Bodfly bite: what to do - what it looks like, symptoms, treatment. And how does a gadfly bite differ from a horsefly bite?

Appearance Features

Horseflies and gadflies are parasitic flies. Both species are dangerous for both humans and animals. How to distinguish, what is the difference between the insects gadfly and horsefly?

Horsefly

Belongs to the family of dipterous insects. Parasitic, blood-sucking fly. The appearance is unremarkable, somewhat similar to an ordinary fly.

• the body is large, as a rule, reaches a length of 2-3 cm;
• large eyes that shimmer in the sun;
• two large, wide wings. The color of the wings is gray or translucent smoky;
• large thoracic region with small, fine hairs;
• A proboscis emerges from the lower part of the head; there are small teeth on it.

The color of horseflies is predominantly gray, dark, with small splashes of black, brown or yellow. This color allows you to blend in with the surrounding world and remain invisible.

Interesting: the horsefly is called that not because it is blind, it has excellent, sharp vision. The horsefly got its name because of its excessive obsession and lack of fear of death. The thirst to drink blood blinds him.

Gadfly

This is the common name for insects. In some regions, the gadfly is called a paut. In total, more than 150 species of blood-sucking, parasitic, and dangerous insects are summarized under the name gadfly.

However, all types of these insects can be divided into three types:

• subcutaneous;
• gastric;
• cavity;

The name suggests how these insects lay eggs.

The gadfly belongs to the Diptera family.

• reaches a length of 15 – 17 mm, maximum;
• large eyes, often colored, shimmer;
• the color of the whole body is also colorful, bright, iridescent;
• There are two short antennae on the lower part of the head.

Treatment

To exterminate larvae on the surface of the animal, use a 0.25% hexachlorane solution, which is sprayed over the entire body.
The treatment process is repeated at intervals of 10 days, until the end of the flight season for fledged individuals. You can also remove eggs from the hair with a sharp movement of a sharp knife, which must be held at an angle to the hair. Treatment in the mouth is carried out by irrigation with a 2% emulsion of hexachlorane, an oil extract of DDT, turpentine, and diesel oil. One of the selected drugs is used to treat the mucous membrane at a rate of 10-15 ml. One of the effective means for treatment is univerm, which is applied twice orally with an interval of 24 hours. Avermectin, Equisect, Rivertin 1% pastes are widely used. Carbon disulfide is used three times a day, 6 ml, and foals under 3 years old are given 3 ml; this drug is given in winter. The larvae come out with excrement three days after using the drug.

Differences in life activity and reproduction

It would seem that insects are similar in their goals, they bite painfully, and cause inconvenience with their intrusiveness, however, they also have many differences.

Difference between a gadfly and a horsefly:

The gadfly's task is to breed offspring. To do this, he uses ingenuity to deliver the eggs inside the animal or person.

There are several ways to enter:

• subcutaneous type - bites into the skin, penetrates inside. The goal is to place the eggs closer to the spine;
• A gadfly that places its larvae in the nasopharynx. Circling around the nose, near the nostrils of insects, places the eggs in the nasopharynx. There they grow, go through a gestation cycle, and then leave the body.

Important: the gadfly tries not to place many eggs, especially all at once in the nasal cavity. He just needs to breed. If the insect places too many of them, the animal will die from respiratory failure or pneumonia before the larvae mature.

• The gastric species tries to place eggs near the animal's mouth or in places that the animal can reach with its tongue, such as the legs. By licking the larvae with its tongue, the animal places them in its stomach. There they go through a growth cycle, then leave the body;
• Another clever way to deliver eggs to the breeding site is with the help of mosquitoes. When attacking a mosquito, the female attaches one larva to it. The mosquito lands on the animal and bites it, and the larva penetrates the site of the bite and through it penetrates the skin. Then over the course of several months it will move towards the back, towards the spine;
• The insect can also plant its larvae on the inside of the eyelid. This is a common situation in animals, but it rarely affects humans. When the larvae get into a person's eyes, they cause swelling and conjunctivitis.

Caution: if you neglect the condition and treat it yourself, you can lose your vision.

Use of pharmaceutical drugs

Medicines to relieve swelling from a bite
It happens that the body has an inadequate response to the action of the gadfly allergen. In this case, you need to relieve swelling from the bite with more effective means:

• Suprastin, Tavegil, Claritin will quickly relieve allergies;
• a compress of ammonia, soda solution, or any mint toothpaste will cope with itching;
• It is worth anointing the bite with an ointment containing corticosteroids (hydrocortisone, Sinaflan, Advantan) so that the wound does not become inflamed;
• You can use an ointment for bloodsucker bites based on herbal components or chemical components.

