Insect bites?

Craven Birds said:

Never known it in over 30 years of walking in England. Scotland, yes.

This weekend in Silverdale, Lancs, I've been bitten to death. What bit me?
I've ended up with blisters where the little bleeders caught me:-(((

Any ideas, bitten by what? I doubt they were the dreaded Scots midges. And
any advise about precautions to stop a recurrence.

I don't know, but we were climbing on the North York Moors a couple of
weeks ago, and all suffered from a similar thing. At the time we
thought it was midges, but over the next 2 or 3 days, large numbers of
blisters formed. Not as nasty as horse flies but nastier than midges.

"Simon Caldwell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Craven Birds said:

Never known it in over 30 years of walking in England. Scotland, yes.

This weekend in Silverdale, Lancs, I've been bitten to death. What bit

me?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I've ended up with blisters where the little bleeders caught me:-(((

Any ideas, bitten by what? I doubt they were the dreaded Scots midges.

And

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

any advise about precautions to stop a recurrence.

I don't know, but we were climbing on the North York Moors a couple of
weeks ago, and all suffered from a similar thing. At the time we
thought it was midges, but over the next 2 or 3 days, large numbers of
blisters formed. Not as nasty as horse flies but nastier than midges.

Oh, my memory! I used to climb years ago around Craven and you've jogged my
memory;-) I got the same bites around the climbing harness. Just forgot! I'm
still puzzling what the Bl**ders are though.
--

Regards,
Chris,

Bird sightings based around 'Craven' Skipton, North Yorks.
http://www.craven-birds.co.uk/
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by the Norton auto-updated
anti-virus system.

In [email hidden]
Simon Caldwell mused:

Quoted message said:

At the time we
thought it was midges, but over the next 2 or 3 days, large numbers of
blisters formed. Not as nasty as horse flies but nastier than midges.

Clegs?

Craven Birds said:

"Simon Caldwell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 9 Aug 2004 20:03:26 +0100, "Craven Birds"
<[email hidden]> wrote:

Oh, my memory! I used to climb years ago around Craven and you've
jogged my memory;-) I got the same bites around the climbing harness.
Just forgot! I'm still puzzling what the Bl**ders are though.

I think you will find they were Midges, they aren't confined to Scotland,
see the link below for some more info.

http://www.iob.org/downloads/50_4_Midge.pdf

--

Don`t Worry, Be Happy

Sandy
--

E-Mail:- [email hidden]
Website:- http://www.ftscotland.co.uk
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<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 9 Aug 2004 21:24:07 +0100, "Bootlaces" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

In [email hidden]
Simon Caldwell mused:

Quoted message said:

At the time we
thought it was midges, but over the next 2 or 3 days, large numbers of
blisters formed. Not as nasty as horse flies but nastier than midges.

Clegs?

I thought clegs and stouts were synonymous with horseflies?

Ants and spiders seem to cause little blisters on me.

Ants! That could be it although the blisters I get aren't small. The
better-half suggested ants!

Now for the remedy! What's the deterrent?
--

Regards,
Chris,

Bird sightings based around 'Craven' Skipton, North Yorks.
http://www.craven-birds.co.uk/
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by the Norton auto-updated
anti-virus system.

"Sandy Birrell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Craven Birds said:

"Simon Caldwell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 9 Aug 2004 20:03:26 +0100, "Craven Birds"
<[email hidden]> wrote:

Oh, my memory! I used to climb years ago around Craven and you've
jogged my memory;-) I got the same bites around the climbing harness.
Just forgot! I'm still puzzling what the Bl**ders are though.

I think you will find they were Midges, they aren't confined to Scotland,
see the link below for some more info.

http://www.iob.org/downloads/50_4_Midge.pdf

'fraid not, no way these bites are from the 'Wee Beasties' IMO. Having been
used to them for quite a few years (40+). Unless my body metabolism or
immunity is degrading with age. Now that's a possibility:-0

--

Regards,
Chris,

Bird sightings based around 'Craven' Skipton, North Yorks.
http://www.craven-birds.co.uk/
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by the Norton auto-updated
anti-virus system.

Quoted message said:

'fraid not, no way these bites are from the 'Wee Beasties' IMO. Having been
used to them for quite a few years (40+). Unless my body metabolism or
immunity is degrading with age. Now that's a possibility:-0

I'm far from immune to midges, but know the effect they have on me,
and these blighters were definitely something else.

Quoted message said:

Ants and spiders seem to cause little blisters on me.

Not ants I'm sure, I'd have noticed the initial pain. And spiders
don't bite (in the UK), do they?

S.

Craven Birds said:

"Simon Caldwell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Craven Birds said:

Never known it in over 30 years of walking in England. Scotland,
yes.

This weekend in Silverdale, Lancs, I've been bitten to death. What
bit me? I've ended up with blisters where the little bleeders
caught me:-(((

Any ideas, bitten by what? I doubt they were the dreaded Scots
midges. And any advise about precautions to stop a recurrence.

I don't know, but we were climbing on the North York Moors a couple
of weeks ago, and all suffered from a similar thing. At the time we
thought it was midges, but over the next 2 or 3 days, large numbers
of blisters formed. Not as nasty as horse flies but nastier than
midges.

Oh, my memory! I used to climb years ago around Craven and you've
jogged my memory;-) I got the same bites around the climbing harness.
Just forgot! I'm still puzzling what the Bl**ders are though.

