Summer Pest: The
Horsefly
You may have noticed a cluster of stories
in local and national papers and websites about people having reactions to
horsefly bites. One American website carried a headline that said, “Horseflies
Causing Chaos in the UK!” but is the horsefly causing chaos? Are their numbers
bigger this year than previous summers? Is the horsefly the summer pest of
2017?
The Horsefly: What
is it?
Delivering a painful bite that can cause an
unpleasant localised skin reaction, the horsefly is commonly found around
horse, stables, cattle, cattle sheds and tall, long grass.
Cows and horses can have reactions to
horsefly bites too, with itchy, swollen lumps at the bite site. For humans, the
effect is no less pleasant with some
people having such a serious reaction, they sought medical help from their
local A&E department.
According to the NHS website, a horsefly
bites will leave the skin red and raised, with people also commonly
experiencing a raised rash, dizziness, wheezing, weakness and other parts of
the body becoming swollen. As well as applying a cold press and ensuring the
wound area is clean, the NHS suggests
that calling 111 for advice is beneficial too. Reaction to bites to the face
can be more severe thus, seek medical help if this happens to you.
Why are Horsefly Bites Painful?
If you are unfamiliar with horseflies, they
are a winged insect that is larger than
the common housefly and dark in colour.
Horseflies feed on blood, opting to feed on
any mammal they can get a satisfying meal from, Dogs, cattle, horses and humans
all make for a great meal.
They are attracted to dark colours, or so
experts say, and carbon dioxide which is why you may find you swat away a
horsefly or two when you run or walk in the summer months. They are also
vengeful flies and have been known to pursue a human, horse, cow or dog if the
initial blood meal wasn’t satisfying.
And despite the horrendous reaction their
bites can cause humans, unlike the wasp when it has used its sting, the
horsefly doesn’t have the good manners to die after biting someone or something.
Have Horseflies
Been More a Problem This Year?
Looking at the news headlines of local and
national papers from across the country it would seem so. The reactions people
have had from a horsefly bite have been serious and painful but thankfully, not
fatal.
The weather plays a major part in some
pests being more of a problem than others at certain times of the year.
Possibly the mix of heat, followed by periods of rain and humidity are the
right conditions for horseflies to breed.
Warm weather reduces the incubation times
of eggs and fly larvae and so this
contributes to a quicker and more rampant breeding season, hence more horseflies looking for more blood meals and more
people reporting painful looking reactions to the horsefly bite.
