Often during early afternoon, thermal currents on land pull winds from the Gulf causing flies that congregate on these beaches to become bothersome inland as far as 10-15 miles. Both sexes of this fly usually feed twice daily on blood. The life cycle of the stable fly is shown in Figure 2. Adult flies live for about 2-3 weeks in warmer weather and longer during cooler weather. Adult stable flies can be carried by winds up to 150 miles from their developmental sites and can be produced continuously throughout the year in Florida.
Stable flies feed mainly on the legs and bellies of cattle and horses.
After they have taken a blood meal, stable flies will leave the animal and rest on nearby buildings, fences or vegetation to digest their meal. Cattle will stamp nervously, switch their tails and become irritable during episodes of stable fly feeding. Some animals have been known to stand in water up to their nose to escape these flies during heavy infestations. Stable flies are inactive at night, resting on fences, sides of buildings, in tall grasses or weeds, as well as, trees and shrubs. The most practical and economical method for controlling adult stable flies is elimination or proper management of maggot production sources.