Do horse flies bite or sting?

Aside from the momentary pain, horse fly bites generally aren’t harmful to humans. These bites are usually only a problem for horses. This is because horse flies carry equine infectious anemia, also known as swamp fever. When they bite an equine animal, they can transmit this life-threatening disease. read more

Horseflies bite people because the female horsefly, like the female mosquito, needs a blood meal to lay her eggs. Like male mosquitoes, male horseflies eat pollen and nectar and rarely bite. Horseflies are called horseflies because they also bite horses, cattle and other livestock. read more

The horsefly is known under many different names in different countries, including deer flies, clags, gadflies or breeze flies. These flies are known for attacking animals including humans and biting them to feed on their blood. read more