Aggressive Gnats Causing Misery In South Metro Suburbs

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A local daycare has issued a warning to parents after a swarm of biting gnats is wreaking havoc in south metro suburbs.

Multiple children have reportedly been suffering from horrific bites.

Pictures of bites on the back of a child’s neck were posted on Facebook by the Kids Will Be Kids daycare in Hastings and the post has gone viral, shared more than 15,000 times.

“We have a horrible problem with gnats right now in Hastings MN,” Holly Fick, who runs the daycare, said. “Multiple kids have ended up with bites like this. The problem is the kids don’t feel them biting, and they don’t itch until later.”

The daycare says that the gnats seem to be attracted to the back of the neck/behind the ear area as this is where sweat tends to form.

The issue isn’t just exclusive to Hastings, with the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District reporting that they have been coming in from cities along the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers, from Hastings to Savage.

They mentioned that it’s a “bumper crop” of gnats, which they MMCD were unable to treat ahead of time because of the spring snow last month.

A local veterinary clinic said to KSTP that they’ve had more than 20 calls from people worried about gnat bite marks on their pets.

The good news is that gnats don’t usually hang around for long, so should be gone within a few days.

Using DEET or Picardin-based repellents or natural oils like lemon eucalyptus, or even wearing netted hats can prevent contact with gnats.