Flies that come inland off the lake? What are these hellions?

[RegentLion]

We live in close proximity to Lake Superior and when the wind blows in the “right” direction, we get flies off of the lake that swarm us and our horses. They look like house or stable flies, but bite terribly and are “sticky,” you can easily kill them as they don’t fly readily. Their bites are painful and draw blood, and they cluster on the horses.

When the wind isn’t blowing off the lake, we have few to no flies and keep manure picked up as well as use fly predators.

Repellents don’t seem to be effective for long, if at all… I’m doing sheets and boots but those aren’t perfect either. Being in shelters and darkness doesn’t have much effect either.
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Do you think this type of fly would be attracted to a fly trap? Or are we just forced to suffer?

[Djones]

Black flies in the UP. they are awful.

[frugalannie]

In northeast Massachusetts, but we get flies like that in the fall. They even bite through light clothes or socks. Hate 'em.

I believe that I read that they breed in decomposing organic matter. Not so much manure but rotting grass, hay, water plants. The first year we moved to our place, they were so bad that I learned to breathe through my nose even when talking with someone because they’d fly into my mouth. We have markedly reduced the number of them by scrupulously cleaning up uneaten hay, policing our manure disposal area (we compost off site) and using fly traps in the barn.

A word on fly traps. I got the type that are reusable plastic jars, but instead if using a stinky liquid in them, I use a granular fly bait/ killer like Golden Malrin. No accidental spills and very effective.

[TWH_Girl]

Yuck!! Is it the same as discussed here?

Chocolate Milk and Biting Flies: A Lake Superior Sailing Experience |...

I grew up in Oshkosh WI and we had horrible lake flies/May flies every year. They came in swarms.

[4horses]

In Florida, the flies breed in the lake. So if you are near a lake they about eat you up. Both deer flies and horse flies. Those horse flies can fly as fast as your horse runs. They bite right through your clothes and even fly masks aren’t a deterrent. I’ve had some very short fast rides on hot days. Any attempt of your horse to slow down results in you getting attacked. On our last outing when I was planning on a slow ride we ended up galloping on the way back (while I was ponying my young horse). Good thing both horses behaved.

Fly curtains around the stalls/fully meshed in stalls are the only thing that helps. Or fly sheets but I would think they will just attack any parts uncovered.

[RegentLion]

These are the flies. They’re widely talked about but I have no idea how to manage them for my animals! We have limited to no horse or deer flies… just these horrible buggers.

[erinmeri]

Last night, in my insomnia searching and scrolling, I came across this thread.

They are likely “stable flies”.

There is current and recent research on how to combat the MFers…

Gerard Duvallet of Paul Valéry University is at the forefront of research. He references a new commercial trap called Stomoxycc by Alcochem Hygiene (the makers of the H Trap for horseflies and deer flies) that showed promise in studies. Alas, the website he linked is defunct and the parent company’s website doesn’t mention it.

Here is one of many of the papers on the subject:

A New Trap to Control Stable and Black Flies, 2022

And this one reflects more on design and other aspects.

An Integrated Pest Management Strategy Approach for the Management of the...

In reading the academic papers, its success relied upon a blue material for the attractant of a reflectance of a specific wavelength (460nm). And it had to be installed at a specific height.

Anyways, worth reading the papers, because I bet you could build something yourself with a blue tarp, etc.