# Fly bites, really tiny flys



## Reble (May 18, 2008)

Not the horses getting bit, but I am bit and have gone to the drug store to see what to do?

He told me to take antihistamine pills and use the after bite stick.

He said there has been a lot of problem with these flies this year.

To get a long sleeve light or white shirt & hat spray with off, and every time I go out to spray it again and use this for my bug clothes, wash when necessary but the more I spray the more they will stay away.

I am so itchy, small hot spots.

Any other suggestions for the itch, I am still itching and driving me nuts.


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## Minimor (May 18, 2008)

Are they sand flies? Tiny little flies that like to go for your forehead and ears first? And when they bite the bites swell up way bigger than mosquito bites, and they burn & itch something fierce? If that's what they are, a word of warning--they thrive on bug repellent sprays!! Off or Muskol tends to make them MAD and they just bite worse!






We are plagued with sandflies here, especially on humid days. They're usually bad in morning and evening, but will be out during the day too on the really still, humid, hot days. They make the horses miserable--they swarm their ears & chests & abdomens; some horses will have a real allergic reaction, getting big bare patches on crests and chests & necks--usually it's horses new to the area that have never been around sand flies before. Once they've been here a couple years they build up immunity--they still itch and get chewed up by the miserable things, but they don't get the extreme swelling and/or bare patches from the bites. The only good thing is, the sandflies don't follow the horses into the sheds or barn.

The only thing more miserable than sandflies are the black flies. Normally we don't have them here, but last summer was very dry and with the dry heat came the black flies. They bite harder than the sandflies--the bites don't swell up & itch, but when they bite, it HURTS, and there were swarms of them. They're pretty much oblivious to bug sprays, and unlike the sandflies they are just as bad indoors as out--they'll follow into the sheds or barn.

Ugh, I'm not looking forward to bug season this year!


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## Marsha Cassada (May 19, 2008)

We had those here in Oklahoma earlier in the year. They were a painful nuisance when I was driving. They got on my forehead the worst and I had little red itchy bites along the hair line. I think they are sometimes called no-see-ums. I took an antihistimine. The horses don't like them either. Hard to brush them away when one is holding reins and working with a green horse! Hopefully yours will go away as the season progresses.


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## Charlene (May 19, 2008)

in this part of the world, we call them buffalo gnats. they are vicious and i do mean VICIOUS! they swarm, bite and drive me inside for the month that they are here.

i recently tried something i have poo-pooed for a long time...diluted some vanilla extract with a little bit of water, put it in a small spray bottle and covered my neck, face, arms and it worked to repel them.



it has to be reapplied every few hours but hey, small price to pay! not to mention, i smell like a big cookie.


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