Bug Report: Stable Flies

You would think from their name that stable flies would prefer hanging out among cows, horses and other barnyard animals. But this is not the case.

While cow dung is one place where stable flies develop, the flies are much less associated with cows and horses than are other members of their family such as horn flies, which basically spend their entire lives on or among cows and horses.

Also unlike horn flies, which do not bite people, stable flies will bite people readily. This is why they are also commonly referred to as biting house flies.

A bite from a stable fly can be quite painful because of the structure of the fly's mouth. Stable flies have neither mandibles nor maxillae. Instead they are equipped with a long, slender, pointed snout, which they force into the skin like a needle.

Watch out for stable flies on warm, summer days, any place where you might find decaying vegetation, which is another place where the flies develop. Decaying vegetation could include lawn clippings, refuse from packing plants and waterweed cast up on the shores of the Great Lakes.

Your best bet to keep stable flies away from your home is to clean up and toss away any decaying vegetation. And if you're planning any romantic lakefront strolls during the summer, just be sure to spray on the insect repellent first.

Some information courtesy of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada