The Fly Making Life Miserable for Hunters and Hikers

Karmactive Staff

Deer keds, the persistent blood-feeding flies, show resistance to common insect repellents while affecting hunters and hikers across northeastern U.S.

Photo Source: Smerikal (CC BY-SA 2.0)

These Eurasian invaders emerge in massive swarms during fall, shedding their wings and resembling ticks after finding a host.

Photo Source: Cotinis (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Penn State researchers tested five popular repellents against deer keds, including DEET and picaridin, but none successfully deterred these persistent pests.

Photo Source: Tinton5 (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Deer ked bites develop into intensely itchy, hard welts that can affect victims anywhere from weeks to an entire year.

Photo Source: UNAMID (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

These parasitic flies carry dangerous pathogens like Lyme disease bacteria, though their ability to transmit diseases to humans remains unstudied.

Photo Source: Umberto Salvag (CC BY 2.0)

Permethrin-treated clothing proves lethal to deer keds, killing them within 15 minutes of contact before they can strike.

Photo Source: Sgroey (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Nitrile gloves create an impossible climbing surface for deer keds, offering a practical solution for deer processors and hunters.

Photo Source: USFWS Mounta (Flickr)

Deer keds show less attraction to light-colored clothing, while dark colors attract these persistent parasites more frequently.

Photo Source: Florida Fish And Wild (CC BY-ND 2.0)

European deer keds launch their mass emergence during a concentrated 4-6 week period in early fall, unlike their North American cousins who spread their emergence across summer.

Photo Source: Wikimedia (CC0 1.0)

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