Midges

Andy Howell <andy.howellNOSPAM@ecotrendDOTorgDOTuk.?.invalid> writes

Quoted message said:

On 11/7/05 23:13, in article [email hidden],

Peewiglet said:

It's just not safe out there. I may take up needlework instead.

But the blighters will just conceal themselves amongst the thread and
material!

There's all kinds of 'orrible things can lurk in these 'threads'....
Check the headers.
--
Gordon Harris

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

Quoted message said:

On Wed, 13 Jul 2005 10:22:49 +0100, "Sid B" <[email hidden]>
wrote:

Ugh.... how big are they? How do you distinguish them from the bog
standard garden spiders?

Not especially large - about the same as the average garden-type spider.
They are glossy black, and have a pattern on their middle that looks a
bit like the things in the old space invaders game! Don't worry,
though - at the moment they haven't ventured further north than the
southern coastal counties and a small area in Essex 🙂

--
Sid B
Spamtrap in operation : ALL incoming mail to address shown autodeletes
unseen on receipt. To beat the trap, cut the [censored]!

"Alan Bremner" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a cheap 'midge hood' that goes everywhere with me between May
and October. It makes you look a right numpty, can be uncomfortable in
warm weather and makes eating/drinking impossible, but for those times
when you *can't* escape the midges (changing before or after a walk,
pitching a tent etc) it's invaluable. I can suffer numerous bites to
my arms and legs with typical Highland stocism, but one midge up my
nose or in an ear drives me into an instant frenzy!

<shudder> midges up the nose <shudder>
Ugh, yes.
Apparently Scottish Emterprise is funding a study by Aberdeen Uni into
why some people are midge magnets but others rarely get bitten. They
think it has to do with body chemistry, maybe a component of a person's
sweat. The report says "Researchers will carry out further tests on
volunteers in the Highlands during the summer months." Anyone want to
sacrifice themselves for science? :-)

--
Sid B
Spamtrap in operation : ALL incoming mail to address shown autodeletes
unseen on receipt. To beat the trap, cut the [censored]!

In article <[email hidden]>, Alan Bremner
said...

Quoted message said:

I have a cheap 'midge hood' that goes everywhere with me between May
and October.

Yep, me too. It's a fold-away one that has a really neat little bag
to live in when I don't need it. I've worn it recently at archery
shoots and been laughed at (all good-humoured) - but come the end of
the day when they're all bitten and I'm not I'm the one who gets to
giggle. Plus, I can put the net up out of the way (as I did last
weekend) and use the hat as a sun hat. Definitely recommended.
--
/
Fran O(<|={
\

In article <[email hidden]>, Judith
said...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Stouts??? Good grief.... what's that?!

Horsefly aka cleg

Duh! I read that as stoAts and I thought "I think you'd know if one
had bitten you ..... although in the wrong light you might conceivably
think it was a weasel"

No you wouldn't. A weasel is weaselly recognised but a stoat is
stoatally different.

--
/
Fran O(<|={
\

"Andy Champ" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Sid B said:

Yes, they do! Here on the South Coast we have flourishing

populations

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

of Steatoda nobilis, which can and do bite humans.

Well in my defence, they are an immigrant from the Canaries first
recorded in ... well 1879 actually, which is before my time. The

truth

Quoted message said:

is of course I'd never heard of them!

I don't suppose many people have. They were quite rare until around 5
years ago, but the population has exploded along the southern coastal
counties particularly in the last couple of years and they're almost
commonplace from Cornwall to Sussex now. Global warming, no doubt -
although they are probably also evolving to withstand the sort of winter
cold snap that would formerly have reduced their numbers.
--
Sid B
Spamtrap in operation : ALL incoming mail to address shown autodeletes
unseen on receipt. To beat the trap, cut the [censored]!

Sid B said:

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

Quoted message said:

On Wed, 13 Jul 2005 10:22:49 +0100, "Sid B" <[email hidden]>
wrote:

Ugh.... how big are they? How do you distinguish them from the bog
standard garden spiders?

Not especially large - about the same as the average garden-type spider.
They are glossy black, and have a pattern on their middle that looks a
bit like the things in the old space invaders game! Don't worry,
though - at the moment they haven't ventured further north than the
southern coastal counties and a small area in Essex 🙂

But I'm in Sussex.... time for that move then, SWMBO wants to move to
the lakes now she's seen 'em... don't know if there's much employment
that way though.

Justin.

--
Justin C, by the sea.

This whole thread has had me scrtching for the last 10 minutes. That'll
teach me to leave it so long between news-reading sessions that there
are so many in one go.
..
..
'scuse me while I have another scratch.

Justin.

--
Justin C, by the sea.

On Thu, 14 Jul 2005 10:41:40 +0100, "Sid B" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

The report says "Researchers will carry out further tests on
volunteers [...]

<Gasp!!!>

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

Justin C said:

--
Justin C, by the sea.

Hee hee hee!

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

On Thu, 14 Jul 2005 05:10:23 +0100, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

It sounds lovely. I can't see why anyone should be planning to kill
adders because someone was bitten, though. Are they not protected?

Yes they are protected but I think people are still inclined to kill
snakes.

AJH

On 14/7/05 10:23, in article [email hidden], "Gordon

Harris said:

Memories of dear old Richard Whitely when he was a young interviewer
talking to the ferret expert, and one bit his finger and wouldn't left
go.

Ferret man: "It's ok - he won't hurt you".

Whitely: " He IS HURTING ME"!

Grief. Have ferrets become a problem in the hills as well?

--
Andy Howell
Birmingham, UK

To mail simply put back the dots ...

Sid B said:

sweat. The report says "Researchers will carry out further tests on
volunteers in the Highlands during the summer months." Anyone want to
sacrifice themselves for science? :-)

Well, you could interpret that as to mean a free holiday!

....

No, I don't...
--
Rudi Winter, Aberystwyth, Wales

On Mon, 18 Jul 2005 12:15:55 +0000 (UTC), [email hidden] (Rudi

Winter) said:

Sid B said:

sweat. The report says "Researchers will carry out further tests on
volunteers in the Highlands during the summer months." Anyone want to
sacrifice themselves for science? :-)

Well, you could interpret that as to mean a free holiday!

and you might be right:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=138700

S.

--
Oppose ID cards and the database state - sign the pledge at
http://www.pledgebank.com/refuse

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

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 18 Jul 2005 12:15:55 +0000 (UTC), [email hidden] (Rudi

Winter) said:

Sid B said:

sweat. The report says "Researchers will carry out further tests

on

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

volunteers in the Highlands during the summer months." Anyone

want to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

sacrifice themselves for science? :-)

Well, you could interpret that as to mean a free holiday!

and you might be right:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=138700

Ooooh! I like this part especially: "No midge bites! you wear a midge
hood and tights on your arms - the midges can't get to you." Wish I
could find the time!

--
Sid B
Spamtrap in operation : ALL incoming mail to address shown autodeletes
unseen on receipt. To beat the trap, cut the [censored]!