The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has started aerial spraying along waterways in the state to reduce the black fly population.
Black flies, also known as gnats, are known for flying about a person’s head during the warmer weather, and swatting them doesn’t exactly work as they are quick to return. They are also known for flying into people’s eyes and causing a painful and itchy bite. The DEP is spraying over 1600 stream miles in 37 counties, including areas in Armstrong and Indiana County, in order to control the black fly population. State rivers and streams will be monitored and sprayed as needed, and will be done by helicopter crews and ground crews using Bti, a naturally occurring bacterium, to treat the larval stages of four specific types of gnats.
How often they spray will depend on the weather and biological conditions, as treatments can’t occur during heavy rainfall or when water levels get high.
For Indiana County, the DEP will spray the Conemaugh and Kiskiminetas rivers, and the Kiskiminetas will also be sprayed in Armstrong County, along with the Allegheny River, Mahoning Creek and Redbank Creek.
