Horseflies

Horseflies are active on hot, sunny days, especially near bodies of water, where their larvae develop. Unlike a mosquito, a horsefly cuts the skin rather than piercing it, so the bite is painful, slow to heal, and often produces a marked local reaction.

For rural areas and agribusinesses, horseflies are a seasonal problem: at the peak of their flight, cattle on pasture lose their calm and feed worse, and weight gain and milk yields fall. People take their share too — haymaking, fishing, construction sites near water.

Basic protection is sprays and aerosols against flying blood-feeding insects, used as directed for the specific product. Simple measures help on top of that: light-colored, close-woven clothing, canopies and shaded shelters for livestock during peak hours, and shifting work to the morning and the evening, when horseflies are less active.

• Attacks peak at hot midday near water; plan work for the morning and the evening.
• Light-colored clothing attracts horseflies less than dark clothing does.
• Set up shaded shelters for herds — in the shade horseflies attack noticeably less often.
• Use products strictly according to the instructions on the pack.