Have you ever been bitten by a horsefly? Wow, that hurts!
When I’m outside, I expect ticks to jump on me and mosquitos to bite me. Otherwise, bugs tend to leave you alone if you leave them alone. Right?
I guess not.
I walked out my front door and felt something like a razor hit my ankle. I never saw the bug. What just happened?
The bite was mildly itchy for a few hours. And then it became the itchiest itch I have ever felt as the area around the bite started to swell. I followed the advice from the Cleveland Clinic to treat the bite. After two days, the itching and swelling finally started to go down.
My ankle was swollen in a spot that made it uncomfortable to wear shoes. Since I couldn’t go for a walk, I decided to investigate this miserable bug bite. After comparing the look and feel of the bite, my best guess is that I was bitten by a horsefly.
There are several different kinds of horseflies (Tabanus). Horseflies generally feed on nectar. During breeding season, however, female horseflies need to find a source of blood to get the protein they need to develop mature eggs. They bite horses and other large animals, including humans, to get that blood.
If you would like to know more about horseflies, NC State Extension has information on their website. Take a look at iNaturalist for pictures of the different types of horseflies.
Be careful out there!