Horse flies....

[Franchi Matt]

Well it appears to be 'one of those' years again with the formidable opponent- horse flies.

About three years ago was the last time there were this many around, then it was the common green and black variety. This years lot are black and orange.... not ones I've seen before, they are slightly more aggressive than the green ones.

Its like pigeon shooting with a bug zapper bat might set a horseshoe deek pattern out...

 

[VSS]

Black and greyish-orange, about 2 inches long, and with a drone like a distant helicopter (yet equally cabable of silent manoeuvres). Nasty brutes! Get them hanging around the cattle sometimes.

 

[ColinBr]

Cant stand the things.
Got chewed on with a few last year that had my arm swollen up.

 

[Jelen]

Black and greyish-orange, about 2 inches long, and with a drone like a distant helicopter (yet equally cabable of silent manoeuvres). Nasty brutes! Get them hanging around the cattle sometimes.

2 inches? I hope you mean 2 centimetres?

 

[willowbank]

Get bitten on a joint and it really is sore for weeks (Piraton helps), horrible, nasty things.

Willowbank

 

[Franchi Matt]

Got to love their tenacity though my rule is - once you have a horse fly interested in you it mist be taken down as its prepared to die for the cause this years contenders mainly targeting the top of the head... which makes using the 'executioner' zapper bat a bit like Russian roulette
Great training for our threen'age daughter

 

[VSS]

2 inches? I hope you mean 2 centimetres?

No, I mean 2 inches. Well, an inch and a half, at least. Anything smaller than that is just a cleg fly, and not worth a second glance.

 

[Ratel]

Cleggs annoy a horse, these with a slightly curved rear end make a horse take off. A bit like Warbles make cows gad about. Don't they make you whistle when they strike Tim.

 

[Klenchblaize]

The 'executioner' zapper bat a bit like Russian roulette

I want one but not if it’s going to be so last year in a matter of weeks. Is there an updated version with copper conductors?
K

 

[BSAvale]

I bloody hate them. Would rather be stung by a wasp or bee than a horsefly bite me. I have scars in my calves from them when three bit me about 30seconds after getting out of the car to go sea trout fishing in mid wales and I’ve had finger joints and wrist swell so much they won’t bend. Awful creatures. 2018 was a really bad year for them (or I just did more fishing before children got older).

 

[Finch]

They don't know how easy they've got it in Australia.

 

[Farmer Geddon]

Cleggs annoy a horse, these with a slightly curved rear end make a horse take off. A bit like Warbles make cows gad about. Don't they make you whistle when they strike Tim.

Gadding about, that makes me laugh, used to be said of teenage girls & young heifers. With their tails up in the air.

 

[Woodsmoke]

I hate the bastard things. One got me a couple of years ago. Took about a month before I could properly flex my elbow . . .

 

[Woodsmoke]

And a week later . . . .

 

[willowbank]

That’s the other thing, the bite nearly always becomes infected....

WB

 

[Dodder]

Not seen one yet here in East Kent this year I even commented on this fact the other day to my daughter who detests them. Just hope I haven't spoken too soon!

 

[Finch]

Gadding about, that makes me laugh, used to be said of teenage girls & young heifers. With their tails up in the air.

Go to Newcastle on a Saturday night...

 

[Finch]

That’s the other thing, the bite nearly always becomes infected....

WB

Tiger Balm.

 

[Pedro]

Most creatures have some use to other living things and fit in to the eco system somewhere. Not sure horseflies do. Unless anyone knows different....

 

[Farmer Geddon]

That’s the other thing, the bite nearly always becomes infected....

WB

I read somewhere that they regurgitate their previous meal down their proboscis before they suck the fresh stuff up.