What do you think this was?

[LadyGascoyne]

Poor little Mim! This morning (6am) there was a huge welt on her side, and it was sore to prod.

It definitely wasn’t there are 10pm last night.

But, by 11am it was half the size, and by lunch time it was nearly gone. The groom prodded it a bit this afternoon and she wasn’t even slightly reactive. This evening all you can see is a slightly ruffled patch of coat, if you really look for it.

So obviously not worried but intrigued. She’s never had any kind of reaction to a bite before.

 

[PurBee]

My gelding last couple of nights has shown these. They tend to go down within 12 hours. I had a similar puzzled reaction what coudld cause them. We still have some remnant horseflies but both horses dont react to their bites.

Interestingly, he’s grey, my mare is black. She doesnt have any. Yesterday i finally noticed that the flying ants are airborne, (they have specific days where theyre all out seeking what i dont know - mating?, but they just suddenly appear) 1 day, when conditions are right, they swarm. Its generally drier warmer weather.
The key thing is flying ants are attracted to light objects - my stone paths are a light grey gravel - they fly allover them, about 6 feet high off the ground, and land on the gravel, also some white tarps i have get covered in them, huge amounts of them rolling around each other.
The gelding appeared bothered by something, and i noticed a few of the flying ants were landing on him - but not the mare. When ants get disturbed they can bite sometimes, so i think he had reached round with his muzzle as they tickle, and caused 1 or 2 to bite. I’ve had them bite me gardening, and cause large swellings. Only when they get squashed accidently in my hand in soil, because i didnt see them, and they reflex- bite.

Maybe because mim is light compared to the darker green fields, theyre attracted to land on her. They land on my blonde hair and tickle as they flit about. Truly - when they swarm they zero-in on anything lighter than green grass and trees! My polytunnel being light has them too. Huge swarms.

They get midges, biting-flies, horseflies bite during summer, but its only the ants that cause these large welt reactions. Its always him, not her, they avoid dark…she gets hounded by horseflies, he gets hounded by flying ants! i need a brown horse

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Agree with PurBee, my horse rolled on a swarming flying ants nest a couple of years back and his whole offside looked like this. Thankfully it had all cleared up within 48 hours.

 

[Barton Bounty]

BBs whole body went like this when he had been stung, he had anaphylactic shock and everything was swollen. I agree though that a bite from something. Ive noticed the black flies are very bad for biting this year

 

[LadyGascoyne]

My gelding last couple of nights has shown these. They tend to go down within 12 hours. I had a similar puzzled reaction what coudld cause them. We still have some remnant horseflies but both horses dont react to their bites.

Interestingly, he’s grey, my mare is black. She doesnt have any. Yesterday i finally noticed that the flying ants are airborne, (they have specific days where theyre all out seeking what i dont know - mating?, but they just suddenly appear) 1 day, when conditions are right, they swarm. Its generally drier warmer weather.
The key thing is flying ants are attracted to light objects - my stone paths are a light grey gravel - they fly allover them, about 6 feet high off the ground, and land on the gravel, also some white tarps i have get covered in them, huge amounts of them rolling around each other.
The gelding appeared bothered by something, and i noticed a few of the flying ants were landing on him - but not the mare. When ants get disturbed they can bite sometimes, so i think he had reached round with his muzzle as they tickle, and caused 1 or 2 to bite. I’ve had them bite me gardening, and cause large swellings. Only when they get squashed accidently in my hand in soil, because i didnt see them, and they reflex- bite.

Maybe because mim is light compared to the darker green fields, theyre attracted to land on her. They land on my blonde hair and tickle as they flit about. Truly - when they swarm they zero-in on anything lighter than green grass and trees! My polytunnel being light has them too. Huge swarms.

They get midges, biting-flies, horseflies bite during summer, but its only the ants that cause these large welt reactions. Its always him, not her, they avoid dark…she gets hounded by horseflies, he gets hounded by flying ants! i need a brown horse

That is so interesting! You always have such great observations. That makes a lot of sense.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Same as yesterday evening, and not sore to touch.

 

[Barton Bounty]

How about trying an ice pack or cold hosing to see if it subsides

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

That looks like a bite reaction mine get them occasionally I hose it and use human bite cream on it.

 

[PurBee]

That is so interesting! You always have such great observations. That makes a lot of sense.

Coincidentally, i just saw while browsing news, that birmingham has been plagued with swarms of flying ants - seems theyre very active this year!

Watch huge flying ants swarm town as 'kids scream and stores close doors'

Shoppers in Solihull found themselves at war with winged agitators as so-called 'Flying Ant Day' was declared across the country

www.birminghammail.co.uk

 

[Gloi]

Could be a wasp sting.

 

[smolmaus]

The key thing is flying ants are attracted to light objects - my stone paths are a light grey gravel - they fly allover them, about 6 feet high off the ground, and land on the gravel, also some white tarps i have get covered in them, huge amounts of them rolling around each other.

My mare was absolutely covered in flying ants yesterday! Her sweet itch rug is white so this makes sense. I don't think they were able to sting her through the rug, luckily.

Poor Mim! Glad its not sore even if it looks so nasty

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

We had swarms of flying ants here last night couldn't open any doors or windows they were everywhere

 

[tda]

We had a swarm of flying ants on our light coloured patio last night ! Never seen them before

 

[BBP]

Flying ants time again! BBP gets covered in welts like that when the flying ants are around. Not sure what he does to upset them.

 

[Goldenstar]

I think it’s a sting as well probably a wasp .