In the news today......

PoppyD

Forager
Jul 18, 2021
159
223
17
Stourton
They are for certain mozzies. And we started to get Asian tigers here too. Not seen any this year, but normally you see them.
 

JonathanD

Ophiological Genius
Sep 3, 2004
12,815
1,511
Stourton,UK
I saw one last night. And my ankle is itching like crazy as evidence. You can feel those fellas punch in and pull out. Even more so on the hand.

6063CF9A-A473-4567-96BC-7E3B3348EC3B.jpeg
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
39,133
4,810
S. Lanarkshire
I honestly dread the thought of mozzies becoming established around here.
The clegs are bad enough. My friend got bitten my mozzies and needed hosptial treatment because the wounds ulcerated.

We're not really used to mozzies. Midgies are a misery but the bites, even on me, resolve pretty cleanly....unlike clegs :(
 

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,641
2,720
Bedfordshire
There are most definitely midges in the Lake District too, and I imagine that they don't recognise the border between Scotland and Northumberland either.

Thickest I have seen midges was in Norway, but my visits to Scotland have all been in June, so a little early for peak-midge.
 

Billy-o

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 19, 2018
2,039
1,027
Canada
Do you have a version of AfterBite in the UK? It is like an ammonia solution that neutralizes the bite and kills off any itching immediately and permanently, even if you got bitten a while ago.
 

Laurentius

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 13, 2009
2,539
703
Knowhere
I don't know if they do live in Southern England. I know they're in some places in Wales though; the blighters got me there too.
The East coast isn't anywhere near as bad as the West up here, they don't like wind and they don't like full on Sunshine either. Still, humid mornings and evenings and they're ravenous. Like tonight.

I have overly reactive skin, so insect bites are a particular misery for me, but the rare few people who are immune to the midge are incredibly fortunate.

I hope you never have to thole them, I really do.

M
Blighters were certainly in Wales last time I was there.
 

Billy-o

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 19, 2018
2,039
1,027
Canada
Do you have a version of AfterBite in the UK? It is like an ammonia solution that neutralizes the bite and kills off any itching immediately and permanently, even if you got bitten a while ago.
Here, in BC and Ontario, the procedure is apply Off! or something similar (no ingredients on the bottle :)) to clothes and hair. Then tap any bites with AfterBite as soon as you feel an itch. I mean, why suffer any longer than you have to, and the passing of the irritation means a lesser likelihood of breaking and infecting the skin by scratching at it.
 

JonathanD

Ophiological Genius
Sep 3, 2004
12,815
1,511
Stourton,UK
Here, in BC and Ontario, the procedure is apply Off! or something similar (no ingredients on the bottle :)) to clothes and hair. Then tap any bites with AfterBite as soon as you feel an itch. I mean, why suffer any longer than you have to, and the passing of the irritation means a lesser likelihood of breaking and infecting the skin by scratching at it.
You can get it here too. I get it off Amazon. The pen. Good stuff.
 

TLM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 16, 2019
3,249
1,718
Vantaa, Finland
Here one kind of has to get used to mosquitoes or go crazy, I am fortunate because after the first two weeks I hardly get any reaction from a bite that is from the local varieties, the ones on Kerkyra took some more adjusting one autumn.

If you stretch the skin once they’ve started sucking, they can’t retract the proboscis and your blood pressure will fill them so much they explode!
That is Mr Poisson working for you, stretching causes a transverse contraction that holds the beast. I would sign this too: "How on Earth did you find that out? :rofl:".
 

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