Biting flys

[nooie]

In the last couple of weeks i've been bitten by some sort of small fly. They look like a normal house fly, but about a third of the size. Their legs are coloured black with a white patch in the middle. The black-white-black colouring is roughly in thirds.

I have been bitten a few times on my arms and legs now. The marks come up in a lump and are really itchy for days later.

I thought midges were bad, but these things are something else! I've never seen them before. We have had a really warm March in the Hebrides so I dunno if that has something to do with it.

 

Any ideas what these beasts are?

[Lorry thompson]

Were you working in the woods mate? I've had the same when working down in kenilworth was dead humid in the woods and too hot for a northerner so had me top off and they were biting onto me the lads said they were horse flies only thing kept them off was the jungle spray you can get it from boots

[firewood]

I thought they were called clegs.

 

A few years back me and the mrs were driven out of a wood near orbost house on skye by a cloud of the buggers.

 

I believe their bite contains an anesthetic so most times you dont feel it, you just see the blood dripping after the fly hops off.

 

There is no doubt they are persistent buggers as just shaking an arm or leg will not dislodge them, you have to take a swipe.

 

They prefer shade so moving into bright sunlight will normally bring relief

 

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[Lorry thompson]

Sounds like the same ones I had had bother with sometimes u could swipe them and they'd still hang on! Couple of the lads had real bad swelling after a bite from them

[shanks]

Sounds like these things are too small to be cleggs?? OP states about a third of the size of a house fly.

[nooie]

No, not clegs. They are wee flys. I am working in woods, they seem to be about more in the sunshine. There aren't many when I'm working in the shade. I still have bite marks from about 10 days ago. I got some more on saturday when I was wearing shorts while biking.

[Paulfreebury]

I know the ones you mean evil little buggers!! I think they like to hang around silver birch, I normally see alot of them in may June. Don't know what there called tho.

[Rob D]

Sounds like the same ones I had had bother with sometimes u could swipe them and they'd still hang on! Couple of the lads had real bad swelling after a bite from them

 

 

I know what you mean I've had a few bites from these flys and the area swells up like a balloon for 3 to 4 days.... the only good thing is they seem to be slow moving but they are very persistent once they decide to chew on you!

[Tinker]

I've experienced them whilst mowing... Fever Fly (Dilophus febrilis)

[slack ma girdle]

In the last couple of weeks i've been bitten by some sort of small fly. They look like a normal house fly, but about a third of the size. Their legs are coloured black with a white patch in the middle. The black-white-black colouring is roughly in thirds.

I have been bitten a few times on my arms and legs now. The marks come up in a lump and are really itchy for days later.

I thought midges were bad, but these things are something else! I've never seen them before. We have had a really warm March in the Hebrides so I dunno if that has something to do with it.

 

Any ideas what these beasts are?

 

They are black mountain flies, and do not just live in mountains. They have a bite as bad as a horse fly. Luckily they are normally only around till June, just in time for the horse flies to take over.

 

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