Do Horse Flies Bite Aggressively?

Yes, horse flies can and will bite. Unlike the name suggests, horse flies will bite any large mammal to feed on their blood, like humans, pets, and, of course, horses.

Their bites are also noticeable and painful, as unlike other mosquitoes with a needle-like mouth part to inject into the skin, their jaw works like a scissor, cutting the skin open. It will get red and have a small cut distinct to horsefly bites, though lucky for us, they don’t cause any harm other than the pain from the bite and some discomfort. Avoiding scratching the area and applying ointments can speed up the recovery. Some repellants can be applied to the skin to prevent bites altogether too.

Though horses aren’t as lucky as these flies will carry a disease that can affect them in several ways, ranging from no symptoms to major health problems that can lead to the animals’ death. The disease is known as swamp fever and can cause high fevers and hemorrhaging.

Though some horses might look fine after a bite and not show any symptoms, this disease can be transmitted between, and they will become a carrier.