Monster Horse Flys

[Macroman]

In the Ohio river valley in KY we had large horse flies(?) at least they looked exactly like horse flies. The first time I saw one was when I first moved into our house. It had high cedar celling I went to bed the first night and looked up to see a 3 inch long horse fly on the celling. Needless to say I switched rooms but did not sleep too soundly.
I never saw one bite but asked the locals and they said they would rip a chunk out of you. I have never seen them anywhere else are they mutant horse flys? We were not that far from Oak Ridge.

 

[cowboydoc]

Don't know about the East but I've seen them from Idaho to Iowa and everywhere in between. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[riptides]

They seem to have gotten bigger here in Virginia too, and downright mean. I had one buzzing me as I was building the tractor shed this w/e. I left the area for an hour, came back and it was right at me again.
After it landed on my arm, while I was laying a metal roof panel down, I could hear it tease me, before it decided to drill for blood.
Being it the awkward position that I was, not wanting to let a panel go sliding down the roof, I tried to blow it off. It shook the wind right off, and decided to pounce before insertion.
Needless to say, the panel slid down and dented up against a tree, the ladder went one way, the horse fly another, and I went back to the house with a BIG welt.

Ouch I said. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

-Mike Z.

 

[gws]

This year has been really bad for horse flys. I assume because of all the rain we have had.

 

[Macroman]

I guess I should qualify this a little. I have been bit by a horsefly and deer flys. Once while swamping roads in the north west the deer and horse flys were so thick that I counted the kills for the day, 150. Did not count Deer are as they were too numerous and did not count unless I hit and stomped as they often return if you do not finish them off.
I now live in AL but have lived north as far as AK, east in MA and as far south as AL. I travel most of the country but have not encountered the monsters anywhere but the OH river valley in KY/IN.

 

[gws]

We have them bouncing off of the patio door. They fly around and try to fly in and "BOING" they hit the glass.

 

[poorboy]

I also live in this area and for some reason they are worse this year. Especially at the lake . They were so bad that my wife had to bring the kids home early. They would follow the pontoon around the lake. This was at Cave Run.

Patrick

 

[Macroman]

They have been worse here in AL also but none of the monsters here.
I have seen it so bad in the north woods that the bears and moose sit in the lake to avoid the flys. If you walk you end up running and if you slow down they will bite right through your shirt. Have not seen the files that bad in the south, ticks on the other hand!!!

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

When I was a kid we used to use the thumb and index finger and kind of pinch them and shove broom staws up their butts and turn them loose. They fly away the best they can. For a little ways.

Geez, haven't tried that for many years. Sounds kind of cruel doesn't it? Guess I am getting older.

Imagine that?

Tom

 

[Dozernut]

Boy that brought back a memory! We used to catch them and tie a thread to their leg then let them fly. We also tried scientific experimentation on them. We discovered that horse flies don't hold up well to firecrackers. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif This has been beneficial to me to me in my adult(?) life, as you never know when you will need to blow up a horse fly! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Macroman]

Blowing up the big horse flys is not as cruel as feeding alkselser to the sea gulls and letting them become jet propelled. Boys will be boys. Or am I confused? Is the blowing up and the straw thing related?
Reminds me of the retarded terrorist who tried to blow up the truck. Just burned his lips on the exhaust.

 

[poorboy]

I was going to tell a few good stories here. But after previewing I felt a little ashamed and didn't want to cause a big stink, But they sure were good ones though! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Patrick

 

[ipwanab]

They chase my white van up the driveway when I get home from work. The dash at the windows near my head and make pinging noises on the windows they hit so hard. About 10 or so at a time. I sit for about 30 seconds and they give up and fly off. I can be outside cutting grass and they will torment me one at a time but never in groups. I guess they sense something in the van.

 

[dmccarty]

pbxhead,

That is strange behavior. I noticed the last work day on the
property that my white truck had attracted dozens of flys. I
don't know where the little %^&*( came from but they where
all over the truck. I had to shoo fly shoo just to get into the
truck!

My truck is white. There must be something about white
attracting flys.....

Wierd...

Later,
Dan McCarty