For several weeks in late spring and early summer, gnats, flies, and other nuisance insects make their arrival known Most are exactly that, a nuisance But one is genuinely different Buffalo gnats, also called black flies or turkey gnats, can quickly wipe out livestock, including poultry They arrive in dense swarms, they bite, and in bad years they have killed entire flocks in a matter of hours If you keep chickens, this is one seasonal pest worth taking seriously Here’s why buffalo gnats are so dangerous and what you can do to protect your birds while they’re around