Horse Flies Facts, Tips, and Information
by The Bug Patch
What Are Horse Flies?
Horse Flies are winged insects commonly identified by their bulky appearance compared to most other flies you encounter, some measuring to over an inch in length. The female horse fly is commonly known to bite humans and livestock as it feasts on blood necessary for its reproduction cycle.
How Do I Know When I’ve Been Bitten by a Horse Fly?
When you’ve been bitten by a horse fly, you know it immediately because it hurts! What’s interesting about how the female horse fly extracts its blood meal is that, unlike other blood feasting pests, it doesn’t extract blood through a tube-like apparatus that we expect from mosquitoes, ticks and chiggers.
Instead of piercing the skin and sucking blood, the structure of a horse fly’s mouth has two blade-like mandibles that are used to slice through the skin to release blood which is promptly licked up.
Should I Be Concerned About Being Bitten by a Horse Fly?
The good news is that horse flies aren’t known to be spreaders of disease, but they can be an incredible nuisance that can escalate into something more serious if a swarm develops.
Given its inefficient means of feeding that alerts you immediately to its presence, horse flies must bite more frequently to obtain a satisfactory amount of blood to facilitate its reproductive needs. Repeated attacks by horse flies are not uncommon and are in fact necessary for the horse fly.
How Can I Avoid Being Bitten by Horse Flies?
Spray repellents are the common solution to deterring the bite of a horse fly but any uncovered area will be immediately seized upon by the aggressive horse fly. It’s also suggested that wearing light colors, avoiding outside activity during the day’s peak feeding hours, and clothing that extensively covers exposed skin can be effective means of preventing horse flies from making you their next meal. However, this is rarely a convenient alternative for anybody.
The Bug Patch releases healthy amounts of Vitamin B1 through the skin. The Vitamin B1 circulates through the body and is emitted through your pores as a vitamin scent that is does not appeal to the horse fly’s senses. Instead of being a delicious dish for the razor sharp mouth of the horse fly, they pass on you and look for another victim.
