Britain’s parks and gardens have been invaded by the vicious horsefly and taking advantage of the summer heatwave. With rain and storms forecast, this could make the invasion worse as they thrive in hot and rainy weather.

The horsefly is a blood sucking insect vary in size, ranging from 1cm to 2.5cm and are dark in colour. The bites are painful and can lead to hospitalisation if not treated immediately. It can also lead to an infection of the skin called cellulitis which could require a course of antibiotics dependent on the severity. The horsefly bite can also cause symptoms such as wheezing, weakness and dizziness.

The BCPA have described the bugs: “Literally designed to eat a horse, their bite is both impressive and painful.

“The horse fly is a sanguivorous insect and therefore wants to bite you.

“They can persistently chase you at a flying speed of around 15mph, and it’ll bite right through clothes.

“It has mandibles that can rip and tear flesh apart.”