Wacky Pest Wednesday: Greenheads

 In News

Happy Wednesday, Tri-County Pest Control fans, and welcome to our latest edition of Wacky Pest Wednesday!  Please join us for our latest edition, as we cover a pest that truly encapsulates the joy of summer: the greenhead fly.

If you plan to do anything fun this summer in the Mid-Atlantic, you can count on greenheads to crash the occasion—from the beaches to the marshes and everything in-between .  Yet unlike the mosquito, greenheads hurt when they bite, effectively turning your summer fun into a day filled with sharp pains and bloody wounds.

Thanks to evolution, the greenheads we see today are pool feeders—much unlike mosquitoes, who are capillary feeders.  The difference here is that mosquitoes will use their syringe-like nose to pierce the skin and suck the blood, which is why you may not feel them bite you.  Greenheads, on the other hand, will use their scissor-like jaws to plunge into your skin and separate it, breaking every capillary around the site and sending blood pouring to the surface.  If that wasn’t enough, greenheads will also inject an anticoagulant substance (which is why their bites seem to produce so much blood) that will send your blood pouring out in double time. These critters have honed their craft of feeding over millennia, which is why they’re flying off with a tasty meal before you can whack them.

We know it’s gross, but it’s important to know because it stresses just how important prevention is when it comes to these pests.  You can’t slap all of them, but you can stop them from biting in the first place. Although many commercial bug sprays won’t keep them away, you can limit their attraction to you by rubbing an antiseptic mouthwash over the exposed parts of your body—the smell of mint is way too strong for them.

Fun fact: Did you know that greenheads can grow up to 1.5 inches?  Now, that’s one big fly!

Stay safe from the greenhead frenzy out there, Tri-County fans!

Recent Posts

Leave a Comment