What are these horrible insects?

[kt with Hanni]

Hanni has been covered in these horrible flying insects that are small and black they attach themselves to the horse and suck the blood (never seen them before!). Hanni has got so itchy by them he has been rubbing his face raw :-( i've applied fly spray and some anti itching stuff to the raw skin. Anyone know what these are and how I can treat the raw skin? Thanks

[ceiron]

midges ?

[melissa]

not sure what they are...but we have them too! the ones we have are flat bodied so very hard to swat!! horrid things, one stuck to my forehead! will do some research.....

i guess something soothing for your boy may help, some aloe vera cream or something? just a thought....

[wally]

Are they flying? do they have wings?

Flat bodied blood suckers might be sheep keds. They are hard as nails and crack like giant fleas when you squash them!

like this!....... ag.ansc.purdue.edu/sheep/ansc442/Semprojs/2003/sheepked/sheepked.htm

[kt with Hanni]

yes I think that is those! They look like little ticks!!

[wally]

They are sheep keds then,

I can deal with ticks, but Keds make my flesh crawl!

They are a wingless fly! and they might as well come from another planet as far as I am concerned. YUCK!

When we work with the wild hill sheep we generally get one or two stuck to us, They crack like fleas with a huge POP!

If you have a bad infestation of them I'd be concerned, do you have a lot of sheep nearby?

[kt with Hanni]

He had some on his chest and around his groin area. I've brushed them all off and am applying Naff fly spray. I'm also going to buy summer fly cream which farmers use for the sheep and cattle apparently it works well. Hanni isn't near any sheep. There are pigs in sight and the farm has goats but nowhere near Hanni. All the other horses seems to have keds on them too. Since its rained they seem to have vanished but will they come back? I'm wondering whether to get Hanni a fly rug?What do you think?

[thelwall78]

Deer keds? www.ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/deer_keds.htm
A fly rug won't keep them out, they get underneath rugs and run throught the fur. Horrible things.