Thank god. I was beginning to think that this was caused by global warming.
(Mosquitos.)

There are some nasty flies in damp wooded areas where I live. Give a nasty
bite, but easy to squish!

Brian

Craven Birds said:

"Sandy Birrell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Craven Birds wrote:

'fraid not, no way these bites are from the 'Wee Beasties' IMO.
Having been used to them for quite a few years (40+). Unless my body
metabolism or immunity is degrading with age. Now that's a
possibility:-0

This could turn into an "I was here first" thread, 50+ years living among
them 🙂
Every year I come up in lumps with them, some years worse than others. Up
till a few years ago my wife used to get a small red dot now she comes up in
a small lump. This year they seem to be really agressive, when they bite it
is like being stuck with a needle, the lump is small at first but 24 hours
later it gets bigger and very itchy, the 24 hours is normal but the increase
in size of lump is new. I find every year there is a subtle difference on
how my body reacts so maybe your body is reacting in a different manner from
normal.

--

Don`t Worry, Be Happy

Sandy
--

E-Mail:- [email hidden]
Website:- http://www.ftscotland.co.uk
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"Sandy Birrell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Craven Birds said:

"Sandy Birrell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Craven Birds wrote:

'fraid not, no way these bites are from the 'Wee Beasties' IMO.
Having been used to them for quite a few years (40+). Unless my body
metabolism or immunity is degrading with age. Now that's a
possibility:-0

This could turn into an "I was here first" thread, 50+ years living among
them 🙂
Every year I come up in lumps with them, some years worse than others. Up
till a few years ago my wife used to get a small red dot now she comes up

in

Quoted message said:

a small lump. This year they seem to be really agressive, when they bite

it

Quoted message said:

is like being stuck with a needle, the lump is small at first but 24 hours
later it gets bigger and very itchy, the 24 hours is normal but the

increase

Quoted message said:

in size of lump is new. I find every year there is a subtle difference on
how my body reacts so maybe your body is reacting in a different manner

from

Quoted message said:

normal.

Personally, I've noticed the 'Wee Beasties' are more aggressive nowadays, I
usually didn't need to protect myself, years ago.

Do you think, they're getting immune to all these insect repellents?
"Jungle Formula" used to work, but alas not with me now, an ongoing saga.

Regards,
Chris,

Bird sightings based around 'Craven' Skipton, North Yorks.
http://www.craven-birds.co.uk/
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by the Norton auto-updated
anti-virus system.

Quoted message said:

Not ants I'm sure, I'd have noticed the initial pain. And spiders
don't bite (in the UK), do they?

Yep, it's just that in the UK we don't have any that'll kill you :-)

Trap one of those big hairy house spiders and if you've got a nicely sized
one you'll be able to see the fangs quite clearly.

Mark

Craven Birds said:

"Sandy Birrell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Personally, I've noticed the 'Wee Beasties' are more aggressive
nowadays, I usually didn't need to protect myself, years ago.

Do you think, they're getting immune to all these insect repellents?
"Jungle Formula" used to work, but alas not with me now, an ongoing
saga.

Regards,
Chris,

It works fine for me, but it only stops them biting it doesn't keep them
off. I found that anything that forms a barrier on the skin stops them
biting even sun cream. Many years ago a friend of mine was given a recipe
from an old gamekeeper that used essential oils and it kept everything off,
even putting it on your hat or clothes kept a cloud of flies all round you
but never on you. Unfortunately the recipe has been forgotten over the myst
of time and I haven't been able to replicate it. There was only three oils
and one was to make it smell nice, when we had it made up, it was done in
the chemosts, we couldn't remember this one and when we put it on it even
kept people away 🙂 If I could get the formula right I could make a fortune
with it 🙂

--

Don`t Worry, Be Happy

Sandy
--

E-Mail:- [email hidden]
Website:- http://www.ftscotland.co.uk
Looking for a webhost? Try http://www.1and1.co.uk/?k_id=2966019

"BrianW" wrote ...

Quoted message said:

Craven Birds said:

"Simon Caldwell" wrote :

Quoted message said:

> Never known it in over 30 years of walking in England. Scotland,
> yes.
>
> This weekend in Silverdale, Lancs, I've been bitten to death. What
> bit me? I've ended up with blisters where the little bleeders
> caught me:-(((
>
> Any ideas, bitten by what? I doubt they were the dreaded Scots
> midges. And any advise about precautions to stop a recurrence.

I don't know, but we were climbing on the North York Moors a couple
of weeks ago, and all suffered from a similar thing. At the time we
thought it was midges, but over the next 2 or 3 days, large numbers
of blisters formed. Not as nasty as horse flies but nastier than
midges.

Oh, my memory! I used to climb years ago around Craven and you've
jogged my memory;-) I got the same bites around the climbing harness.
Just forgot! I'm still puzzling what the Bl**ders are though.

Thank god. I was beginning to think that this was caused by global

warming.

Quoted message said:

(Mosquitos.)

There are some nasty flies in damp wooded areas where I live. Give a nasty
bite, but easy to squish!

Well we have something down here that I can only describe as a small hard
shelled black beetle, a bit like a large flea beetle for the gardeners
amongst you, that bites painfully, and when brushed off the skin the
resulting puncture wound oozes a drop or two of blood. Comes up in a hard
lump after a while, but nothing like a Horse Fly which can make ones whole
arm swell up.

--
Regards
Bob
in Runnymede, 17miles west of London, UK