Just about all of us have had the unfortunate experience of getting bitten by a horse fly. Opposed to hornets, horse flies actually bite you to draw you blood, similar to mosquitos. While the primary target of horse flies are cattle and other livestock, humans are oftentimes on the receiving end of the horse fliy’s bites. In today’s article, we will explain exactly why horse flies bite humans.
Why do horse flies bite humans?
Horse flies bite humans because they are in need of blood in order to produce eggs. Therefore, it is only female horse flies that bite humans. Male’s have no benefit of biting humans or any other animals. When a horse fly bites you, it uses its sharp mouth to bite into your skin and draw out your blood. Since horse flies usually mate in the summer, most humans are bitten by horse flies between the months of May and July. Humans are easy targets during these months because we do not wear a lot of clothing, and thus have a lot of skin exposed.
Skin is not the only thing that attracts a female horse fly to bite humans. They are also attracted to bright and shiny surfaces, similar to sharks. Horse flies also like to bite objects that are on the move. Through evolution, horse flies have also become attracted to things that are releasing carbon dioxide (which is what humans let out when they breathe).
How to tell the difference between a horse fly and a hornet
A horse fly will have a dark colored body and will have clear wings. Most horse flies have bright yellow or green eyes, but some can also have black eyes. They range in sizes, but most horse flies are around 1 inch in length.
Why do horse fly bites hurt so much
Horse fly bites hurt so much because the fly uses its sharp knife like mouth to cut into your skin. It has to bite deep enough to draw blood. Additionally, horse fly bites can be more painful when someone has an allergic reaction. While horse flies don’t have stingers, they do have a substance on their mouth that can be transferred to your skin and thus cause an allergic reaction. The symptoms of an allergic reaction usually include immediate swelling and a red bump.
Most people will develop swelling after a horse fly bite. We recommend putting ice on the bite immediately. The swelling should go down after a day or two. It is important that you don’t itch at the bite. We also recommend putting ointment on the bite to protect from infection and soothe the itching.
