Bureau of Entomology and Pest Control
FAQ's
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Dog Fly Facts
Dog Flies (Stomoxys calcitrans) breed in decaying vegetation with or without manure mixed in. They are usually found associated with cattle production or horse stables, but heavy populations can be found at sites such as wind rowed aquatic grasses, lawn trimmings, and agricultural wastes. Both male and female adults prefer to take blood from large animals, but if their normal hosts are not available, they will feed on nectar for a time and then on anything that is warm and has blood. This is why they become a problem for humans. Their bite is painful but usually doesn't result in reactions like those of yellow flies or sandflies.
Northerly winds carry the flies from farm areas to the coastal areas in the panhandle, where the water acts as a barrier for further migration. Here they will build to large numbers, sometimes resulting in a landing rate of 100 per minute, driving everyone from the beaches except the hardiest fishermen wearing long sleeved shirts.
The flies will remain in a narrow band along the coast as long as the wind blows from the land to the water. A shift in the wind direction will dissipate the flies in minutes.
How to File a Dog Fly Complaint
If citizens are having problems with Dog Flies, they should report it to their local mosquito control agency.
The phone numbers for these agencies are shown below.| Bay County Mosquito Control | (850) 784-4080 |
| Beach Mosquito Control (Bay Co.) | (850) 233-5030 |
| Gulf County Mosquito Control | (850) 227-1401 |
| Okaloosa County Mosquito Control | (850) 651-7394 |
| Santa Rosa County Mosquito Control | (850) 626-0191 |
| South Walton County MCD | (850) 267-2112 |
