YORK COUNTY, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection was scheduled to conduct black fly spraying operations in York County on Thursday, the county's Office of Emergency Management announced.
The helicopter used to conduct spraying operations, a Bell 206 with the tail number N655HA, could be observed flying at low altitude while spraying for the annoying insects, the OEM said.
Black flies, otherwise known as gnats, "have the annoying habit of swarming around the heads of people on warm days," the DEP said on its Black Fly Suppression website. "Swatting them is useless as they are quick to return, often flying into people's eyes and sometimes delivering a painful and itchy bite."
The DEP has been conducting black fly suppression efforts since 1983, according to its website.
"The PA Black Fly Suppression Program provides relief to millions of Pennsylvania residents and tourists each summer," the DEP said. "Black flies have been a recognized pest of humans and livestock in Pennsylvania since the 1970s. Black flies have been present in Pennsylvania since pre-Columbian times. There is anecdotal evidence of pest level populations of black flies from the late 1800s through present in some areas of Pennsylvania, and that black flies were present in pest numbers in some areas in the 1950s and 1960s.
"In many areas, the black fly populations were present for many years before the program provided service. In other areas, such as acid affected streams where discharges have been eliminated or treated, black fly populations have developed to relatively high levels in a single season and have remained at those levels, unless affected by a pollution incident. The black fly populations have built to a high stable endemic population and remain at that level."
The black fly suppression program expanded in 1986 to include not only the lower Juniata River, but a total of 535 stream miles in 17 counties in the Susquehanna and Allegheny River basins, the DEP said. In 1996, the program expanded into the Delaware River basin, and in 2001 into the Schuylkill River basin.
