What is this horrible Beast!!!

[JimMIA]

They look a lot like deer flys, a nasty insect that leaves painful bites. You tend to find them in damp or heavily wooded places. I don't think there is any known repellant that works effectively on them for any significant length of time. I would be willing to bet these guys are related.

The body shape does resemble a deer fly, but these critters (whatever they are) are much prettier (for a biting fly).

If you think deer flies are bad, wait until you encounter a horsefly! First of all, they are the size of a small airplane. Secondly, you can outrun them in a car or truck (remember to roll up the windows because they are right with you up to about 45 MPH), but certainly not running or even on a bicycle (believe me, I've tried and they laugh at you at 22-23 MPH) One bit me through my ballcap a couple of years ago and I had a quarter-sized knot on my head for two weeks.

 

[ToddyLu]

My parents bought a big beautiful home about 20 years ago (they still live there) and it is surrounded by beautiful trees and water.....and every year my father has to suit up becasue of the yellow flies. He has to literally wear something that looks like a bee keepers hat and long sleeve shirt to mow the grass.

I have even worn the setup to walk the dog during the fly season.

and every time the flies swarm the story goes...."if I had known that this neighborhood had #*$*^* flies...I would have...."

DH and I literally run to the car waving at Mom...she thinks we are waving...we are swatting those darn things.

We live on the MS Gulf Coast and decided at work today that the oil spill is going to be the cause of lots of craziness around here. My DH has been watching it 24/7 on our local channel......I lovingly call him the "Spillage Voyeur"

 

[goofydad99]

the most awful biting creature on the planet!!
What will repel them, they are all over WDW! Having a great time but I have never run across these biting flies and the leave itchy swelling marks!

So far have been bitten at BCV AKV K&J DTD and SSR. Heard they are really bad at FW.

[/IMG]

We are here too. They are awful! My foot swelled up after being bitten 2 times on my foot. The cast member suggested meat tenderizer. He told me that was the only thing he has had much success with these terrible things.

 

[dclfun]

When DAK first opened, the yellow flies were everywhere and horrendous! I don't know what Disney did to get rid of them, but they did as so many guests got bitten and ended up in First Aid. I know I had bites that lasted for over a month, itching, swelling, oozing- totally gross. They seem to have made a comeback lately as my daughter swatted one last week at one of the parks and a friend had one that bit her repeatedly on her legs a few weeks ago at my workplace.---Kathy

 

[wdwfan1]

We were there last October and I got bitten all over my ankles. The were very itchy red bites that lasted for a long time. I still have one that seems to fade to normal flesh tones, but them gets very red, itchy and raised again. I think it is time to get this checked out because it is very annoying!

I still do not know what kind of bug bites they were.

 

[LIFERBABE]

At Epcot til midnight and so far no flies!! I don't know what is worse the bites or the smell of DWO

1 of my favorite things about wdw was the pest control. I rarely get bit by anything !

 

[Mickey527]

I always seem to get bites around my ankles while waiting for Illuminations to begin.
I watch to see what is biting me but have never seen the flies. I always figured they were tho same as the "no-see'ums" we have around the water here in CT. They are tiny gnats that bite, so tiny that you can't see them but really feel the bite.
When I do get bite they itch for a few days, then the itch seems to go away for a day or two then they itch again for days. Weird that I get a few days of relief. But the red spots last for weeks.
I used Cutters spray last time and didn't get any bites until the 3rd day when i forgot the spray and they bugs got revenge for the pat 2 bug free nights.

 

[PrincessV]

When DAK first opened, the yellow flies were everywhere and horrendous!

Oh my gosh, you're right! I forgot about that. I've been following these yellow fly threads for the past few weeks, hoping to gain some insight into preventing bites, because I'm allergic to them. Never, in almost 20 years, have I seen them here (Tampa Bay area, on the coast), until recently. I've seen a few in my neighborhood lately, though.

 

[Ms. WDW]

These flies must have heard that Disney was offering free dining again! Lol!!

Too funny! But those flies aren't funny!

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Yup... We saw them and still have large swelled bumps that still itch weeks later.

I can't help but wonder.. I have heard that WDW has cutback on it's pest control as a cost saving measure.....

MG

 

[DizGirl20]

I always seem to get bites around my ankles while waiting for Illuminations to begin.

OMG me too! We got them May 16th while waiting for Illuminations over by Morocco and the bites are still visible on our legs and ankles (although not so itchy anymore). Funny, I NEVER recall getting bit by anything in the last few years until this past trip in May. Huh, wonder what's going on.

Oh, just found this on a good website:

Bite and sting relief
Here is a general purpose sting relief for yellow flies. It is also helpful for mosquito, chigger and jellyfish bites.
1 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup ammonia (Windex is mostly ammonia)
1/3 tsp. papain (meat tenderizer)
1 crushed aspirin
Mix thoroughly and store in refrigerator (be sure to label container). When needed, shake well and apply with cotton swab, and rub briskly.

 

[dopeyone]

Off hand I would say my MIL (that's only if i looked at the threads title) after reading through it though i have to say that's one mean looking fly! I usually have luck with the deep woods off, Then again I never encountered your beast!

 

[NikiM20]

Those flies are horrible!! I was a tasty meal for them a few weeks ago and still have sores where the bites were

 

[Ms. WDW]

So I guess there's no "season" for these horrible critters.

 

[cseca]

yuck yuck yuck... so glad we missed them on our may trip. Then again we always get back to the room quite early because of our baby.
But someone mentioned no-see-um... man those things are nasty too. We were swarmed by then at castaway cay. Never have we moved so fast away from the beach...

If MG was right, I sure hope they reinstated the pest control budget again. Because I don't think disney would want their first aid centers to get swarmed by people with these bites. Eww...

 

[Candy Orlando]

My daughter and I also got bit on the leg this May. I always use Benadryl cream for the itch, Hydrorocortisone cream for the itch and inflammation and Bacitracin ointment to prevent infection.

 

[wildernessDad]

So I guess there's no "season" for these horrible critters.

There is. I read that May/June is a peak for them, but there's another peak later in the year.

I think that they're not too prevalent in December, which is a good thing.

 

[Ms. WDW]

There is. I read that May/June is a peak for them, but there's another peak later in the year.

I think that they're not too prevalent in December, which is a good thing.

I do hope they're not around in October!!

 

[wildernessDad]

Check out the below link. Here's a quote.

http://pherec.org/EntGuides/EntGuide1.pdf

"Yellow flies" readily attack man and are usually present in Florida from March through November although peak numbers generally occur for most species from May through June. A much smaller second population peak for some species occurs from August through September.

 

[lsutiggeratwk]

Another yellow fly victim. Just me, not DH
Got several bites on our trip mid-May and the hotter I got, the more they itched. i don't remember where we were at the time. i still have the scars, but not the effects of the bite. My DH said they were deer fly, so he was close. Most of the time he just makes up stuff to keep me quiet