In hot summer weather, many people notice how instead of mosquitoes or midges, large swarms of bright large flies fly around. These insects are horseflies that can travel tens of kilometers at a fairly high speed. Buzzing loudly and flying around, they often bite very painfully. In this case, there is a feeling that the body was burned for a second by something hot and sharp. The peak of the highest activity of these insects occurs in June and July.
In general, horseflies “prey” on their victims near ponds or in large open clearings. They are rarely found in the city, but they fly in huge colonies in small villages, along the shores of lakes, as well as in sparsely populated villages. The bites of horsefly are much more painful than mosquitoes, so a person, especially a small child, always feels it. A small pimple immediately appears on the skin, which may not immediately, but necessarily causes severe itching and burning. Sometimes sting bites cause a few drops of blood from a wound.
Like mosquitoes or midges, these flying “sticks” do not possess the poisonous glands found in bees or bumblebees, so they only damage the skin of a person or animal.
A horsefly bite (whose photo suggests that it is a fairly large insect) is dangerous only because the anticoagulant introduced by this insect prevents blood clotting. As a result, the body immediately responds with an itch and irritation. A person subconsciously begins to rub or scratch this place and can bring dirt or infection. As a result, suppuration may begin, sometimes developing into malaise and fever.
However, there is another consequence that can be left by bites of a horsefly - an allergic reaction. Therefore, even for those who do not suspect that they have such a disease, for safety, it is recommended to take a tablet of some antihistamine, such as suprastin.
Gadfly bites are usually palpable, but not dangerous. However, to prevent itching or swelling, it is best to grind this place with a dry soda powder, and then treat the wound with any antiseptic, such as brilliant green.
The alcohol solution will slightly dry the wound, however, if the swelling does not go away, you can lubricate it with propolis tincture, sold in any pharmacy. Sometimes the most common ice or sour cream compress helps.
Doctors recommend immediately after a bite, wash the affected area with soapy water and only then do lotions with a bandage moistened with vodka or soda solution. It is advisable to change the gauze every fifteen minutes.
However, it is much easier to fight not with the consequences that bites of a horsefly leave, but with their root causes. Therefore, while relaxing in nature by the lake or in the forest, one should not forget about the danger of flying these insects, which are just waiting to attack.
A smoke bonfire helps, as well as some kind of cream that can briefly scare horseflies and mosquitoes.
These annoying parasites have excellent vision, so they often fly to colorful and dark clothes, sometimes completely ignoring light colors. That is why, when going to nature, it is more appropriate to wear clothes of white or beige color with long sleeves, try not to walk near the water in the sun, but to wait for the heat in a shaded place, since the activity of horseflies increases in bright light.