What Attracts Horse Flies?

Wondering what attracts the biting horse fly?  A horse fly has other relatives which are deer flies and yellow flies. They mostly mate during the summer season. Female horse flies are known for sucking blood. Their bites come with a lot of pain and put you at risk of developing rashes and infections. It is not always that easy to control horseflies due to their population and biting patterns. However, one of the best ways to tackle a horse fly is to identify what gets it attracted. 

Biting, Birth, and Eating

With respect to drinking blood, this is only attributed to a female horse fly. You will mostly find Horse Flies in activity between June and August. The reason is that the females require blood in order to lay their eggs which could number between 25 and 1000.

Recommended Read:  The Life of a Horse Fly

Male horse flies only take in plants nectar. You mostly find horse flies hunting in areas that are surrounded by water where the Earth is soft. this environment is very good for a horsefly to lay its eggs. During heatwaves and sunny days, Horseflies attack often. They won’t only attack humans, but most mammals like horses.

Bloody Attractions

In order to identify sources of food, female horse flies usually have some techniques. They have the ability to detect the emission of CO2 as well as body odor. They use these signals to target their sources. Then again, fast movement, as well as body heat, serves as a source of attraction to them. You will also find them being drawn towards dark colors as well as wood smoke. It has been noticed that blue seems very attractive to the horse fly.

If you happen to travel to areas that are clogged with water during the summer, avoid wearing clothes that have blue colors. The horse fly will mostly aim for the head, neck, as well as limbs. So, it is highly recommended that make use of hats, long-sleeve clothes, and more to protect yourself.

The adult horsefly is attracted to low lying areas of meadows, pastures and marsh.  The larvae require moist soil to survive.  The female fly will lay her eggs in the vegetation that is surrounding the water, and once the larvae hatch they will burrow down into the soft, moist soil.  The horsefly larvae will then be able to feed on organic debris, snails and other insects.

Controlling horseflies

There are plenty of horsefly control products and methods that can be applied to help tackle these insects. Although these methods are very few, it can help to minimize their bites. At present, no established methods of eliminating them entirely exist. Sometimes, they can be resistant to a lot of sprays but it is recommended that you use a dedicated horse fly repellent spray in order to dissuade the insects. 

There are some interesting suggestions for making a DIY horse fly trap and you should check them out, could be a great solution for the summer months when they are at their most aggressive.