THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 24, 1994 TAG: 9406240536
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY MARGARET TALEV, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940624 LENGTH: Medium
Yellow flies attack the Outer Banks in full force around the beginning of July each summer, and, carried from salt marshes on southwesterly winds, bite like mad until August rains wash them away.
{REST} Like dandelion fluff, they ride the wind in bunches, seeking bare skin and sneaking up noses, leaving an all-over itch that lingers long after they have blown away.
Their arrival terrorizes towns, sending folks dashing for cover.
``Let me tell you, at the employee's entrance in the back, the yellow flies just swarm,'' said Myrna Hill, housekeeping director at the Britthaven of the Outer Banks Nursing Center.
Why do they attack, who do they target, and why does it hurt so much?
Bites from the yellow flies, also known as deer flies or Chrysops vittatus, swell hard, are sore and pink, and may pulse away for a week before the abused sections of skin find relief.
``What your body reacts to is the material they use in the process of sucking the blood out of you,'' said Alice Anderson, a medical entomologist for the N.C. Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources. Anderson said this material, like saliva for humans, helps the flies process the blood.
Although scientists know that the flies seem more attracted to some people than others, there has been little research on why, Anderson said. Because bites from these flies do not spread disease, she said, researchers focus their efforts elsewhere.
Another reason their preferences are mysterious is that the flies are attracted to sweat, and any individual's sweat has several hundred components to it.
``It tends to be that women are more bothered'' by the bites, Anderson said, but added that perhaps women just complain about it more than do men.
While dogs and horses are occasionally bitten by yellow flies, humans are the more frequent targets.
Anderson said people can try to avert the razor-like mouths of the flies by using bug repellent or long pants and long-sleeved shirts. But, she said, eventually the repellent will wear off or the sleeves will get rolled up. And the flies will be waiting.
Once bitten, experts say, victims should apply ice and elevate the bitten area. Anderson also suggested applying cortisone cream and staying out of the heat.
Dick Mann, who manages the Manns Harbor Mobile Park, said he has about 50 purple martins nesting outside his home. The birds ``do a remarkable job of controlling the mosquitoes in the area, but they will not eat the yellow flies,'' he said.
Local health officials called last year's infestation the worst in five years. They say they have not gotten nearly as many calls this summer.
And people who live and work near the salt marshes - where the yellow fly concentration is highest - agree that, thus far, they have it easy compared with last summer's battle.
Sherry Forman, who owns a plant store in Manns Harbor, said the yellow flies are back, ``but not like last year. Last year I wouldn't dare go out in shorts. This year, I haven't gone back to long pants yet.''
Forman said at nightfall and just before thunderstorms, the flies bite the worst. Perhaps before a storm, the flies sense impending doom and stalk out their last meal, she said.
Allan Mandvere of Ron and Phil's Body Shop in Manteo said the flies bite outside, but they also slip inside when the doors are opened. But there may be a plus to the annual invasion, he said:
``It helps the economy. Tourists have to go out and buy bug spray.''
by CNB