There’s no shortage of biting insects looking to make a meal of humans and their pets on the Gulf Coast of Florida. If it’s not mosquitoes, it’s spiders (yes, we know spiders are arachnids, not insects, but go with us). If it’s not spiders, its noseeums, if it’s not noseeums, it’s larger biting flies. Today, we’re talking about Tabanus or Chrysops – more commonly known as Deer Flies.

If you’ve ever been feasted on by a deer fly, you know it. No stinging itch but a striking pain. Not only will they leave red bumps or welts on your skin, they can also transmit Tularemia, a rare bacterial disease also known as rabbit fever.

Even worse, some people experience severe allergic reactions to deer fly bites. The redness and pain increase and can also lead to hives, trouble breathing, or even anaphylaxis in the most severe cases. If you have existing allergies, especially reactions to other insects, pay close attention to what happens if you get bitten.

Size Matters

Deer flies range in size from slightly larger than house flies to nearly twice their size. They generally grow from a half an inch to three quarters of an inch. If you picture a house fly, then add 10% that’s a deer fly. Another 10-15% and it’s a horse fly.

Size aside, they’re similar in appearance, but with some clear visual differences. Deer flies have clear wings with dark bands over a grey or light brown body. Their eyes tend to be brighter and more colorful. But their most distinctive feature are the yellow and black stripes.

Females of both horse and deer flies eat mammalian blood in preparation for egg production. A female deer fly lays between 100 and 800 eggs at a time in marshy or very wet land. Horse flies stick mostly to livestock, while deer flies easily move from deer and wildlife to human snacks.

Seasonal Situation

Thankfully, even in the midst of our beautiful sub-tropical weather, we don’t have deer flies all year round.

Warm weather brings out deer flies so they usually emerge just as the heat and humidity are notching up in May. They love moist, wooded, damp, or swampy environments, so you won’t usually see them around your home.

However, they are plentiful in the wooded and marshy areas that we have all over the Gulf coast. They usually linger until September or a little into October before they begin to diminish over winter. Adult flies live 30-60 days.

Similar to mosquitoes, they hunt using movement, dark colors or spotting your exhalations of carbon dioxide.

The best way to keep them out of your yard also parallels mosquito control – get rid of standing water, clear up excess brush, and burn or stack twigs and fallen branches away from your home.

According to entomologists at the University of Florida, 35 species of deer flies and their cousins are considered economically important. They do not go into detail on what the impact is, but it appears to be mostly in terms of disease vectors.

But in just a few weeks, they’ll be disappearing until next spring.

Meanwhile, Good News Pest Solutions can help you deal with the year-round bugs like roaches, house flies, ants and spiders. Our affordable Go Green Perimeter Plus takes care of all of the usual suspects, while being safe for your family. And you can always upgrade to Term Assure 365, for hands down, the best year-round termite protection in the state.

Our highly trained technicians would be happy to explain any of the details on either treatment program or any of our green solutions. Just give us a call!