How To Keep Horseflies Away at the Beach

Spending time at the beach can be relaxing. The sound of the waves, the feel of the sand beneath your feet, and the cool water can relax your nerves.

Your time at the beach can be fabulous and relaxing until you get a visit from some unwanted guests like horseflies. These insects are horrible pests and will bite you at any chance they get.

Their bites are painful and sure to leave you itchy and uncomfortable.

Below, we compiled some practical ways to keep horseflies away from you while at the beach. Enjoy the read!

The next sections will discuss five sure ways to frighten horseflies at the beach. But before we go into all that, let’s peek at some facts about these bee pests.

What Are Horseflies?

You may have wondered why you keep getting painful bites at the beach. The itching, redness, and swelling can be horrible.

These bites come from no other insect than horseflies. They are also referred to as greenheads. These insects usually have their habitat in hot or humid areas with a lot of water.

Just like mosquitoes, they can also spread diseases. They use their sharp mouthparts to draw blood, leaving you in pain.

Now that you know what horseflies are, let’s discuss ways to keep them away from you while at the beach.

5 Ways To Keep Horseflies Away at the Beach

Below are five simple ways you can keep horseflies at bay while at the beach:

1. Wear Bright Colors

Horseflies will move to dull and dark colors. If you wear clothes that are black, brown, dark blue, or generally pale in color, you are giving an open invitation to the horseflies.

When you go to the beach, wear bright-colored clothing. Colors like yellow or any pastel color will keep these insects away from you.

If you must wear something that has black in it, you can try wearing a black and white striped outfit. Your clothes should not be the only colored thing you wear. Your hats, bags, towels, and other clothing items should be colorful.

Apart from the color, you should also consider the material you wear. The fabric should not be glossy. A simple polyester or cotton material is fine.

2. Avoid Oil-Based Creams

You can apply many lotions or ointments to keep horseflies from biting you. There are several brands of insect-repellant creams you can purchase from any local grocery store. They are easy to use and give off an odor that drives many insects away.

Generally, these insect repellants are not harmful. However, they can cause breakouts or specific skin reactions if you have a sensitive skin type. Before heading to the beach, you can test the product for the best results.

Suppose you are not a fan of insect-repelling creams, you may apply sunscreen and tanning solutions before going to the beach. Before applying it to your body, check to confirm that it is not an oil-based product.

Oil-based lotions are good skincare products but will leave you with a shiny body after you apply them. However, a shiny body will attract horseflies to you, making your body their next dinner table.

3. Choose Your Edibles Well

When you go to the beach, you will likely go along with a few edibles you can munch on. You may be particular about satisfying your hunger, but you should also be careful to make the right food choices.

A meat with a solid sugary, or flowery scent will draw horseflies to you like a magnet. Barbeques, toast, or foods that give off a smokey or wooden aroma will also attract these insects to you.

You can opt for crackers, fruits, vegetables, salads, or anything with a mild smell. After all, you are not at the beach to feast. A nibble here and there can hold you down till you head back home.

If you are thirsty, you should have a bottle of water. If you must have any other drinks, you can go for fizzy water, iced tea, or lemonade. Avoid energy drinks, milk, soda, or fruit juice with strong flavors.

If you love to chew gum, you should opt for the minty flavors. You know, the kind that burns and leaves your mouth feeling fresh when you chew it. Avoid fruity gum flavors.

Remember that male horsefly species feed on nectar and can mistake the scent from your gum for the next juicy flower to feast on.

4. Stay Near Water

This may sound contradictory, as we have said that horseflies love to be around water bodies. Of course, these insects love water, but they love the stagnant kind.

With the waves moving back and forth on the beach, a horsefly will not be in the water at the beach. It can hang around any object — a piece of plastic or broken wood that holds water.

If you stay close to a beach, you will keep all horseflies far away.

5. Stay Away From Horses

A visit to the beach will be more fun if you take a horseback ride down the sands of the beach. Gliding through the sands with the wind blowing on your face. That would be awesome, no doubt!

But you may need to rethink if you don’t want horseflies interrupting your fun moments on the beach. As we have already stated, horseflies do not just bite human flesh, they attack animals as well, and horses are no exception.

If there is a horsefly infestation on the beach you visit, they could also be biting the horses there. Soon after you climb the horse for a ride, the insects will attack you.

Avoid the horses on the beach as much as you can. If you must have a horse ride, be sure the horse is not under a horsefly attack before you climb on.

Conclusion

Your beach day should be fun. If a tidal wave can stop you from having a fantastic beach day, some little horseflies shouldn’t. You can keep them as far away from you as possible.

In the guide above, we provided some tips you can deploy to keep the fun-disrupting pest away at the beach.

To recap, wear bright colors, avoid oil-based creams, choose your edibles well, and stay around a place with tidal waves. If possible, you can also stay away from horses. With these, your beach day will be rid of horseflies.