Black flies lake michigan

What's Biting You?

An outdoor adventure at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is an exhilarating experience but at certain times of the year visitors can be negatively impacted by some of the park's smallest inhabitants: biting insects.

Earliest to appear on the scene in spring are the mosquitoes and black flies.

The female mosquito is the one doing the biting.

Lake michigan biting flies

She requires a blood meal in order to get enough protein for her eggs to develop properly. The males feed on pollen or nectar from flowers. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in calm or standing water, and the larvae are aquatic. Certain diseases such as West Nile Virus are transmitted by mosquitoes, and it is best to avoid their bites as much as possible.

Black flies

Black flies are very small, gnat-like insects that often gather in swarms.

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Black fly bite

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Black fly season map michigan

They lay eggs in running water and their larvae attach themselves to rocks. Black flies tend to be present in the park in spring until about June but can also appear during cool fall weather. Bites from the females cause painful itching and swelling that can last for several days or even

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