If it is impossible to use the services of a pharmacy, it is recommended to use natural resources, such as:

• plantain;
• mint;
• dandelion in any part of it;
• yarrow;
• parsley.

You can name many more plants that stop bleeding and have an astringent and anti-inflammatory effect. It is recommended to treat swelling with lemon, onion or garlic, rubbing the inflamed area with a slice.

Is there a difference in nutrition?

Horseflies and gadflies feed differently. The spider larva feeds and parasitizes at the expense of the living organism in which it resides. Adults do not feed on anything. Their mouth simply disappeared with the course of evolution as unnecessary. The gadfly lives off the nutrients that were accumulated in the larval state.

Interesting: the gadfly lives for a short time. Just from a few to 20 days. Every day he loses weight, using up accumulated nutrients.

The horsefly, on the other hand, needs nourishment. The female horsefly feeds on blood during the breeding season. To reproduce, she needs a lot of blood. An adult female is capable of sucking up to 200 milligrams of blood at a time. When the female is not busy breeding, she feeds on the nectar of flowers. Male horseflies do not bite, do not drink blood, and feed exclusively on nectar and pollen.

Gadfly and horsefly: methods of control, tips for protection

In order to reduce insect attacks on animals, special substances are used. The fact is that in some regions of Russia, in Western Siberia, as well as in Yakutia, part of the livestock industry suffers significantly from the gadfly and horsefly. Horses can stand under a canopy almost all day, huddling in a corner, away from horse flies. Because of this, the animal does not finish eating. There are even cases of exhaustion. At the same time, the amount of milk decreases, which negatively affects the weight gain of the young. The skin of animals, as well as their habitats, are treated with special substances.

Gadfly bit

Methods to combat gadflies and horse flies:

• Amidophos. This is an emulsion, which is an oil-like substance. In order to fight insects, they spray, that is, water the area of ​​the animal’s spine so that the liquid flows down on both sides. Thanks to this, it is possible to get rid of the subcutaneous gadfly, as well as reduce the number of horsefly bites. The substance is injected directly under the skin of reindeer.
• Chlorophos. This is a substance that is a white powder for preparing a solution. The powder is diluted in water to 8% concentration. After this, 200 ml of this solution is poured into the animal’s spine area so that the liquid drains from both sides. The procedure is carried out at the very beginning of autumn.
• Antifly. This is a substance whose active component is cyfluthrin. Differs in yellow color. A small amount of the substance is poured onto the animal’s skin and distributed evenly.

Stages of horsefly development
Despite the external similarity, these insects should not be confused. They feed and reproduce differently. But both species cause significant damage to agriculture and livestock.

Their habitats

There is also a difference between the gadfly and the horsefly in the habitat. Horseflies mainly live near water bodies or in wetlands. This is due to the principles of reproduction. To lay eggs and hatch offspring, horseflies require a constant moist environment.

Gadflies need living organisms to reproduce. They are able to lay their eggs even on small rodents. Therefore, these insects live everywhere - in the forest, on the plains, in the mountains, near reservoirs. You can also meet them in the city.

What danger do they pose?

Horseflies and gadflies are carriers of infections and parasites that are dangerous not only for animals, but also for humans. When a horsefly bites, it injects toxic anticoagulants contained in its saliva. The affected area is irritated, very swollen, and blood does not stop oozing. Cases of increased temperature have been reported.

Attention: people with allergies should take antihistamines after an insect attack. The bite of one horsefly is equivalent to the bite of 70 mosquitoes.

In addition to unpleasant sensations, a horsefly bite can cause serious harm in the form of introducing bacteria and nematodes into the wound, which are also contained in saliva.

Horseflies carry dangerous diseases:

• anthrax;
• tularemia;
• filariasis.

Immediately after the attack, it is necessary to put pressure on the resulting papule to minimize the penetration of harmful substances into the body. Gadflies are dangerous due to their larvae. Subcutaneous and gastric types are dangerous for humans. They can cause intoxication of the body.

Fistulas, which are formed by the larvae of subcutaneous insect species, are gateways for the penetration of bacteria. There are known cases when the larvae of gastric botflies reached the human brain. Such a defeat leads to death.

What a gadfly bite looks like and what to do if swelling and redness appear, read more in this article.

These insects also cause a lot of trouble for animals. The larvae infect them with bacteria, infections, damage the skin and tissues and often lead to painful death.

How harmful are gadflies?

Gadflies naturally pose the greatest danger to livestock. Once in the body of an animal, the eggs of these flying bloodsuckers quickly turn into vile and voracious larvae, which absorb nutrients in huge quantities, cause various diseases, and sometimes lead to death.

