ever seen a LIME GREEN or BRIGHT YELLOW horsefly

[subsectionx]

I have this new horsefly now.. oh my gosh it is hugh and is a lime green or bright yellow big biting fly. they fly in sworms. my horses are getting so tired of running around to get away from them and the fly can keep up with them is the thing. I have tried everything on them to try to protect them from these flies. but nothing seems to work. Im in Florida just at the Ga line in Hilliard. I have searched the net to find out what they are called and cant find anything on them.. they are not (yellow flies) we have those out here too but these guys are lime green with light brown eyes andare the size of a bumble bee and they dont fly alone. Im getting worried about my horses. they are running themselves to the ground. if you guys have any ideas PLEASE HELP ME

[Haley]

I don't know why kind of a fly you have there in Florida, but they seem to be some type of blood sucker and they must have a nasty bite if your horses run around like that. Best thing to do is to figure out when they are bothering your horses most and try to keep them in the barn during those times. Are they worst in the early morning and evening or during the heat of the day? Here's a website that might help.

http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/livestock/deer_fly.htm

By the way, if they are like any of the bloodsuckers we have here in PA. no fly products ever seem to have any effect.

[subsectionx]

i have looked up these flies all over the internet and cant find them anywhere... they came out all hours of the day.. i have tried everything that i can get my hands onto to put on the horses... and yes they do bite....and nothing works on them.. and they go into the stables with them in big sworms..oh they are mean things...

[Mike_CJO]

is this any help?

http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/livestock/deer_fly.htm

[RodeoDreamer33]

What about some of those catchers or fly trappers you could put one near your horse's stall and one near their paddock maybe. I don't know if you've tried this yet, but something like this maybe? Hope i'm of some help!
http://www.statelinetack.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441807638&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302029594&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302024177&bmUID=1117741400783
http://www.statelinetack.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441808200&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302029594&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302024177&bmUID=1117741400785

[LORRI]

Have you tried fly repellant sprays or turning them out in some sort of fly sheet

[subsectionx]

I have tried several different kinds of fly repellent and nothing works for this beast. now the spray that i use does help with the yellow flys and horse flies. but not these things.. i have the horses in fly sheets andfly masks to see if that helps but the beasty things get up under and around their legs and sometimes gets under the sheets... im going crazy with these things.. no one around town knows how to get rid of them either.....

[galadriel]

The flahorse.com forum had a discussion about these last year. (Unfortunately the forum has since had a crash and total replacement, and the archives are gone--can't go find that discussion now.)

They said that it's a juvenile form of some horsefly or deerfly, and it's bright green/bright yellow until it bites and drinks blood. Once it's eaten it matures and becomes something else.

You could go and ask at that same forum. Someone would probably remember the discussion and know where the web resources are that discuss this bug.

(I am fortunately NOT having this particular problem. Phew. Black flies and gnats, but I don't even have enough standing water for skeeters.)