b"Arizona Ask the VetREAL COUNTRY FLIESthe magazine W arm weather andbut they will also land on horsesMike Barna sunshine means flies.pastured within a quarter mile. They are mostClimate conditionsactive in the spring and fall but not in hot,Publisher vary every season, and different species can movedry weather.ArizonaRealCountryMagazine@gmail.com into new areas. Sometimes reaching for the sameIn Arizona, one of the most common fly pestsold fly spray just isnt good enough. Reviewing yourbelonging to the Diptera order are commonlyErika Smith Royal control strategies every year is a good idea. Heresknown as no-see-ums, also known as sandfliesa brief overview of the species that might be outor biting midges. No-see-ums belong to theEditor there and what you can do to protect your horsesCeratopogonidae family, which consists oferika963realcountry@gmail.com from them. more than 5,000 species that span all regionsof the world, even the polar regions. The no- Fly Species, Habits and Habitats see-ums that exist in Arizona and the rest of theMisty Voitovski The first step to stopping flies is to identify thesouthwest belong to the Culicoides genus. TheyCreative Director offendersmany look very similar, but oftenattack different parts of the horse, depending onthe different species can be identified by theirthe species, but the more common ones tend tounique behaviors and habitats. And they are bestbite at the tail head, ears, mane, withers, andContributing Writers controlled by strategies that target their lifestyles.rump; others go for the belly. Although theindividual flies are tiny, they form dense swarmsLee AndersonBob Boze Bell Houseflies do not bite, but they congregate that inflict many bites at once. These flies breedDebbie BlankenshipJustin Leglernear open wounds and secretions, such as tears in wet places, such as slow, still streams, marshes,or mucus. They breed in moist, decaying and rotting vegetation, and are most active justBetsy LemaireNaomi Loomis vegetable matter, including garbage, hay and after sunset.grass clippings as well as manure. Houseflies Mosquitoes will bite anywhere on the body. MostRandy MillerJim & Bobbi Jeen Olson prefer dark, interior spaces.abundant in warm, wet weather, mosquitoesBill RobertsAlan Rockman Stable flies look like house flies, but they inflict breed in stagnant water, and their populationspainful bites, most often on a horses legs, but spike near marshes, ponds, and any chronicallyBob RoloffJohn Samsill also on the belly, face and neck. They can be wet ground, especially after monsoon flooding.found around livestock practically anywhere Smaller puddles, such as those that form inCaroline WerkhovenMichele Wilson in the country, but they will reach their peak abandoned tires or blocked rain gutters, can alsoin warmer climates, especially in hotter, wetter serve as breeding reservoirs. Mosquitoes are most weather. Stable flies prefer bright sunny areas and active in low-light conditions, such as in shady801 W. Wickenburg Way tend not to enter dark enclosures. woods or at dawn or dusk. Mosquitoes canWickenburg, AZ 85390 Horseflies and deerflies inflict painful bites that transmit the West Nile and Zika viruses.bleed. Deerflies tend to attack the head and The horse bot fly causes indirect damage to(602) 254-6644 neck, smaller horseflies bite on the legs, and the the horse through attempts at egg laying. Thelarger ones feed on the horses back. These types dive-bombing action of the bot fly can rangeArizonaRealCountry.com of flies lay their eggs in moist soil or vegetation from a simple annoyance to severe fright amongnear ponds, marshes and other bodies of water horses. Injuries may result as the horse tries toand are most commonly found in or within a few rid itself of this hovering fly. Weight-lossmiles of forests or wetlands. However, some may may occur if the annoyance is great enough totravel as far as 30 miles in search of blood meals. cause the horse to stop grazing. The directHorsefly and deerfly species prefer bright damage the bot fly causes occurs after the larvaesunlight on hot, still days. Deer flies can enter the animal's mouth and gastrointestinalFollow Arizona Realcarry tularemia. tract. When the first instar larvae burrow intoBlackflies inflict painful bites, usually on the mouth, the horse may experience severeCountry for news, events,sparsely-haired areas, such as the ears and irritation, as well as the development of pusgenitals. Although they can be found as far south pockets and loosened teeth. As the second andgiveaways and more! as Florida, blackflies are notorious pests up third instar larvae inhabit the gastrointestinalnorth. They are most abundant in forested areas tract and attach to the stomach and intestine,with slow-moving waterways, such as streams, multiple complications may arise. LarvaeArizona Real Country is owned andlakes or canals, in which they lay their eggs. They present in large numbers in the stomach canpublished by Barna Broadcastingfeed primarily on bright, sunny days and prefer cause blockages and lead to colic. Bot eggsLLC. No person, organization or partynot to fly into dark enclosures. can be removed from the horse's body by severalcan copy or reproduce the contentHorn flies tend to congregate on the horses belly, methods. A tool with a sharp edge or a formon our website and/or magazine orwhere a single fly may bite multiple times before of sandpaper can be used to scrape away theany part of this publication withoutflying off. On cooler days, they may also feed bot eggs. Warm water with appropriatea written consent from the editorson the neck, shoulders, and back. Horn flies insecticide can be used to induce the eggs toare normally found near cattle, and they lay their hatch and kill the larvae. Avermectins workpanel and the author of the content, aseggs only in fresh cow manure, but they will to control the adult and larval fly stages. Horsesapplicable. The publisher, authors andaffect horses in shared or adjoining pastures. should be treated within one month after eggs arecontributors reserve their rights withFace flies do not bite, but they congregate on seen during the early summer months. A secondregards to copyright of their work. the face to feed on saliva, tears, and mucus. Face treatment should be administered in the fall toflies prefer cattle and breed only in cow manure, control the second and third stage larvae.continued on page 7ArizonaRealCountry.com September 2022 5"