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  • I've been bitten so many times

    Hi
    Here in SE London I'm being bitten by a small, blackish fly thats so dumb it lets you squash it while biting you. Evenings are the worst. The resulting bite swells and itches like mad. A landscaper I know of has been hospitalised with the infections caused by these flys, while a midwife I know ended up taking intravenous anti-biotics after and evening on an allotment.
    They're evil.
    Not mos's
    Not horseflys
    Do fruitflys bite? They're that kinda size.
    Never had them in Hertfordshire.

    J

  • #2
    Don't know what's been biting you Joel, but I'm in SE London too and getting bitten all the time, I'd assumed it was mozzies as usual, but maybe it's your new beastie. I got one of those bite zapper things from Boots - it gives you a little piezo electric shock on the bite - sounds alarming, but it does take the itch out of it. My OH refers to it as my Taser. Also, Tiger balm is good for dulling the itch, though it does make you smell rather er, spicy, to say the least

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    • #3
      Been bitten by those things up here as well! Horrible little things and will all the sun, have been wearing shorts! Won't bore you with the details

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      • #4
        Could be yer common or garden midge - plagued by them up in the Highlands - they have even been debated in the Houses of Parliament due to the detrimental effect on the tourist trade some years - especially on the West Coast. They don't seem to heed any of the repellents that claim to keep them at bay - though some folk reckon that Avon's "Skin so Soft" works a treat - this was actually issued to the squaddies of the Highland Regiment !
        Rat

        British by birth
        Scottish by the Grace of God

        http://scotsburngarden.blogspot.com/
        http://davethegardener.blogspot.com/

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        • #5
          Never kill a midge - 400 come to its funeral
          ~
          Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway.
          ~ Mary Kay Ash

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          • #6
            Citronella oil mixed with body lotion as a carrier seems to keep them at bay both here and abroad. I use it all of the time and ist very rare that I get bitten.

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            • #7
              Mmmm, worth a try! Anything to save getting bitten!

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              • #8
                Hi! I'm in the SE London area too and get bitten by the very same beasty, as well as red ants that plague our allotment. I don't know what the flying thing is, fairly sure it's not a midge: I'd reconise them I'm sure. I react very badly to them: more of less turns into a cellulitis. Whole limb swells up...

                Anyway, my latest find against them is a brilliant gizmo that I bought in Boots. Called an Aspivenin, it looks like a syringe but creates a vacuum rather than injecting. So it basically sucks out the yuck that the creature injects when it bites you. Can be used immediately or afterwards, even when it has started to swell up. I use it all the time know, and it has an almost instant effect. Swelling goes down and any infection clears up. I use an ointment from the doctor over the site too (an antibiotic/cortisone cream called Fucidin), and this belt and braces affair seems to work well.

                The aspivenin is made of sturdy plastic and comes with different sized attachments for different bits of you. Costs about £10 but worth every penny and seems like it'll last for ever.

                I don't work for them, but it works so well that I must spread the word! I might even buy the company...

                Nicky
                Last edited by Saoirse; 07-08-2006, 09:42 AM.
                Saoirse: Irish meaning Freedom (I think!)

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                • #9
                  Hi,

                  It does sound like our midge, they must be traveling south! I find skin so soft is the best and cheaper option.

                  Have a look at this link, it lets you see how big the get up north

                  http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.u...atures/midges/

                  Mandy

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                  • #10
                    You can try neat lavender and/or tea tree on the bite. I have used neat chamomile when itching from bites has been really bad but that's expensive. Tea tree can iritate good skin so best to be accurate. Lavender doesn't usually cause any problems although some people don't like it for various reasons.

                    The other thing I have used which works wonders is an infused lavender oil. Fill a jar (screw top or clip top) with fresh Lavender flowers (ideally in June as they are starting to flower) and then fill to the top with sunflower oil or similar. Preferably cosmetic grade as it is lighter. Leave on a sunny windowsill for approx one month to infuse. It will probably go greenish in colour. Strain through a coffee filter or muslin, bottle and use as required. No need to dilute. Great for burns, back ache, spots, sunburn etc.
                    Bright Blessings
                    Earthbabe

                    If at first you don't succeed, open a bottle of wine.

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                    • #11
                      I was given an Aloe Vera plant a month or so ago and thats been great for bites and stings - you just snap a leaf off and theres the aloe vera ready to rub on!
                      Its had babies now too so I thought I might pot some up in pretty pots and give them out for pressies
                      Last edited by vicki; 07-08-2006, 12:43 PM.
                      smiling is infectious....

                      http://www.thehudsonallotment.blogspot.com/ updated 28th May 2008

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                      • #12
                        I can assure everyone its not a midge or a mos.
                        Foxhill: We got a zapper last year- very good! I like tiger balm. Got an Amonia pen-stick too, thats good
                        No, the swelling, the pus. These things are horrid. A column of crusty pus can be squeezed out from the centre of the bit after a day or two!
                        I'm gonna kill one carefully and try and take a picture of it. Unfort' I'll be theh bait (again)
                        Thanks everyone
                        J

                        thanks
                        I know what yer talkng about
                        J
                        Last edited by Lesley Jay; 07-08-2006, 01:45 PM.

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                        • #13
                          Hi Earthbabe,

                          I like the sound of the lavender oil, I have problems with my neck and hate taking tablets etc. I normaly use ice but it is not always practical.

                          How many flowers do you use? I have lavender in flower now so would like to try.

                          Thanks,

                          Mandy

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                          • #14
                            Hi Mandy. Just try a small 500ml jar to start. Fill it with just the flower heads (bit fiddly but worth it - I just cut the whole spear off the stalk) until you can't get anymore in then fill with oil. You could use a smaller jar if you have one like a little jam jar. Sorry difficult to say how many flower heads that will be it will depend on the size of the jar and the size of your flower heads. Incidentally if you can get hold of a Spike Lavender for future use that may be even better for aches and pains.
                            Bright Blessings
                            Earthbabe

                            If at first you don't succeed, open a bottle of wine.

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                            • #15
                              Thanks Earthbabe,

                              I will give this a try, I was not sure if you could put too many flowers in as I think I have heard with essential oils you can use too much.

                              Flowers are coming on nicley so I will get some oil and make this weekend.

                              Thanks again,

                              Mandy

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