big horrid black fly type bugs?

LokiSofi

LokiSofi

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Oct 11, 2003
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Has anyone else had an influx of these strange large black gangly looking fly type insects? We have swarms of them up the yard they are everywhere and I want to know if they bite as Misty seems really really distressed by them but isn't coming in with any large bites (she has quite a few small ones but they could be midge bites) I've never seen them before and a few other people i know have said they have these weird flies at their yards too. Anyone know what they are?
 
lol I've been trying to google pics of them but cant find anything that looks similar.

They are quite big, have black bodies, long black legs and black wings. don't make a noise/at least don't seem too. They seem to cluster in large groups. Quite stupid slow reacting flies. Will keep looknig for images as I realise that is a rubbish description:p
 
They sound interesting! We currently have those slim, small black flies with the hooked tails. They don't appear to bite, but simply love committing suicide in the water trough!! I rescue them daily (with my sieve) but honestly, they seem to dive back in when I go back later!!!
The dreaded tabinaie (or tabinidae) not sure how you spell it, but otherwise known as the horse fly will be back soon, so far we've not got any, but the minute they appear the fly rugs will be on! Blasted things bit my hand last year, I caught one to get it off Storm and the bloomin thing bit and bit my palm! I kill them with impunity (other insects I rescue).
 
i've seen some very weird flies, stuff like would be in a scary movie!

The worst one was quite a long bug, like a massive mosquito..it was pure black, had massive wings and a very very long tail. They made me, my dad, flach and blossom ill for about an hour :( awful flies they are! both horses and me and my dad are fine now, but it was a scary hour :(

xxx
 
yuk I feel all squeamish and itchy now. Have gone through several pics of various flies and can't find anything that looks similar. I suppose the nearest thing i can think of is one of those flying ants but its even not quite the same as that


and trewsers don't remind me that horse flies are coming i hate the bloody things. Vicious little gits
 
That sounds like the dreaded Blackthorn weavil - jumpingmad!!!! This will give you nightmares......
Years ago this guy in the paper (well it was the Sun so may not have been all true!) lived in a remote area and died because the Blackthorn weavil burrowed into his ear, perforated his ear drum and nobody diagnosed it (he'd seen a doctor but they didn't see it!!!!). Horrid. Put me off sleeping with the windows open for years...........They are very rare tho.
 
oh yuckk!! thats gross trewsers! looks like i am off to the doctors next week haha!

they are horrid flies..really hope i dont come across another one ever..i was so ill for that hour and so was my dad but we had to push through it to keep blossom and flach walking around the yard and cooling them down..i will never forget it :(

xxx
 
We had these too, I think they are Hawthorn Flies.

Do you have Hawthorn in your hedges?

Don't worry they don't bite, just look scary because they are big and black and tend to fly at head height.
 
Ergh we've already had horseflies here for a month :mad: I always have a strong reaction to them when they get me, I've already got lumps all over my things where they get me THROUGH my jods while I'm riding. We also have these clegg flies (similar to the crab flies you get in the UK) that scuttle around between the horses' back legs and irritate the crap out of them! Oh and these flying beetle type things with clicky wings that hang out in the yard. And hornets - lots and lots of hornets, there's lots of lavendar and wild herbs around here and the hornets just love it.

Oh yes, the joys of the Algarvian summer :o
 
LokiSofi said:
aren't weavils those cute tiny little bugs?
Click to expand...

They do vary in size, but, I am not overly keen on the look of them! They have little sucker type feet - I guess they aren't ugly, but they make me jump! I moved one this morning out of our feedroom.........They are famous for living in biscuits on board ships......:D
 
Cripes Joosie, I hate hornets! I got bitten / stung off one as a kid - sat on the loo!!!!! Blighter must have been hiding in the bathroom.!
 
Got clouds of them here the last couple of days - get them every year over here - they are Hawthorn flies or sometimes called Alder flies I think. They dont bite but hate the way they sort of slowly drift about at head height with their long dangley legs hanging down. Shudder....:mad: Hate all creepy crawleys.:o
 
Well think yourselves lucky you don't have our super evil New Forest Crab Flies :mad::rolleyes:

I will take ALL the flies you lot have between you if you will relieve me of my crabs ... hang on a moment, that didn't come out quite right :eek::p
 
flump1967 said:
Well think yourselves lucky you don't have our super evil New Forest Crab Flies :mad::rolleyes:

I will take ALL the flies you lot have between you if you will relieve me of my crabs ... hang on a moment, that didn't come out quite right :eek::p
Click to expand...

:D:D:D -no you can keep your crabs flump!!! thanks anyway!:D
 
Ahh flumps your so thoughtful but you can have your crabs all to yourself !!!

We have lots of slow fly big black flies with long dangly legs, looks like they could be mating mid flight or maybe thats just my dirty little mind:)

Either way they are gross that I walk around with my mouth closed and breathing through my nose, just incase one goes in my mouth.
 
We have plenty of the dangly flies and various flying beetles at the moment but nothing to annoy the horses too much. It is the swarms of black buzzing flies I hate (sorry can't remember what they are called) they make my grey mare's life a misery in Summer, for some reason they are really attracted to her and her poor face.

Last Summer I was putting fly repellent on our gelding who has head shyness, not so bad now but still doesn't like sudden movements near his head, I'm wiping gently round his eyes and get this searing pain on my wrist, glance down and a horse-fly is munching away, not a thing I could do because of a head shy horse, had to put up with it and act normal until I had finished then swipe the the so and so. I still have the lump yet. Have been bitten by them on my thigh, hand and arms and it is really sore when they do it so I sympathise with the poor horses! :)
 
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