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The warmer weather and high water flow are causing an early outbreak of black flies<\/a> in the San Gabriel Valley, according to officials.<\/p>\n What are black flies? Black flies are tiny, pesky insects that often get mistaken for mosquitoes. The biting flies breed near foothill communities like Altadena, Azusa, San Dimas and Glendora. They also thrive near flowing water.<\/p>\n What you need to know: Black flies fly in large numbers and long distances. When they bite both humans and pets, they aim around the eyes and the neck. While the bites can be painful, they don\u2019t transmit diseases in L.A. County.<\/p>\n Keep up with LAist.<\/p>\n If you’re enjoying this article, you’ll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less. <\/p>\n A population spike: Anais Medina Diaz, director of communications at the SGV Mosquito and Vector Control District, told LAist that at this time last year, surveillance traps had single-digit counts of adult black flies, but this year those traps are collecting counts above 500.<\/p>\n So, why is the population growing? Diaz said the surge is unusual for this time of year.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are experiencing them now because of the warmer temperatures we’ve been having,\u201d Diaz said. \u201cAnd of course, all the water that’s going down through the river, we have a high flow of water that is not typical for this time of year.\u201d<\/p>\n What officials are doing: Officials say teams are identifying and treating public sources where black flies can thrive, but that many of these sites are influenced by natural or infrastructure conditions outside their control.<\/p>\n How to protect yourself: Black flies can be hard to avoid outside in dense vegetation, but you can reduce the chance of a bite by:<\/p>\n Wearing loose-fitted clothing that covers the entire body.\u00a0Wearing a hat with netting on top.\u00a0Spraying on repellent, but check the label. For a repellent to be effective, it needs to have at least 15% DEET, the only active ingredient that works against black flies.Turning off any water features like fountains for at least 24 hours, especially in foothill communities.<\/p>\n See an uptick in black flies in your area? Here’s how to report it<\/p>\n SGV Mosquito and Vector Control District Greater Los Angeles Vector Control District
Submit a tip here<\/a>
You can also send a tip to district@sgvmosquito.org
(626) 814-9466<\/p>\n
Submit a service request here<\/a>
You can also send a service request to info@GLAmosquito.org
(562) 944-9656<\/p>\n