Today was rather humid, warm but not hot. And my walkies took me up a track between hedges (in full spring bloom) with the permanent whiff of old horse manure, and grazing animals the far side of the hedges.
For the first time this season I encountered horseflies. And they were out in force. Whoops!
I don't know how widely they've arrived, but if those of you north and east of me haven't got them yet, your turn is coming. Don't let them catch you unawares!
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Horseflies
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- The full Lemon
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Re: Horseflies
Thanks for the warning UE. These used to plague us as children, mostly when we played by the river. We always called them clegs. More recently, when they've landed on my OH - they love him - I've taken some delight in whacking him, knowing I have the perfect excuse.
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- Lemon Half
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Re: Horseflies
UncleEbenezer wrote:
For the first time this season I encountered horseflies. And they were out in force. Whoops!
We've not seen many horseflies yet, but I was out on my push-bike mid-week and the Hawthorn flies were everywhere - I was so glad I'd remembered my sun-glasses, as it would have been a horrible ride if I'd not had any eye-covering...
Not surprisingly, they've emerged a little earlier than normal this year with it being very warm.
Others may know them as the 'St. Marks fly', given their really quite regular emergence around 25th April, St.Mark's day -
https://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/st-marks-fly
https://www.fish4flies.co.uk/Dry/Daddies-and-Hoppers/Black-Foam-Hawthorn
Cheers,
Itsallaguess
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Re: Horseflies
We haven't had horseflies in the garden yet. but probably that's because they're all down at the paddock, where the farmer's two horses have been sporting their anti-fly headgear for the last week or so.
But yesterday afternoon we suddenly became aware of a lot more (ordinary) flies than usual in the garden. By no particular coincidence, their arrival happened as the humidity rose sharply, and they disappeared as soon as it dropped again.
Have to admit, though, that I am no expert on flies. For me, they tend to be loosely categorised as horseflies, mosquitoes, greenfly/blackfly, cluster flies, and other flies. I am told, however, that Britain has 7,000 distinct species of flies. This dipterist has a long way to go.
Then again, perhaps it would be a waste of effort. 111 years ago, the good citizens of Los Angeles were being told that there were no longer any flies in Britain: https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=LAH19090901 ... N--------1
Good to know, isn't it?
BJ
But yesterday afternoon we suddenly became aware of a lot more (ordinary) flies than usual in the garden. By no particular coincidence, their arrival happened as the humidity rose sharply, and they disappeared as soon as it dropped again.
Have to admit, though, that I am no expert on flies. For me, they tend to be loosely categorised as horseflies, mosquitoes, greenfly/blackfly, cluster flies, and other flies. I am told, however, that Britain has 7,000 distinct species of flies. This dipterist has a long way to go.
Then again, perhaps it would be a waste of effort. 111 years ago, the good citizens of Los Angeles were being told that there were no longer any flies in Britain: https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=LAH19090901 ... N--------1
Fifty years ago files were a nuisance in England, though not the plague they are here, for no other really civilized country was ever quite so dirty as the United States of America. This nuisance is pretty completely abated. In BO years England has been swept and garnished, and the flies have starved.
Good to know, isn't it?
BJ
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