clegs

[Toddy]

:tapedshut

I hate them, they make me utterly miserable and I've just been bitten on my brow by one, I got it but too late, and it's nearly the middle of November. The midgies were bad enough earlier in the week but this is just ridiculous. I've taken anti histamine and yet I've already got a lump like half an egg.

There *has* to be something that discourages the blighters that doesn't toxify the environment; I just wish I knew what.
Any ideas?

not so cheerful,
Toddy

 

[Toadflax]

For those of us south of the border: what's a cleg?

Geoff

 

[Matt Weir]

Clegs? At this time of year??? Up yonder??????

As far as I know the season here is from June to August when they are heaving on the fields but I never see them outside of then.

You have my sympathies there Toddy

 

[woodstock]

For those of us south for the border: what's a cleg?

Geoff

I think they are horseflys I stand to be corrected though

 

[Toddy]

S orry, I forgot, yes, a cleg is a horsefy or deerfly or gadfly; though to quote my Grandpa, with his teeth clamped viciously around his pipe stem, "A dirty big cleeg is a wee horsefly's angry big sister."
http://photographersdirect.com/buyers/stockphoto.asp?imageid=591972
http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/index.php?section=environment:species:invertebrate&id=272

There's a burn runs not 20 metres from our gable wall and the lane is lined with trees.....not a good place to be sometimes when I'm allergic to the bites. uppy_dog

atb,
Toddy

 

[rancid badger]

I think they are horseflys I stand to be corrected though

Yes thats exactly what they are!

Bad luck Toddy!

horrible things,you know, theres supposed to be a place, in the system we call the world, for everything-each with it's own purpose.
Bxxxxr me, I cant figure this little devils niche.
Seems late in the year though?

They have several despicable features; for example, I don't think I've ever heard the one's that bit me, actually arrive. Then when they do bite, it's often quite painful and to top it all off, for me at least; the bites often turn septic and manky and are out of reach!

I've been pretty lucky this year mind, I haven't been bitten at all, although one or two friends have.
for the last couple of years, if the evil little swines are knocking about, and I have needed to work in the back garden or whatever-more or less stationary is what I mean-I have set up three or four split sticks with a slice of dried Birch polypore stuck in the splits-I light these up and let them smoulder and this tends to keep just about anything with wings away including wasps.


I use strong insect repellent if I'm in the wood and moving about.

Kind regards
R.B.

 

[Toddy]

I was out in the garden for all of five minutes re-potting a Juniper bush and the blighter homed in like a stealth bomber. I only realised what it was when I knocked it off my brow, I thought it was a bit of plant until I saw it wriggling on it's back. Unmistakeably a cleg. Too late though, the blasted thing had gotten me. The swelling is quite spectacular,if it wasn't me I'd be going, "Oooh, that looks a sore one"
See this global warming? I reckon it's starting in central Lanarkshire This is November, I ought to be safe by now We've still got wasps about too.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[woodstock]

What part of south lanarkshire are you from, im originally from lanark but lived a few years in The forth no such trouble there as summer began and ended in the first week in august its the only place i have lived that the locals have summer parkas

 

[Toddy]

Bothwell Forth? Oh yeah, now there's cold.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Chainsaw]

It is a weird november, with the wee cold spell, we've only just had the spiders come in, usually they come in late sept/early oct. Anyone else get plagued with monster spiders when the weather changes, drives Mrs Chainsaw nuts as she hates them.

Was out last weekend for a wee bimble with the wee lad and I got munched by something too, no idea what it was and I don't usually react to bites but it came up big time, fair bit of swelling, (not quite egg seize though) and pussie (sp?) and everything. Took a good bit of cleaning, thought it might be a tick but no sign of anything, could have been a cleg too though, never thought of that.

