Let’s face it horseflies are more than just a buzzing nuisance. Their painful bites don’t just irritate your animals, they can lead to stress, reduced grazing, weight loss, and even infections. Not exactly the peaceful country life we’re all aiming for. Whether it's your prized horses or a herd of cattle, keeping the fields and paddocks free from these pets is a must for healthy, happy livestock.
Horsefly facts every UK farmer should know
Popular Assumption |
True or false |
Facts |
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Peak Season is in spring |
False |
Horseflies are most active June to August, especially during hot, humid weather and around wetlands, ponds, or wooded pasture. |
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Only Females Bite |
True |
Female horseflies feed on blood, they need it to develop eggs. Males, on the other hand, are harmless and feed on nectar. |
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Horse fly sting |
False |
Their bite cuts the skin rather than piercing it, that's why it hurts more than a mosquito bite and bleeds freely. |
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Targets Livestock & Humans |
True |
While they mainly go for horses and cattle, they’re not picky. Humans, sheep, and dogs are also fair game. |
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Horse flies are harmless |
False |
Repeated bites can cause stress, weight loss, reduced milk yields, and even open wounds or infections especially in horses and cows. |
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Are attracted by smell |
False |
Horseflies are attracted to movement, dark colours, and body heat, that’s why black or dark-coated animals tend to be hit hardest |
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They Can Fly for Miles |
True |
They’re strong fliers, some species can travel up to 30 km in search of a meal, making them hard to outrun or avoid. |
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You need chemicals to kill |
False |
Traps like the H-Trap or MT-Trap exploit their behaviour, luring them visually without chemicals or electricity, making them ideal for any busy farmers of animal owner. |
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| Sources: wildlifetrusts.org, nhm.ac.uk |
At Electric Fence Online, we’ve got a few clever traps up our sleeve: H-Trap and the MT-Trap. Both are ideal for gardens, swimming pools, paddocks & stables, patios, golf courses, you name it. These traps are made to catch those persistent, buzzing nuisances.
H-TRAP – the Pro’s Choice for Tackling Horseflies
The H-Trap system is brilliantly simple. Set it up outdoors and it’ll reduce the local horsefly population by up to 90–95%, all without a drop of chemicals or a single watt of electricity. Thanks to clever design and a decoy ball that horseflies mistake for a target, they’re lured straight into the trap, no escape route in sight.
Tips to Get the Most from Your H-Trap:
- Scout the main flight paths, usually between damp spots (like ponds or riverbanks) and where your horses or other animals hang out
- Decide if you’ll need more than one H-Trap (big fields or big herds may call for backup)
- Set the trap along those paths, closer to where the horses are is better
- Put it out early, ideally just before the horseflies make their springtime debut in April
- Check weekly, top up or change the soapy water as needed
- If you’re not catching many but you’re sure flies are about, try moving the trap to a new spot
* One H-Trap is enough for around 5 horses or 10,000 m² (that’s 100 x 100 m for the mathematically minded)
Let Nature Do the Dirty Work
Horseflies are visual hunters, they spot their prey, they don’t sniff it out. That’s why the H-Trap’s big black ball works so well. It looks like a warm, tasty animal, so the flies zero in, try to land and take a bite, then end up trapped instead. Job done.
MT-TRAP – The Double Act: Wasp and Horsefly Trap
The MT-Trap is a handy little invention for keeping both horseflies and wasps at bay, especially useful from May to October. This trap works without chemicals or electricity and keeps the flying pests under control. Thanks to its more compact size, the MT-Trap is a handy, portable option, easy to hang wherever the horseflies are causing the most bother.
Extensive testing shows up to 95% fewer pests in the areas where the trap’s placed. It uses sun-heated movement and warmth to draw them in. Once they try (and fail) to bite the decoy ball, they fly upwards, straight into the trap. One less stinger to worry about.
Setting Up Your MT-Trap: Quick Guide for Fields & Paddocks
- Only use it outdoors, The sun’s warmth heats the decoy ball, which is what draws the horseflies in
- Place it near high-traffic animal areas. Ideal near stables, field shelters, or where horses and livestock tend to gather
- Go for sunny or part-sunny spots. Shade reduces the trap’s effectiveness
- Hang it between 1 and 1.8 metres high. That's fly-level, right where you want it
With the multiTrap, keeping unwanted horse flies and wasps off your property is suddenly a whole lot easier.
Setting Up Your multiTrap: A Quick Guide
- Only use it outdoors, the sun’s warmth is key for heating the ball
- Don’t put it where you usually sit and relax (like patios), you don’t want to invite trouble
- Place it somewhere with at least partial sunlight, shade just won’t cut it
- Hang it between 1 and 1.8 metres off the ground
- To help catch wasps, pour an attractant into the collection container
Fencing Expert at Electric fence Online & Farmer
Stephen grew up on a farm and now runs a smallholding of his own in Devon. With a genuine passion for animals and the countryside, he enjoys sharing his experience and offering support to others on their farming journey.