It has long been proven that cows subjected to regular attacks by gadflies produce significantly less milk than their luckier “relatives.” Intrusive insects become a source of stress for animals, cause tension and interfere with normal nutrition. Hence the low milk yield and weight gain. Horses are especially afraid of gadflies; they can hide in a stall for days on end from these flying parasites, ignoring food.

Can a gadfly harm a person himself? Certainly. There are even isolated cases where, after contact with this insect, parasitic larvae entered the brain and caused death. But most often the consequences are less tragic.

The degree of impact directly depends on the location of the parasites. For example, the skin larvae of gadflies negatively affect the overall health, the functioning of organs, and poison the body with their waste products. But the most dangerous are cavity parasites that spread in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and ENT organs. Ask how eggs and larvae can get into the gastrointestinal tract? This usually happens when eating meat infected with the botfly.

It turns out that human contact with a gadfly can lead to dangerous infection. The most common diseases:

1. conjunctivitis;
2. dermatobiasis;
3. allergy;
4. dermatitis;
5. hypodermatosis.

So if you were unable to avoid infection with a gadfly larva, then you should not delay contacting a medical facility. An examination and consultation with a doctor is the first thing required in this case.

The gadfly larva can also enter the human body through a mosquito bite. The fact is that the female spider sometimes lays eggs on the abdominal part of blood-sucking insects. For example, ticks and mosquitoes. As a result, when they bite a person, the gadfly parasites are introduced into the body.

How are both insects similar to hornets?

The hornet is a large insect that is yellow and black in color. This insect looks like a wasp, only different in size. Hornets, gadflies and horseflies are similar in their large size and aggressiveness. They bite painfully. Their bites cause great discomfort and are dangerous.

After bites, the affected area swells, hurts, and itches. For people with allergies, this can be deadly, as the bites can cause anaphylactic shock. Hornets and gadflies settle anywhere - in the forest, in the city, on the plain and in the mountains.

Gadflies and horseflies are dangerous insects that are carriers of serious infectious diseases. Gadflies are parasitic in the body not only of animals, but also of humans. When there is a mass accumulation of insects, it is important to use protective equipment - thick clothing, insecticides. If you have been attacked or even bitten by insects, you should carefully monitor the affected areas and, if you have the slightest complications or doubts, immediately consult a doctor.

Traps for horseflies and gadflies, by what means you can get rid of insects, read more in this article.

Symptoms of bites

It is often difficult for a person to understand which insect bit him - a bee, a wasp or a mosquito. But not in case of a gadfly attack. This insect does not fly away after a bite, but continues to circle over an adult or child, choosing a place for a new attack. Damage caused by a parasitic fly is also very characteristic.

When biting, the gadfly makes a puncture, leaving two small holes in the skin. Saliva enters the wounds, along with which toxic compounds penetrate into the systemic bloodstream. A person can recognize that he has become a victim of a gadfly attack by the following characteristic signs:

• severe pain during a bite;
• instant redness of the skin;
• unbearable skin itching caused by toxins;
• rapid formation of large edema.

If you do not provide first aid to the victim after a gadfly bite, the tumor can greatly increase in size. A harmful insect often injects pathogenic bacteria under the human skin along with saliva. After a few days, an abscess forms at the site of the bite, which gradually enlarges and causes severe pain when pressed.

What can happen immediately after a bite

Toxic compounds, after penetrating the skin, enter the bloodstream and spread to all tissues and organs. Even a person with a very high resistance to allergic and infectious agents experiences symptoms of general intoxication of the body:

• temperature rise above subfebrile values ​​(38.5°C);
• migraine-like headaches;
• dyspeptic disorders - nausea, vomiting, diarrhea due to a sharp rise in temperature.

It is possible to develop a severe allergic reaction, including anaphylactic shock. The site of the gadfly bite is itchy, and a raised papule may appear.

Signs of an allergic reaction

The greatest danger to human health occurs with the development of a sensitization reaction. In people predisposed to allergies, the likelihood of death increases in the absence of qualified medical care. For what symptoms of a gadfly bite in a person should the victim be quickly taken to the nearest hospital:

• development of extensive swelling, quickly spreading to healthy areas of the skin;
• the occurrence of severe itching against the background of redness of a significant area of ​​the skin;
• a feeling of acute pain that only intensifies over time;
• severe dizziness that does not allow the victim to be in an upright position;
• attacks of vomiting, the intervals between which are only becoming shorter;
• lethargy, apathy, indifference to everything that happens around;
• decreased motor activity, fatigue, weakness.

The severity of the allergic reaction after a gadfly bite can be so strong that the victim involuntarily empties the bladder and (or) intestines.