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Cooks Lake Education Center closed due to buffalo gnat infestation

"They were all over the concrete, coming in the building, coming in the doors..."

CASSCOE, Ark. (KTHV) – The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has asked for the public to stay away from the Cooks Lake Conservation Education Center.

The center is located near the White River in Casscoe, Arkansas.

The Commission closed the center to the public until further notice due to the extreme amount of Buffalo Gnats in the area.

“They were all over the concrete, coming in the building, coming in the doors,” said Wil Hafner, Education Program Specialist for the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. ”We had to tape up the windows, tape up the doors to keep them from coming in any little crack.”

At this time it is impossible for visitors to do anything unless covered with mosquito nets. In a Facebook post, the commission said, “We apologize for the inconvenience and will keep you updated.”

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Cooks Lake Conservation Education Center will be closed to the public until further notice due to the extreme amount of...

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According to Hafner, the gnats hatch in the area each spring.

“This is an abnormal hatch,” he said. “This is very large compared to the past.”

He credited the larger than normal swarms to a mild winter and running rivers brought on by heavy rain in recent weeks.

Hafner urged people in areas affected by the gnats to cover up exposed skin or stay indoors altogether, as bug spray is typically ineffective in repelling buffalo gnats. He said pets should also be kept inside.

“We can go inside,” he said. “We can cover up, but pets and other wildlife -- they have to fend for themselves. It's really been affecting horses. I've heard reports of six to seven horses in Arkansas County that have died due to this. We have found 3 deer that we know of for sure that have died from it.”

Hefner said the gnats could stick around for up to several weeks until temperatures reach 80 degrees or more for three consecutive days.

Related headlines: Extreme amount of buffalo gnats causes AGFC education center to close.

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