How to Identify and Get Rid of Horse Flies

What Orkin Does

Chemical and source reduction control of horse flies is very difficult since they develop in natural habitats where insecticides, if legal to apply, offer little more than a minor, short-term degree of effectiveness.

In addition, the extent of their developmental habitat is extremely wide-spread.

Therefore, if a property owner needs to control horse flies, it is best to contact your local Orkin branch office for advice on methods that are effective and to find out what can legally and practically be done for control.

One method that is moderately helpful is the use of traps, although their effect is limited to a somewhat small scale.

Appearance

• Length: Horse flies varying in length from about ½ to 1 ¼ inches long

• Color: They are black or gray in color.

• Eyes: Often have large, brilliant green eyes.

• Antennae: All horse flies have antennae that are shorter than the head.

Mouthparts

The blood feeding female horse fly is equipped with blade-like mouthparts, which slash tissues and blood vessels and cause blood to flow to wounds. Females then use their sponge-like mouthparts for sucking up blood. Males only feed on pollen and nectar and have similar, but much weaker mouthparts.

Horse Fly vs. Deer Fly

Horse flies are similar to deer flies, and both are in the family Tabanidae. The two ways to tell them apart is to look at their overall size and their wings. Horse flies tend to be much larger with a stouter body and a very large head with very large eyes. Their wings are usually clear or cloudy whereas deer flies have dark bands or spots across their wings.

Diet

Horse fly females are aggressive blood feeders, while males do not consume blood but feed on pollen and plant nectars.

Finding Prey

Similar to other blood-sucking insects such as mosquitoes for example, female horse flies use both chemical and visual cues to locate hosts. Carbon dioxide expelled by warm-blooded animals provides a long-range cue to attract flies from a distance, while visual cues such as motion, size, shape and dark color function to attract horse flies from shorter distances.

Bites

They rarely bite near the head. Horse flies have a range of hosts that include mammals of almost all sizes, livestock, humans, pets and birds. Should a female horse fly be interrupted when attempting to feed, they will fly off but quickly return to bite again, or go to another host to consume a complete blood meal.

Horse Fly Bites vs. Deer Fly Bites

Female horse flies usually bite large, nonmoving mammals on the legs or body. Deer flies, in contrast, attack moving hosts and typically target high on the body, like the head or neck.

Symptoms

When bitten, the symptoms and bite reactions can include:

• Localized swelling and an itchy red area around the bite.

• Persistent itching and scratching of bite wounds that can cause secondary bacterial infections if the bite is not kept clean and disinfected.

• Since horse flies inject anticoagulant-containing saliva during blood feeding, some serious reactions may occur in people that are highly allergic to the anticoagulant compounds. Symptoms may include a rash on the body, wheezing, swelling around the eyes, swelling of the lips and dizziness or weakness.

Reproduction & Life Cycle

Horse fly development sites are freshwater and saltwater marshes and streams, moist forest soils and even moist decomposing wood. Females usually deposit egg masses on wet soil or vegetation that overhangs water. Larvae are active in moist or wet organic matter and look similar to house fly maggots.

Horse flies have from 6-13 larval stages, depending on the species. The final larval stage overwinters and then enters the pupal stage in the spring. The pupal stage only lasts about 1-3 weeks after which the adults emerge in the late spring or early summer. Fertile females will lay their eggs on the underside of leaves, and in about 2-3 days the larvae hatch out and drop from the leaf. Most horse fly species have only one generation per year, but others may take up to 2-3 years to complete their development.

Horse Fly Larvae vs. Deer Fly Larvae

Horse fly larvae studied by field researchers feed on midges, crane flies and even other horse fly larvae. Because of their cannibalistic behaviors, horse fly larvae are usually found living alone. Deer fly larvae, on the other hand, usually live in groups. Pupae do not feed.

Female horse flies must consume a blood meal in order to yield fertile fly eggs. One female can lay from 100-800 eggs per year.

Distribution

Horse flies are found in most areas of the United States with more than 160 various species.

Prevention Tips

Insect repellents are helpful, but even the best repellents are not overly effective. A better prevention option is to clothe and protect exposed parts of the body to reduce the likelihood of horse fly bites.