I HATE horseflies !!!!

Thanks Fennel, I will get soe of that as a back up when I'm out and away from Vera.

I took an aloe vera freebie cutting home from work about 6 months ago, no one else wanted it. Then it grew bigger and it spread out and kept getting knocked and was a nuisance.

So a couple of weeks ago I put it outside for the summer. It went all pale and half dead (too much sunshine). So after googling today about its' healing properties, I brought it in and broke off the only healthy bit to apply to my bite, which has REALLY helped. I have thanked and apologised to Vera, and have promised to look after her better in future.

We live in a very rural area surrounded by fields. Horse flies love long grass, there is also a horse next door. They are a longish brown fly, the first you know is a very painful bite, not like wasps who buzz around a bit first. I get several bites a year, you'd know if you got one. I sometimes spray Avon Skin so Soft oil on me, as it puts off some insects.

Oh yes, seacliff, a friend of mine swears by aloe vera as well. I do have an aloe vera plant, a present from the friend mentioned, but it hasn't got to the stage where I want to break bits off it yet.

This is good for soothing itching from insect bites:
www.lloydspharmacy.com/en/lloydspharmacy-hydrocortisone-cream-1-15g

My dog and I were both bitten by horseflies last summer when she disturbed a nest. She shrieked and limped back home. We both had a dettol bath.

Taking advice fromBaggs I am now using Tiger Balm on my gnat bites. It really does take the itching away.

Does anyone do anything but hate horsefly's?

I got bitten by a horsefly several years ago, I had been watching it and trying to keep it away from an open wound on daughters ponys leg whilst it was being hosed down before redressing.

My foot to knee was so swollen, could only get flat loose shoes on. Prescribed strong nasty antibiotics, which all together spoilt the first week of my holidays, no alcohol, had to keep it cool and elevated etc.

Not many things in this world I hate, but horseflies are definitely one!

Oh I've just googled. Ugh!

They love DH and he frequently gets bitten. But for some reason they leave me alone. I didn’t know what they were before I met him. ( I shall probably now be bitten)

I'm not sure either.
I've heard what I call a daddy long legs referred to as a horse fly, but that can't be right, can it?

I had to google it, what's a horse fly? according to google it's big and hairy and leaves a pus filled bite.
Can honestly say I've never seen one or been bitten by one, just hope that's not tempting fate.

On a country walk years ago with DS2 who was about 6 at the time, I remarked that I was afraid of horseflies. He said seriously, 'I'll protect you, Mum, if you'll protect me from highwaymen'.

Baggs, I have Lion Ointment, just tried it, as it says for healing and drawing, but no immediate relief. I will look for Tiger Balm if it works.

The best thing that works so far is breaking a bit off my aloe vera plant and rubbing that on.

I also read that horse flies hate the smell of Dettol, so horsey people dilute it with water and apply it to their horses to keep the pesky buggers at bay.

Yes, anti-histamine works the same way as Tiger Balm. If the itching is really bad you can take a bog standard anti-histamine tablet as well.

I get bitten dozens of times every year so I speak from experience.

You can't ignore an infected bite but you can let it get better on its own. Like ear infections, most infected bites will clear up without needing a prescription.

Just put antihistamine on a bite. Teach me to go pruning in the undergrowth.
They can bite through clothing! I carry the antihistamine cream, if applied straight away it seems to remove the itch.

I read a report only last evening that some people have been admitted to hospital after horse fly bites.
Do not ignore if it looks at all infected.

Horseflies are called clegs in Scotland.

Tiger Balm helps draw out whatever the beasts inject and regular application also deals with the itching. It also deals with mosquito and midge bites and the sometimes itchy sites of blood sucking ticks.

It doesn't stop them biting. Only a net will do that in environments they frequent.

I feel your pain (sort of).

My OH keeps getting mysteriously bitten by something that takes a tiny chunk of flesh with resultant itching and ouch. We've never seen the assailant in action. I shall tell him it's a horsefly. They don't come near me!