Prevention:

Horse and deer flies are largely visual creatures and apparently are drawn movement, dark colours, and the colour blue; carbon dioxide may also attract them to a lesser degree. So stop moving, wear light-coloured clothing and stop breathing – there are only two out of three choices. Unfortunately, they are not deterred by regular insect repellants although aggressive use of highly concentrated DEET may prevent them from biting.

A number of fly traps have been on the market including patches that were put on the backs of baseball caps – all have limited value but if you were planning an outdoor barbecue during fly season, they might decrease the menace.

Ants are best avoided – don't stand on an ant hill! Spiders? Like tick prevention, long pants stuck into high socks are be the best prevention.

One of the best things about cold weather is that all of these biting insects disappear! Unfortunately, we won't have long to wait.

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