Horseflies (Clegs).

[Dale.]

I don't hate many things but horseflies are close. I got bitten by one on Friday, near my lower jaw, right hand side of my face. I was in our garden. 2 days later and it's quite swollen and itchy, resisting the scratching isn't easy.

The thing is, I never felt it at the time, they have a crafty way of biting so that you rarely feel it. I always get a reaction, a smallish, hard lump, usually with an open pinhole and it itches. After a day or so, the swelling usually goes down, I think depending on how good it got me. This one got me good and has had a feast I think. I'm just using Germolene, to keep the area clean and also, reduce the itching.

Oddly, over the last couple of years, I've not been bitten at all, numbers of horseflies seemed to drop off. They do seem to be around with a vengeance here at the moment though. I'm off out for a few hours with the camera later, I think bug spray will have to be deployed.

Talk about midgies, yes, they are uncomfortable and annoying but give me a cloud of them over a single horsefly any day.

I know some people get different reactions to horsefly bites and I'm curious about why that should be and to what extent, it's a non event for some but can be a nasty experience for others.

Also, what prevention methods might be used?

 

[Barney]

Rhubarb leaves rubbed on as a preventative

 

[Son_of_Thor]

Seem to be loads of them about this year around us (Lancashire), arguably more than usual. Haven't found anything as yet that keeps them away unfortunately. I do usually feel them bite, but it's too late by then. Bites stay inflamed/itchy for days

 

[Barney]

These were from the West Pennine Moors

Bitten ten days ago now, had about ten in total

Back of my calf muscle

 

[Nostromo]

My wife has quite a bad allergic reaction to horsefly bites. The area of the bite really swells up. She has found out that horseflies (and my be other species) are confused by black and white stripes, like a zebra for example. She now wears a loose fitting, zebra pattern shirt and trousers, when she walks the dogs. It does seem to have worked so far.
For the treatment of any bites she gets (when not walking the dogs, just in normal daily life) she uses heat. So either a hairdryer, a spoon run under hot water, a flannel soaked in hot water. This apparently reduces the inflammation and the itching.
I don't have any reaction to horsefly bites (thankfully, as i work as a gardener), but they're still annoying little beggars.

 

[Nod]

Did a fair bit of kayaking around Blandford Forum in Dorset - home to the "Blanny Bomber"...

Blandford fly - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Midget horseflies with a worse bite!

Even the mention of Horseflies or BBs makes me itch.