Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 44 total)
  • Horse Fly survey
  • oldmanmtb
    Free Member

    So this year around my house they are “off the scale” never seen anything like it.

    The horrible little things are not put of by anything you spray on yourself.

    ElShalimo
    Full Member

    I suggest a survey to ask the horse flies which deterrents they dislike the most.

    FuzzyWuzzy
    Full Member

    I haven’t seen one in years…

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    kayak23
    Full Member

    Oh, was looking forward to an ill conceived, badly written and meaningless Surveymonkey survey about my horsefly experiences.

    I is disappoint.

    cloudnine
    Free Member

    Been bitten loads this year.. usually through my t shirt on my back or shoulders

    oldmanmtb
    Free Member

    Getting bitten about 5 times a day at the moment and their ability to bite through a shirt is impressive.

    slowbloke
    Free Member

    Tons of them at home, but then there are also a lot of horses…..

    The only bite so far this year was at the Eden Project last Saturday during the Dreadzone set – little bugger.

    Avon skin so soft works for most flys but not them. Oddly this was suggested to me on an mtb skills course 😆

    Flaperon
    Full Member

    Bitten while out running yesterday.  Not seen this many for a good few years.

    I think the little bastards deliberately hang around gates.

    johnners
    Free Member

    I find “Flies Undone” (Picaridin so similar to Smidge) puts them off, but I got bitten a few times the other day regardless. I think I was sweating so much most of the repellent just washed off. You’d need 4 minute mile pace to outrun them, they’re strong flyers!

    perchypanther
    Free Member

    arrpee
    Free Member

    They’re the George Romero zombies of the insect world: intent on feasting on human flesh and singularly unconcerned with their own survival.

    P-Jay
    Free Member

    I’m going to temp fate here and say they’ve been greatly reduced in my experience this year. Wife was bitten a few weeks ago, you’d think she’d been shot – first time for her She’s 34!

    I’ve had 2, in fact the woods were completely devoid of midges, horse flies and all manner of other flying bastards the other night when I’m usually eating them at about the same rate they’re eating me.

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    Huge bump on my elbow from a nasty bugger who bit me whilst running on the Downs the other day.

    Damn thing itches like billy-o’

    steve_b77
    Free Member

    I’ve had one bite on my left shin, swelled up into a nice lump right across the bone that met the calf on each side.

    My wife has been bitten right on her ankle, on a course of anti-biotics as the “infection” tracked down towards her toes and up towards her calf!!

    Hohum
    Free Member

    Horrid things indeed!

    I have been bitten twice, but in the war against them I have managed to kill 5 of them so far!

    solarider
    Free Member

    Definitely worse this year. One got in the bedroom 2 nights ago. By the morning I had 5 bites and my wife had 2. Plus loads of bites whilst out on the bike. Even the most worthless of animals have some part to play in the food chain, but I just can’t see the point of horseflies on any level.

    On the upside, because they haven’t evolved to deal with animals that fight back (horses can’t reach or have hands to either hit them or hold a fly swat), they are easy to squash. They don’t seem to have the instinct that other flies do to bugger off if something approaches them.

    BillOddie
    Full Member

    Plenty of them in Leicestershire!

    Proper horrid things but very easy to kill.

    bob_summers
    Full Member

    This was pooh poohed in the other thread, but I don’t generally get bitten by them on the road bike. Although some species of horsefly can do 90mph, I can outclimb the regular tábanos that live here.

    Put me on an airless 25% climb through cow pasture and my fat lycra clad arse looks exactly like the rear end of a friesian and they go for me.

    Drac
    Full Member

    Seem to be the (ahem) Buzzword just now, the media seems to have heard about them. So instead of killer Asian wasps this year it’s horse flies. Suddenly everyone has noticed them.

    vickypea
    Free Member

    There were loads last year on Long Mynd when we had a mini heatwave. Also seen loads recently in the Lake District. I reckon they like hot weather.

    They always seem to choose to bite me through a layer of clothing rather than straight on bare skin.

    mariner
    Free Member

    Mrs M is a magnet for Mr & Mrs Bitey but this year she is using Incognito spray and very pleased to be able to work outside without any insect problems.

    Unfortunately they are now after me.

    martymac
    Full Member

    Yep, particularly bad here in fife this year.

    midgies not as bad as normal though.

    mooman
    Free Member

    First encounter of the year with them on Tuesday afternoon. Managed to feel the one on my calf – so that one died soon after; The other two that got me through my jersey were a lot more stealthy & gentle … I assume they lived.

    Tea Tree has been moderately effective in previous years.

    Bunnyhop
    Full Member

    Have had 4 bites this year.

    The itching, not being able to sleep and the cellulitis (swelling which looks comical if on your knee or leg)  is no laughing matter. They give off heat too which is unpleasant.

    One managed to go up my skirt when I was picking rhubarb. Wasn’t able to ride the bike after that little beast bit me.

    Doctor said the moment you get bitten gently put some antiseptic cream on.

    Apparently they prefer dark clothing, also dark horses.

    spekkie
    Free Member

    Seen a few over here in Spain. One bit me on my lhs shoulder blade and without realizing, I scratched it until it bled.

