Biting flies are plaguing the Chicago area this summer
Flies have been everywhere this summer in the Chicago area, and some of them bite. But why is this happening?
"It's been an invasion for me as it relates to the flies and mosquitos," said Kina Baker, who was walking with her daughter at Lake Shore Park in the city's Streeterville neighborhood Thursday afternoon and swatting flies along the way. "It's unreal. I've never experienced like it."
Baker was far from the only person CBS News Chicago spoke to who said they haven't seen this many flies while out and about in a long time.
"Does it have something to do with the floods? The weather? The heat?" Baker wondered.
The Illinois Department of Public Health identifies several types of biting flies that residents could encounter: deer flies horse flies, stable flies, black flies, biting midges and sand flies. IDPH said the stable fly is one of the most common culprits this time of year, biting livestock, pets and people, and often attacking ankles to create a "sharp, stabbing pain."
Brandon Noumi's 2-year-old daughter's leg is covered in a bandage after a painful attack in the park Wednesday.
"They got bitted. My wife, all over her. Her ankles. My daughter too," he said. "We put Neosporin and we wrapped her leg up."
Some people at the park wore repellant patches in hopes of keeping the flies at bay. IDPH said repellants are often effective against mosquitos, but less effective against some types of bitting flies. They said the best line of defense is to avoid areas inhabited by the lies, stay inside during peak biting times – dawn and dusk – and wear heavy-duty, light-colored clothing including long sleeved shirts, long pants and hats.
