The Buffalo Gnat plague of 2019

Thursday, June 6, 2019

The first official day of summer is right around the corner. Spring has come and gone, but left us with a plethora of pest issues in this area. The significant rainfall, inability for many farmers to work their fields, floodwaters and relatively lower-than-average temperatures are a few of the factors that have increased pest problems during the past few weeks.

If you have spent any amount of time outdoors lately, you are sure to have encountered the annoying buffalo gnat. These parasites have appeared to be exceptionally worse and active this spring than in recent years. Our phones have been extremely active with customers seeking solutions to the horrific gnat swarms.

Buffalo gnats are very interesting little creatures that are most active between the months of May and July. The biggest reason gnat issues are overwhelming in your yard and surrounding areas is the rate at which females reproduce; they are known to lay between 300 to 500 eggs in one cycle. Male gnats get their food source from nectar, so if you have been bitten recently, you can blame it on the females. Interestingly, the female gnats get their food from the blood of their host. Usually this host is a bird, cow or other animal. Sometimes, unfortunately, that host is a human. Like many in the past few weeks, these aggressive pests may have bitten you. It’s not likely a gnat could transmit a disease to a human, but they have been known to cause issues to cows and other animals.

Speak to a professional for options to treat your yard and prevent these creatures from bothering you. However, if that is not an option, try using insect repellents. There are many brands on the market now that are all-natural and essential oil-based. In our experience, the natural products work well, but need to be reapplied more often than regular insect repellent.

Aaron Eades is the owner of Elite Pest Control.