As the beach season opens in Eilat, many vacationing families assume their itching comes from mosquitoes or other water-related pests, but residents say the city has long suffered a recurring problem with biting flies. The nuisance has intensified in recent weeks, with locals describing it online as a “plague” and saying it returns year after year.
One resident wrote on Facebook that Eilat is truly a “city of flies,” saying they swarm most of the year and make it impossible to sit outside, go for coffee, or drink at a bar. Another user said it is “simply terrible,” adding that it is impossible to sit outdoors even for a minute, including on beaches, in parks, and in playgrounds.
Prof. Yuval Gottlieb-Dror of the Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said the insects are likely stable flies, or Stomoxys calcitrans, which resemble houseflies but are commonly found in grazing and stable areas with high humidity. She stressed that they do not sting like bees, and that mosquitoes and flies differ in how they feed. Mosquitoes use a proboscis to suck blood, while these flies insert mouthparts into the skin.
Gottlieb-Dror said blood-feeding flies, like stable flies and horse flies, are active mainly in hot summer months and breed in humid places with rotting organic matter. They mostly feed on cattle but can also be drawn to humans because they need protein and nutrients. Eilat city officials have found that orchards are a major attraction for the insects, along with meat trucks traveling to and from ranches in the Arava. She said there is no single definitive cause. For prevention, she advised strong insect repellent and avoiding heat, humidity, and open organic trash, which attract many kinds of flies.
