Bot flies annoy cattle, horses, pets and humans

The last days of summer weather often spark more bot fly activity before the first frost wipes out the egg-laying females.

Bot flies are chunky, beelike flies usually with rounded heads and rarely seen. Like other true flies, bot flies have only a single pair of wings. There are six important species of bot flies that affect the U.S. livestock industry: Hypoderma bovis, H. lineatum, Oestrus ovis, and Gasterophilus intestinalis.

Sources:

• Bot flies, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Link.
• Bot flies, Field Guide, Missouri Department of Conservation. Link.
• How bot fly Larvae affect livestock and farm income, Countryside, March 2019. Link.
• Got bots? The Horse, September 2019, Link.