Fly Season(s) is Coming!

While sitting here in lockdown and away from livestock, it is easy to forget that fly season is upon us and only going to get worse. Since I do not own livestock of my own at this time, just a Great Dane, cats and baby chicks, our neighbor Jim Bob the horse keeps me informed. 

When you are the size of a small pony, you get your own couch.

There are several different flies that can impact both livestock and humans in Texas, the ones of most concern are biters looking for a blood meal. 

For livestock the most important flies are

• stable flies (spring until summer)
• horn flies (spring through fall)
• horse flies and deer flies (vary throughout the state)
• house flies (heaviest in the summer but can be year round)

For people the most problematic flies are mosquitoes but stable flies, horse flies, deer flies and house flies can also cause issues. In addition, people who live by flowing streams can see black flies from time to time and people living near maintained deer or sandy soils canhave biting midge issues. 

Over the next few weeks, I will discuss the flies you are seeing now or will see throughout the year that can have an impact on both livestock and people.