    The ones over here are hard little bastards.

    angeldust
    Free Member

    Nothing to do with buzzwords.  I’ve known about them for decades, so I’m not influenced by any media trend (wasn’t aware of any coverage) and there does seem to be more about this summer.  Using smidge to try and keep them off, and mostly seems to be working.  Forgot to apply it before a walk (Cambridgeshire) a few weeks ago and 12 bites on my legs!  Got another in the Peak District this week, after I showered and washed the smidge off, and forgot to reapply when doing the BBQ.  I don’t react too badly compared to some – GF gets hugh blisters when bitten and usually ends up on antibiotics.

    Malvern Rider
    Free Member

    Managed to arrange some respite this week so took the solo tent from North Wales down through Gwynedd and Shrops these past 4 days.

    Every single stop I’ve been mobbed by the silent bitey bastards.  ‘Hate’ is a strong word, and I thought I ‘hated’ mozzies until the Horsefly Plague of 2018 made me ruefully wish for mozzies instead. Actually had blood running down my fingers from the wrist-shots.  Elbows and insides of knees are no-win scratch-cards and the red bites now have little yellow pustules.  Death to them all. I now look worse in shorts than before and that is saying something (blue-white with red and yellow polka dots is not a good look)

    Tried climbing Cader Idris to escape the onslaught, the last one I saw was approx 2500ft, then a mercuful peaceful night on the summit.

    The return journey down through the  Gwynant Valley was World War Z recast with horseflies in place of zombies.

    Clun is no better.  Maybe it’s my part-Welsh blood that is attractive, but **** them very much anyway.

    Drac
    Full Member

    Nothing to do with buzzwords.  I’ve known about them for decades, so I’m not influenced by any media trend (wasn’t aware of any coverage) and there does seem to be more about this summer.

    Funny thing I’ve known about them since I was a kid too, I’ve seen the media panic of “Horse Bites and what to do shocker” but yet there seems to be no more than previous years. I got bit last week by one the area was red and tender for the week. Not as bad as the midgie bite from a few days previous which started tracking up my arm.

    angeldust
    Free Member

    What other reason would there be for increased media coverage?  Daily Mail style ‘we’ve run out of things to write about’?

    Cougar
    Full Member

    I’m sporting horsefly injuries.

    Went playing airsoft at the weekend, never been before.  They give you these automatic rifles that spit out plastic ball-bearings.

    I’d sneaked up on the enemy team, crawling through the grass.  I lined up a sniper shot and was just about to shoot when a horsefly the size of Belgium landed on the back of my rifle hand and assumed the blood-sucking position.  I panicked a little, yelled “ARGHGERROFFYABASTARD!!” and was promptly shot to bloody ribbons.  I’ve still got the welts and bruises five days later.

    vongassit
    Free Member

    What I always knew as clegs are more like a smaller daddy long legs , they also bite & tend to bring out swelling on me like an egg. I dont think we get these horse flys on Skye , but at Coulags a few weeks ago these were prevelent , I didnt recognise them & thought they looked like sort of Hover fly.

    Thankfully no bites were recieved.

    Drac
    Full Member

    What other reason would there be for increased media coverage?  Daily Mail style ‘we’ve run out of things to write about’?

    Pretty much that yes, like I say the new killer hornets.

    They’ve jumped on the a story that warm weather means there’s more of them, like all insects. So they’ve ran with “Swarms of horse flies due to heatwave” “What to do if horse flies attack”

    angeldust
    Free Member

    Funny thing I’ve known about them since I was a kid too, I’ve seen the media panic of “Horse Bites and what to do shocker” but yet there seems to be no more than previous years. I got bit last week by one the area was red and tender for the week. Not as bad as the midgie bite from a few days previous which started tracking up my arm.

    Ready to accept that there are more about than usual yet?

    vongassit
    Free Member

    Yup with comedic timing , 2 days after I posted above the , very type I thought were not about here bit me on my ear (outer edge)! 1 swollen & extremly stupid looking ear & bloody itchy too , it was bloody hot & they were swarming around & landing on my dark coloured works van that was parked on a shore at the high tide area.

    They were not like our normal clegs , more greeny coloured.

    xora
    Full Member

    Got bitten a few times in one go by a swarm of the buggers!

    Cost me 2 days in hospital and 3 weeks of being on anti-biotics 🙁

    Could do with flame thrower!

    nickc
    Full Member

    Warning, slightly gross content…

    Splatted one in the Gfs kitchen window a week ago, and in the remains was a swarm of really teeny crawling maggots, tens of them… Proper “bluergh” moment..

    oldmanmtb
    Free Member

    They have disappeared at the moment?

    Moses
    Full Member

    Doctor said the moment you get bitten gently –

    The sods that got me last week in West Wiltshire were anything but gentle.

    Nasty lasting bites, plenty of clegs, but I swatted a fair few too.

    LadyGresley
    Free Member

    I’ve got a bite that’s swollen up nicely on my calf – then yesterday I saw three of the little b.., no. f… – no, I have no word bad enough for them – tucking into the swollen part of my leg.  I now have bites swelling up and blistering on the bite that had swollen up.  It’s a tad itchy..

    boriselbrus
    Free Member

    If you think there are no more around this year you are wrong.

    I spend most weekends on the munros, most Summers I might get a couple of bites from them, when we’ve had cold summers I’ve sometimes seen non all year.

    This year however they’ve been attacking in swarms. I was camping at Culra to climb the Ben Alder hills and at times there must have been at least 40 of them around me

    At the end of the weekend I had over 30 bites and whilst they can’t bite me through my wind proof clothing, you can’t wear that when it’s 26′ or you cook.

    There are far fewer midges this year though, but I’m almost looking back on midge attacks with some fondness.

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