They Get in But they Can’t Get Out: Commissioner Says County Needs to Fight Greenhead Flies, Huge Wooden Cow and Horse Shaped Traps Proposed

Greenhead fly invasion sparks call for county action on Long Beach Island

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The fight against greenhead flies on Long Beach Island took a public turn during a recent county board meeting, as frustrated residents and officials alike described an infestation that has turned beaches into battlegrounds and prompted urgent calls for a mainland trap program.

The swarm begins with a west wind. Then, wave after wave of bloodthirsty greenhead flies descend on Holgate’s shoreline, driving beachgoers away and leaving behind a trail of itchy welts — and in some cases, infections. Rand Pearsall, president of the Holgate Taxpayers Association, stood before the Ocean County Board of Commissioners this week urging for a coordinated effort to contain the problem, which he said originates f