Horseflies are known for their focus on animals, including horses, during the summer months. The inch-long insects often descend during daylight and resemble common houseflies in all but size. They use slicing beaks which pierce the skin, allowing them to lap up blood pooling in the wound, and sometimes chase victims if they haven’t got their fill.
How to tell if a horsefly has bitten you
Horseflies are not easily identifiable, as they don’t have the alarming yellow and black flashes stinging pests such as wasps and hornets do.
Bites from a horsefly cause a combination of symptoms beyond those of a run of the mill insect.
The bites may also become infected, causing another round of unpleasant side effects.
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Farmers can keep the pests away from their animals by screening their barns or enclosures.
Horseflies also choose to lay their eggs similarly to mosquitos, using moist environments such as ponds and marshes.
According to the Agricultural Extension at the University of Missouri, people can create traps to capture any populations causing havoc where they live.
Many of these involve netting fashioned into an umbrella-like construction which catches them as they descend on fake prey.