How to Repel Buffalo Gnats

Buffalo gnat larva feed on bacteria and algae in moving water until they mature.

Buffalo gnats, also known as black flies and turkey gnats, are small flies that appear mainly in late spring and early summer in the United States and feed on the blood of livestock and humans. Blood loss, infection, and irritation caused by their bites can weaken, or even kill an animal. Since they reproduce using moving water, making eradication of larva difficult or impossible, a combination of avoidance and eradication of adult flies must be used to limit the stress and harm caused by a large buffalo gnat presence.

Things You'll Need

• Outdoor fans
• Fly tape
• Citronella oil compounds
• DEET-containing insect repellant
• Pyrethrum-based insecticide
• Permethrin-based insect repellant

Instructions

1. Avoid sunlight during the day, as buffalo gnats primarily feed during daylight hours. Keep animals either indoors, or in shaded areas during heavy buffalo gnat activity.

2. Use fans to increase air movement throughout outdoor installations -- such as animal stalls and poultry coops -- as buffalo gnats prefer to feed in still air. Apply compounds containing citronella oil to poultry to repel additional gnats.

3. Hang fly tape in and around sunlit animal enclosures to reduce the number of gnats. Apply pyrethrum-based insecticide to areas where gnats congregate.

4. Use DEET-based insect repellent when outdoors; permethrin-based repellent can also be applied to clothing.

Tips & Warnings

• The breeding habits and sheer number of buffalo gnats make complete eradication impossible; you can only hope to reduce their numbers and avoid encountering them as much as possible, during the two or three months of extreme activity.

• Most door and window screens are not small enough to keep buffalo gnats from passing through. Keep them closed during the day, unless necessary.

• Buffalo gnats can carry onchocerca volvulus, a parasite that causes river blindness, and can spread other diseases and cause allergic reactions with their bites. While this and other health infections are rare, you should seek medical care immediately, if you think that you or someone else is having a severe reaction.

• Be extremely careful when using insecticide in areas where animals are kept. Never use insecticide near the food or water of livestock or humans.

References

• University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture; Black Flies (Buffalo or Turkey Gnats); F.Dustan Clark