On Tue, 24 Jun 2003 07:17:27 +0100, "David Hill"
wrote:

wonder why it is that others seem able to report the first Swallows, or
Humming bird moths whilst all I seem to have is the first Horse fly's
The last 10 days they have been going mad, I am sure they are earlier than
in past years, trying to plant dahlias I am being attacked constantly,
nothing to kill 30 or more in a day, and I am only getting about 1 in 3 of
attacks.
Would be nice to find out how to get rid of them at source.


We are troubled by another biting fly. It's much smaller than a cleg,
smaller even than a house fly but only slightly so, but its bite and
resulting itchy lump are just as uncomfortable and long-lasting. It
may be a stable fly, as we have horses in one field adjacent to the
garden and cattle in another, but doesn't look like the diagram of a
stable fly in my insect book. In fairness, the only ones I been able
to study at leisure have been well squashed. A characteristic feature
seems to be what looks like a white spot or bar near the base of each
wing, which become a stripe when the wings are folded together. Does
anyone have any suggestions as to what it might be?


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net