Ridecamp: Re: [RC] attack of the Killer Horseflies

> A. Perez walkergirl@xxxxxxxxxx
>    i had nver seen horseflies before moving to VA.
> These monsters are HUGE - size of a LARGE bumblebee,
> and they don't take no for an answer.  Their bite
> must really hurt: Cy goes nuts if ones near him.
> I was (practicing what I preach) riding bareback
> around the afrm the other day, and had a huge horsefly
> following us: kept landing on Cys back right behind me
> (gard to swat): Cy started kicking out and bucking,
> and he wanted to get as far away as possible as fast as
> possible.  MAnaged to stay on board and keep him in control,
> but it was not fun.  I have been using the new fly dope
> that's like Top-Line for dogs (comes in little tubes,
> apply it in spots on poll, croup, behined each legs).
> It seems to keep the gnats at bay but does nothing for the
> horsflies.  Any recommendations for repellent?  I especially
> worry since HFs are thought to be the prime carriers
> of EIA.

From your description it sounds like a bot fly 
(http://ipmwww.ncsu.edu/AG369/notes/horse_bot_flies.html).  They 
don't actually bite the horse, but they seem to drive them crazier 
than flies that do bite.  Start examining your horse for the tiny 
yellow eggs that the flies lay on the horse, and remove them -- those 
do a lot of damage as they hatch when the horse ingests them in the 
course of licking/chewing them off their fur.
--
Lynn Kinsky     Santa Ynez, CA
http://www.silcom.com/~lkinsky


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