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Biting Houseflies?

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussion' started by rocknbil, Sep 16, 2023.

  1. Sep 16, 2023 at 7:23 AM
    #1
    rocknbil

    rocknbil [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Flies are at their peak right now. I'm in the back yard working on a project and feel a sting at my ankle. I look down and there's what appears to be an ordinary house fly biting me through the sock. I have this thing where I clap my hands about 6" over the resting fly, gets 'em every time, squashed that sucker and still appears to be a regular house fly.

    Additional and probably irrelevant weirdness, they appear only to land and bite through the socks, gray or white Dickies brand, they don't land on open skin.

    No apparent sting redness or swelling, just a sharp sting like a hornet getting warmed up, goes away in a few minutes.

    I know what horse flies and deer flies look like, these appear to be ordinary house flies. Has anyone heard of such a thing? I've lived in Oregon, Cali, and Idaho, near decades in each, this is the first season of my (way too long) life I've seen biting house flies.

    Personally I think it's gub'ment nano drones.
     
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  2. Sep 16, 2023 at 7:25 AM
    #2
    Steves104x4

    Steves104x4 Well-Known Member

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    BUCKLE UP! It makes it harder for Aliens to pull you out of your Truck.
    Them lil green ones are fuckers
     
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  3. Sep 16, 2023 at 7:26 AM
    #3
    Wsidr1

    Wsidr1 Well-Known Member

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    Look up "Stable Fly". Probably what you are seeing.
     
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  4. Sep 16, 2023 at 7:27 AM
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    HondaGM

    HondaGM Call sign Monke

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    Post of the Day right there…
     
  5. Sep 16, 2023 at 7:27 AM
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    rocknbil

    rocknbil [OP] Well-Known Member

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    I've seen the green ones too (and did some searching around before this post) These are ordinary looking house flies, not horse flies (I've been stung by them,) stable fies or deer flies. The kind with the shiny green spectrum bodies, sometimes just black. We've lived here 6 years and they weren't here last year, and local development is driving all the farms further away, not closer.

    Weird.
     
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  6. Sep 16, 2023 at 7:29 AM
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    tcjacado

    tcjacado Well-Known Member

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    It's still early, give it a few more hours :burp:
     
  7. Sep 16, 2023 at 7:31 AM
    #7
    HondaGM

    HondaGM Call sign Monke

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    They sting my Dog on her Butthole… she hates them
     
  8. Sep 16, 2023 at 7:33 AM
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    rocknbil

    rocknbil [OP] Well-Known Member

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    And just how do you know . . . uhh, NVM, TMI LOL
     
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  9. Sep 16, 2023 at 7:35 AM
    #9
    Rambofirstblood

    Rambofirstblood Active Member

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    Was mowing a field and felt something itching my ankle.
    Looked down and was a big horse fly biting through my sock.
    Smashed that sucker.
    left a bite mark that itched for a while.
    Never been bit through the sock before.
    Damn sock flies.
     
  10. Sep 16, 2023 at 7:42 AM
    #10
    HondaGM

    HondaGM Call sign Monke

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    There’s a lot of them down here…you’ll see her drop down and start licking her rear when they get her…then she just sits there and snaps at them when they come back…she catches a few
     
  11. Sep 16, 2023 at 7:48 AM
    #11
    tcjacado

    tcjacado Well-Known Member

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    images (1).jpg
     
  12. Sep 16, 2023 at 7:58 AM
    #12
    HondaGM

    HondaGM Call sign Monke

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    This is her…the way she looks after she gets stung..IMG_0950.png
     
  13. Sep 16, 2023 at 9:23 AM
    #13
    Wsidr1

    Wsidr1 Well-Known Member

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    Stable fly looks almost exactly like common house fly.

    Stable fly - Wikipedia
     
  14. Sep 16, 2023 at 11:55 AM
    #14
    Tallgrass05

    Tallgrass05 Well-Known Member

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    Stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans.

    fly.jpg
     
  15. Sep 16, 2023 at 4:59 PM
    #15
    fathomblue

    fathomblue I used to be disgusted; now I'm just amused.

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    I have been bitten by house flies a few times and yes, it hurts.
     
  16. Sep 16, 2023 at 6:44 PM
    #16
    Tallgrass05

    Tallgrass05 Well-Known Member

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    House flies cannot bite.
     
  17. Sep 16, 2023 at 7:23 PM
    #17
    Superdave1.0

    Superdave1.0 Grandma Dave

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    We got them little black skeeters. Man one tore me up last night. I woke up at 3am bit up and pissed!
     
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  18. Sep 17, 2023 at 4:15 PM
    #18
    rocknbil

    rocknbil [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Not possible, physiology of a proboscis, right? I was trying to figure out why, after my whole life in 4 states, all of a sudden I'm encountering flies that bite. There's nothing fostering Stable Fly habitat in this suburban neighborhood. I thought.

    Mystery may be solved. Neighbor got chickens this year. The first years we were here another neighbor had chickens, didn't experience biting flies those years but will guess that's it.

    I leave you with a gift from my grandson, wife thought I'd hate it, best summer entertainment ever. I'm on the third year, same set of batteries, the smell of burning fly flesh in the afternoon smells like . . . victory.

    [​IMG]
     
  19. Sep 17, 2023 at 8:57 PM
    #19
    Tallgrass05

    Tallgrass05 Well-Known Member

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    Correct, house flies have sponging mouthparts. They can only take in liquids or minute particles they sponge up from the surface of their food.
     

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