CLEGS, Aaaarrrgggghhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

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kfrew

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The clegs in the last two weeks have been horrendous. Today i had to cut our hack short as my mare was just surrounded with them even though i had soaked her in fly spray before leaving the yard. Its getting quite unbearable. I spary my horse every morning and night, bring her in during the afternoon for a break and she wears a fly mask in the field. Whats everyone else doing to cope this year? Do the fly rugs work for clegs or do they just bite through?
 
ah - thank you
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Do the fly rugs work for clegs or do they just bite through?

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I only use my fly rug for horseflies - they do seem to stop the little critters from biting.
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Clegs are foul evil things and ruined my hack today too. Only thing more foul was the evil hornet thing that danced about my poor wee horse's legs for a while!!! I'm riddled with bites and so was my poor girl. I'm just going to have to ride in the school until the F***ers naff off again! Yes, we were drenched in fly spray but it doesn't work against the evil things. Exactly what they contribute to the eco system i'd love to know!
 
Still not liking them!! Anyone used garlic in horses feed to stop them biting? If so do you find it works? Going through so much fly spray at the mo and doesnt seem to be helping at all.
 
I got bitten on the leg whilst hacking today. And also on the bottom
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they seemed to take exception to Dylan's fly spray (I doused him in it before we went out so he didn't spend the whole hack twitching), and decided to turn on me instead.

Grr.
 
Yep, had the same problem out hacking. My daughters horse seems to be able to cope with the flies, but my thin skinned warmblood mare was bucking, tanking off every now and then and generally bothered big time. It is very annoying as during the winter months we all long for the summer but forgetting the misery it can bring as well !
 
Poor mare has a huge bite on her flank which I have been putting aloe vera cream on, now the hair is falling out in that area. AAGH! She's grey, so big black patch of skin appearing. The other bites have not done this, any ideas?

I use a fly rug all the time in the field and a summer sheet night, little s*d obviously got under her rug or bit her when she was being ridden.
 
Clegg flies are mainly these
Notch Horned Clegg also known as Haematopota-pluvialis.Here is a good picture of one here: Notch horned clegg fly
When attacking humans they usually prefer the buttocks, legs, and feet, though they have been known to attack arms as well. Horse flies are most active in hot weather, mostly in summer and autumn during the daylight hours. Most species also prefer a wet environment, which makes it easier for them to breed. The females' primary sense for locating prey is sight, and they have large compound eyes that serve this purpose well. The flies usually lay waiting in shady areas for prey to happen by. They are attracted to large, dark objects, and to certain animal odors and carbon dioxide. ( info taken from http://www.uknature.co.uk/H.pluvialis-info.html). Some good images can also be found on this page as well: more images. There are also two photos of the female seen sucking blood from humans sucking blood 1 sucking blood 2 I can remember a thread last year about this same fly ( or indeed similar) see H&H Horrid Fly thread where I posted about the little blighters. There were some great images of them at Bioimages.org.uk. However at this moment in time their website is under construction. There were some fab images on there close up of male and female if I remember correctly. The ones of the female showed exactly why she could quite easily be the insect vampire of today. She has a cutting mouth part which is shaped like a dagger and unlike mosquitos and similar flies which puncture skin with a very small mouth part ( almost needle-like), in the case of the NH clegg it is far bigger and more painful. I vowed not to get bitten like last year but so far to date in the last couple of weeks I have had around 4 bites that I know of. Gawd knows how the horses must feel because if they hurt them as much as us then ever likely they go ballistic when they are around. I have seen plenty of them about when out riding and they seem to be in all areas, bridleways, woods and roads alike.
Aggressive too and have been described as such. It is though once they have homed in on you or your horse they will have you or your mount at any cost.
The main reason I hate them from a personal pov is because although they do hurt when they bite, it is the swelling that affects me for days and sometimes weeks afterwards. They can also bite through clothes. I got bitten last week wearing jeans, although they were baggy type and it may have flown up under the bottom of my trousers. Didn't feel it at the time though because the opposite side of my calf got skinned by my leathers as the skin got pinched between the straps ( that will teach me to wear baggy jeans lol). My fault entirely though as I hadn't planned to ride that day and didn't have jods on, but just thought sod it and went out. Anyway have not seen much deterrent to these flies by the use of fly spray as my mate gives her mare a good spray before we go out and yet there are still biting flies around them.
May be worth asking some experts who study these flies what their thoughts are in relation to stopping the blighters biting us and horses, as they do study them in the field so to speak.
Sorry for long post, it's just these flies are a bug bear of mine ( pardon the pun).
Caz
 
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