More blackflies, mosquitoes in northern Ontario this summer? Scientist says get ready for an itchy summer

Are there more bugs emerging in northern Ontario this spring?

Bruce Doran, staff scientist at Science North in Sudbury, says you're not imagining things if you're seeing more of the biting critters in the air this year.

One of the factors behind the emergence of the bugs is the cold snap that swept across the north in mid-spring.  

"The bugs are what we call ectothermic, or cold blooded," Doran said. "Whenever the temperature rises, they tend to be a bit more active."

"About a week and a half, two weeks ago, we were still getting frost warnings," Doran said. "And when it was that cold, the bugs weren't coming out. The bugs that did come out were being knocked down by the cold."

The cooler temperatures held back the typical bug season, Doran said, but that's just delayed the inevitable.

"Instead of slowly coming out at the end of April and beginning of May and slowly building up, they all appeared at the same time," Doran said. "They've all emerged," 

So why are bugs biting us, anyway?

Although it's difficult to get a good read on their actual numbers across the region, there's a few certainties as to why the bugs are drawn to human blood.

"Black flies and mosquitoes, their primary food source is flower nectar, that's where they get their energy," Doran said. "Whereas biting humans and other animals, those are the females. And they get a blood meal in order to produce eggs to make babies."

"That's why the female black fly and mosquito bites us," he said. "To get some of our blood proteins in order to be able to make lots of eggs to continue the black fly populations for years and years to come."

And humans have another feature that makes us easier targets for the insects.

"When you consider a moose that has a very tough hide, we're really easy to get blood from," Doran said. "Our skin is very, very soft and easy to get to and also we tend to light up like a Christmas tree… because these insects use our body heat and carbon dioxide that we emit and they can find us really, really well."

"So we are like a filet mignon for mosquitoes I guess, or just an easy meal."

I've been bit…now what?

For Rachelle Rocha, pharmacist at Seasons Pharmacy and Culinaria in Sudbury, the trick is not to get bitten in the first place.

Long sleeves, airy cotton clothing and bug nets that cover the ears will all help people spend more time outside.

There's also the gardener's method of planting citronella around the yard, a flower that seems to repel mosquitoes.

"Plus, anecdotally…I'm from Sudbury and so I've been bitten for like at least 50 years so I'm quite immune to the venom," she said.

Although she's quick to point out that the "mosquito bite immunity" theory isn't backed by any scientific evidence, as far as she knows, the critters don't tend to leave a big mark on her skin. 

"If I'm breathing in bugs I have to go inside," she said. "But other than that, they bite me and I don't swell up and I don't have any itching."

If the bugs do end up taking a bite out of you, and constantly scratching your itch is becoming a nuisance, there's a couple of natural remedies that Rocha suggests.

The first is comfrey, a large, lush plant with bell-shaped flowers that can be crushed into an ointment. 

She's even posted a video on the Pharmacy's Facebook page on how to make an ointment, along with beeswax, bear grease and olive oil, to take the sting out of bug bites.

There's also jewel weed, which has been used to relieve poison ivy rashes for years, Rocha said.

For serious itching, or if the natural approach isn't cutting it, there's always over the counter salves like hydrocortisone, Benadryl cream and Afterbite that will help.

But, Rocha said, the really bad days – for mosquitos and black flies, that is – is usually over by mid-summer. Hotter weather usually kills off the critters that remain, and people find they can spend more time outdoors, especially in the evening.

"August is really nice," Rocha said. "So invite your friends from Southern Ontario and California to come in August, and not in June or July."

"There's still plenty of blueberries for them to pick in August."