Ex-Uddingston boy here, spent a lot of time in bothwell castle woods though

Cheers,

Alan

 

[woodstock]

Bothwell Forth? Oh yeah, now there's cold.

know it well as I was brought up from the age of 10 in Hamilton went to earnock and your right i remember midges and clegs at this time of year on the playing fields as it had woods to I think 2 sides

 

[Toddy]

It's a very small world
I was born in Hamilton, (mum came from High Blantyre) grew up in Uddingston, went to the Grammar, married at 20 and lived in Bothwell (where my dad was born) ever since.
The castle woods are beautiful just now, and there were still salmon down at the weir at the David Livingstons' bridge last week.

cheers,
Toddy

p.s How do you know someone from Uddingston? They still think Tuesday is caramel and Thursday is toasted coconut

 

[Chainsaw]

It's a very small world
p.s How do you know someone from Uddingston? They still think Tuesday is caramel and Thursday is toasted coconut

LMAO you are so right it's scary, my mum lives in the flats next to Tunnocks and I still enjoy the aroma when I'm down! Need to have a chat next weekend,

Cheers,

Alan

 

[woodstock]

It's a very small world
I was born in Hamilton, (mum came from High Blantyre) grew up in Uddingston, went to the Grammar, married at 20 and lived in Bothwell (where my dad was born) ever since.
The castle woods are beautiful just now, and there were still salmon down at the weir at the David Livingstons' bridge last week.

My step mother came from low Blantyre station Rd just by the park the rest of the family lived in the village the name is Rouse my step brothers God father was jimmy johnstone who played for celtic and had a pub in hamilton the double J which my uncle jimmy managed what a small world indeed

 

[British Red]

Toddy, In answer to your question of "what to do", can I suggest a bar of soap, loaded with both teatree and citronella eo? Made from purely vegetable based fats to respect those who don't want "food with a face" and zero, zip, nada chemicals, additives or nasties?

There is a bar marked "Mary" still curing

Red

 

[Toddy]

My step mother came from low Blantyre station Rd just by the park the rest of the family lived in the village the name is Rouse my step brothers God father was jimmy johnstone who played for celtic and had a pub in hamilton the double J which my uncle jimmy managed what a small world indeed

It takes me about 20mins to walk to Station Rd.
Jimmy Johnstone used to go out and play with the kids in the street if they chapped the door and asked if he wanted a game Can't see a footballer doing that now Most of the boys I grew up with played football with him up in Tannochside.

Auchinraith Road, my g.grandpa built the cottages at the top end and got stuck with one when his foreman changed the slates order from Welsh to Ballachullish and one cottage got a two coloured roof. G. grandpa just kept it for himself. My mum was born there. Their name was Calder; the Smiths (garage and undertakers) own it now, and the two either side I believe.

Ah red, you're a gentleman. Citronella always smells acrid to me, I do have melissa though. I've found more of the soap ingredients but I'm trying to sort out stuff for the Crannog meet.
I think my blood just smells tasty to the little horrors Forehead's sore tonight, need more antihistamine before bed, I think.

atb,
Toddy

 

[Chainsaw]

I think bugs like the taste of females more than most males, my wife and I once pitched up in a midge infested campsite up in gairloch and she got absolutely mauled by them. I had like 2 or 3 on my arms. She'll kill for this but...

57, we counted them also looked liked she had chicken pox on her face and legs and I was getting shouted at for not getting bitten enough

Hope it calms down a bit by morning Mary,

Alan

 

[British Red]

Owwwwww

Thats just plain not funny!

Mary - I lumped lemon and peppermint in that batch too so the scent is tolerable if not yummy. I can't smell the stuff since I used about a quarter pint of stockholm tar ina batch - man that stuff is strong Its curing in the same room and overwhelms all the other scents in there

Red

 

[BorderReiver]

Owwwwww

Thats just plain not funny!

Mary - I lumped lemon and peppermint in that batch too so the scent is tolerable if not yummy. I can't smell the stuff since I used about a quarter pint of stockholm tar ina batch - man that stuff is strong Its curing in the same room and overwhelms all the other scents in there
Red

That sounds good Red.Nothing would dare bite you when you wash in that soap.

 

[Wayland]

I use tea tree shampoo and pine tar soap and I've been bitten remarkably little this year.

When out in likely spots I use my bug stuff which is a mix of citronella, tea tree and eucalyptus which seem to work well for me.

With regards having tasty blood you could always try lacing it with garlic which they don't seem to like. Apparently this works just as well from capsules as it does from your diet and might be worth a go.

It seem like anything that makes you smell like a plant instead of a meal is the best tactic.