Deer Flies and Horse
Flies
Horse
flies and the smaller deer flies belong to the fly family called Tabanidae.
They are notoriously fierce biters.
Their bite is painful, slow healing and can be a memorable and
unpleasant experience . . . worst of
all most deet-only based repellents available locally do not have a reputation
for stopping attacks from these flies.
Until you are bitten by one of these flies you really can’t appreciate
the description of “an ice pick bite”.
Protection Methods – composite repellents such as
Sawyer Broad Spectrum that contain R326 (a fly repellent) and deet will do a
better job than deet-only products.
This product is often used for protecting horses as well as their
riders.
Permethrin
is also used on clothing and can protect from bite through. Sawyer Clothing, Duranon ™, and Permanone ™
are brand name formulas for clothing and are available in 6 oz aerosols. A veterinary product (V2) that is labeled
for horse and other animal use is also available.
Fly
Traps – a new addition in our fight against these flies is the Deer Fly Trap
Patch. This new non-chemical fly
attractant is applied to the back of your hat and when flies attack they’re
captured on the special adhesive.
Please note that after a day outside your hat should not be worn to
dinner. The flies stuck onto the trap are not very appetizing. We have had very good reports from outdoors
professionals on this product.
Protective
Clothing – special garments made of no-see-um midge netting can offer a
comfortable non-chemical protection to the wearer. Fly Masks for horses are available to protect the face, ears and
eyes.
First Aid – the use of a Sawyer Extractor Pump to remove fly
saliva/anticoagulant can have benefits to the victim with respect to the speed
and comfort at which the wound heals.
Faster healing with less itching is a big plus with these bites as well
as the bites of other insects such as black files and mosquitoes. The sooner after the bite occurs that the
Extractor Pump is used the better the results. The use of a bite
relief/antiseptic will offer additional benefits to healing.
Use the search term FLY
to review products that can address this problem.
Injury - These flies are mostly a nuisance although they
can cause injury and long lasting discomfort.
Because of the anticoagulant dispersed during their bite excessive
bleeding can occur and secondary infection is a possibility.
The
flies cut the skin with their razor like mouthparts. If unchallenged these flies can suck blood for up to several
minutes during which they deposit strong anticoagulant to keep the wound from
clotting. The wound from the bite is slow to clot and may continue to bleed
attracting other blood feeding insects.
There are potential infections associated from such bites caused by the
initial and secondary feeding insects.
Some victims suffer severe lesions, high fever and even general
disability when bitten. Allergic
reactions may occur from the saliva and anticoagulant cocktail delivered during
the bite.
Pets
should be protected from these flies.
Just because they are silent does not mean they don’t suffer the pain
and discomfort from the tortuous attacks of these relentless insects.
The Villain – the horse fly is a thick bodied, broad-headed fly
with large bulging eyes. The horse fly
can measure from ¾” to 1” and fortunately is less common. These large horse
flies are brown to black in color and have varying triangles/strips on the
abdomen. A smaller more common species found near beaches is the “greenhead
fly”. Their brilliant green eyes are
the most obvious identifier. They are strong, fast fliers that land softy and
bite quickly.
The
deer fly compares in size to the common housefly. They are soft bodied and have colorations of mostly yellow or
black with abdomen patterns. Their
wings are marked with dark patterns.
They have brilliantly colored eyes that range from green to gold. They
too are strong, fast fliers that can land softy and bite quickly.
The
females bite and suck blood. Horse flies are all well known for a nearly silent
flight. They land quietly on exposed skin and give a painful almost ice pick
level bite. They feed on mammals, large and small, including people. When the
female bites, her saliva contains a strong anti-coagulant. The anticoagulant in
the saliva prevents the blood from clotting so that she can feed quickly. A
small animal may even bleed to death if attacked by large numbers of horse
flies or deer flies. The resulting
wound heals slowly offering opportunity to other blood feeding insects to instigate
additional infection potential. Fast
use of first-aid to remove the saliva/anticoagulant is an important step.
Male
horse flies and deer flies feed on the nectar and pollen of flowers and do not
bite.
The
female of both species lays her egg clusters on leaves or plants overhanging
water. The larvae hatch and drop into the water to continue development. The
larvae are aquatic and move about the plants and pond bottom eating small
aquatic insects, worms, snails, and tiny animals.
Use the search term FLY
to review products that can address this problem.
