IN THE WILD
Flying biters that drive Canadians crazy every spring and summer
Mosquitoes (Culicidae)
Roughly half of the 82 species of mosquitoes in Canada torment humans. Busy at dawn and dusk, they are not picky but are drawn to high body temperatures and to pregnant women. The mouth of the female mosquito has six parts: flexible jaws, tiny blades and needles to pierce the skin, and a long, hollow proboscis that squirts chemicals to keep blood flowing, then starts sucking. The saliva also elicits a delayed allergic reaction on your skin, the tiny bump and persistent, irritating itch we all know. Initial response: ice, if you’ve got it.
Black flies (Simuliidae)
Terrifying fact: one kilometre of river and shoreline can produce close to a billion adult black flies –– every day. Our sweat attracts them, and clothing is the best way to repel them. They attack during daytime only, targeting thin skin at the neck and ears, wrists and ankles. They land and quickly latch on to stretch the skin before using their mandibles to bite, tapping into surface capillaries. Saliva numbs the area, extending their time to eat. Swelling and intense itching result and can last weeks. Initial response: ice it; wash with soap and water.
Deer flies (Tabanidae)
These fast, strong flyers can keep up with paddlers, runners and cyclists, swirling about their heads maddeningly. They prefer to get beneath your hair and feast on your scalp. Because they use motion detection to locate you, insect repellents are largely useless. They scissor into your skin in a distinctive cross-shape before gorging. Their sharp, painful bite introduces saliva, an anti-coagulant and an irritant that causes itching and swelling. Upside: their larvae eat mosquito larvae. Initial response: ice, wash with soap and water. Antihistamine will help with intense itchiness.
No-see-ums
(Ceratopogonidae)
There’s nothing more infuriating than an aggressive pest that you never see, even as it takes a painful bite. That would be your “no-see-ums,” properly known as biting midges, of which there are 263 known species in Canada, and likely double that. They tend to appear in hot, humid conditions, generally at dawn or dusk. Despite being less than two millimetres long, they deliver a burning painful bite followed by small, very itchy bumps, often red, occasionally blistering. One positive thing: they will draw blood from a newly charged mosquito, sinking its razorish jaws into its belly. Initial response: ice; antihistamine if severe.