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Author Topic: Horse flies  (Read 4530 times)

arobwk

  • Joined Nov 2015
  • Kernow: where 2nd-home owners rule !
Horse flies
« on: June 16, 2020, 07:14:32 pm »
Despite a horsey childhood, I really don't know what a horse fly looks like.  However, there have been some odd looking flies around my stores area recently: even odder is fact that they seem to prefer alighting onto the sides of my ISO containers head-down AND a number have seemed to be intent on perching on my bare arms.  Thinking about, I wonder whether these are horse flies:  web searches proffer a whole load of different looking horse flies so that hasn't helped me although there has been some with similar looks to my mystery fly.

Looking into the horse fly life-cycle I found this ... "The larvae, which are scattered in the soil, cannot be eradicated. Insecticides cannot effectively control the adult flies, flying around, either. 
Adult horse flies can be trapped in traps, which consist of a rather large, dark object, which can be seen and is heated by the sun. Carbon dioxide (from dry ice) may increase the attractiveness of the trap. The horse-flies that are attracted, are trapped in a trap or in an adhesive that is placed in the trap. If strategically positioned, the trap can help the problem for grazing cattle. As mentioned, horse flies which have strayed indoors – do not bite, but can be controlled with a fly spray with pyrethrin, if you do not just let them out of the windows."

Umm - not sure I'm any better informed !!

As a starter, can anyone offer a reliable image of a Horse Fly in the UK ?   

[Typeface AND font size issues again in the above - can't be bothered to correct.]
« Last Edit: June 16, 2020, 07:21:11 pm by arobwk »

RCTman

  • Joined Mar 2017
  • Rhondda fach
Re: Horse flies
« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2020, 07:40:22 pm »
If you Google it, fifth row down third in from the left is the typical one that bites me, aaargh, bloody things. Swells up in no time. Some people not affected by the bite, but me.

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Horse flies
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2020, 07:43:36 pm »
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Horse flies
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2020, 09:32:38 pm »
If you haven't been bitten on your bare arms, you haven't got horse flies ;)
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

arobwk

  • Joined Nov 2015
  • Kernow: where 2nd-home owners rule !
Re: Horse flies
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2020, 11:58:47 pm »
Dunno - I'll try catch a photo sometime soon of "mine".

Buttermilk

  • Joined Jul 2014
Re: Horse flies
« Reply #5 on: June 17, 2020, 08:47:17 am »
Round here we call them cleggs and they are evil, vicious brutes.

Baggins11

  • Joined Dec 2018
Re: Horse flies
« Reply #6 on: June 19, 2020, 05:22:50 pm »
I would agree with Sally, they bite quite quickly if they get on your skin.  And its a sharp bite, you don't miss it.  I had one bite me once on the bum through sports leggings on a bike ride - hurt like hell that one!

Penninehillbilly

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • West Yorks
Re: Horse flies
« Reply #7 on: June 22, 2020, 12:09:44 pm »
I looked these up, just out of curiosity,  because sometimes 'my bites' turn bad, apparently they cut into your skin, rather than bite, that's how we get the infection in, advice was to wash asap.
Which I did after Saturdays bite, and it's still itching, but not full blown swelling.

 

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