THE DREADED HORSEFLY
By Terri Estes
Some of you may know of my deep hatred for the biting, blood sucking mosquito. They are number one on my hit list. But let me tell you, the green headed horsefly is a pretty close second.
Nothing can ruin a nice relaxing day on the beach like a relentless, giant fly biting your ankles and drawing blood every chance it gets. Every time you let your guard down and think the darn bug has moved on, it strikes again, turning the magazine or The Rockaway Times that you are trying to read into an ineffective fly swatter.
Unlike the mosquito, who can pierce your skin, fill up on blood and be gone before you know what happened, the horsefly uses razor-like jaws to rip into your skin and then soak up your blood with a sponge-like tongue. It hurts!! And, unlike the mosquito, who prefers to prey on us in the cooler hours of dusk until dawn, the horsefly loves warm, sunny days to inflict their damage.
Only female horseflies bite. They need the high protein blood for their eggs to develop. Not only do they harass us, their severe and aggressive biting can cause harm and stress to cattle, horses and all domestic animals.
The horsefly lays its eggs in wet soil or vegetation that overhangs freshwater or saltwater marshes. The eggs hatch into larva within seven to ten days. Adult horseflies are strong flyers and can travel up to 30 miles.
Our area is flush with saltwater marshes, so, unfortunately, we are flush with horseflies. The battle rages on!
