Reply With QuoteWe stayed with friends in Kent over the weekend, and spent much of the evening in the garden and then slept with windows wide open. I suffered multiple assaults and am very uncomfortable right now!
Around Kingston where I live, we seemed to be plagued with them, while my Dad who lives in Liverpool has never seen one, and is always surprised when he visits us, because he associated mossies with a more tropical climates.
Also, I don't remember them being and issue when I first moved to the London area about 25 years ago.
Interested to know where in the country you get them, and how far north they've spread.
There’s plenty of them in the rural areas - not sure about cities though.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
We've always had them here in the SW.
This is interesting http://www.independent.co.uk/environ...s-9413402.html
This is interesting, as I'm usually one who suffers with these blighters and am always vigilant just before going to bed (especially as she tends to leave lights unnecessarily on when windows are open).
We had a few some weeks back, but they seem to have disappeared now
I'm only about 7 miles from Kingston.
I used to live on the North Kent marshes which is well known for it's Anopheles mosquito, which is capable of carrying malaria. There used to be a Mosquito Warden then who was responsible for organising insecticide spraying of the worst areas when large swarms were seen, in fact some swarms that I've seen were like large black clouds!
Dickens, who set many of his books in the area, mentions Malaria, or the 'Ague' and there were stories of Victorian gentlemen holidaying their wealthy wives in the area in the hope of them contracting Malaria and dying, as apparently the local churchyards attest...
It is believed that troops returning to Brompton Barracks from Malarial areas of the world brought the disease with them to create various epidemics, promulgated by the local mosquito population, the latest during the first world war.....
So yes we get them, as my wife of then will attest as she had a terrible reaction to their bites.... not a pretty sight !
My cousins house just next to Sandhurst military college backs onto some woodland and a few weeks ago I spent most of the day swatting huge mosquitoes off my arms and legs.
Mahoosive blighters in the woods next to the house up here in the NE near Darlington. They've been massacring me this last week when I walk the dog, come up really big and nasty too.
Scotland is known to be infested with them isn't it?
Brighty
Think that's midges, which are different to mosquitoes.Originally Posted by Brighty
Your right, what's the difference though between mosquito/midge/gnat?
Not here in Leeds.
I think that they are attracted to water areas and sunshine?
Not a prayer!
None in Bristol, thankfully!
Mark
Stories, possibly apocrophal, that ponds around Heathrow were infested. See also malaria cases in village near Gatwick due to a "stowaway". Clusters also seen around Paris / Schiphol airports.
The UK global warming / climate change warnings were first put forward in the early nineties, by the way.
See this from HPA - http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAweb&HPA.../1195733773780 - breaks down by plasmodium spp by year.
Last edited by Broussard; 22nd July 2014 at 10:20. Reason: More data
A mosquito carries herpes, a midge does not, and a gnat has the smallest penis ever discovered.
It's all true. A bloke down the David & Flock told me.
"Bite my shiny metal ass."
- Bender Bending Rodríguez
Warmth and standing water is the most attractive environment for the mozzies.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
Having lived in West Africa on and off for the last 10 years, Mozzies bites have become second nature. The secret is to keep yourself protected around dawn and dusk. We use an insect repellent and wear light clothing. Mozzies are attracted to dark colours and standing water. The downside is trying to get the bairn to sit still to put the Mozzie cream on...
Lots around my house - rural North Yorkshire surrounded by fields though.
I'm still nursing a leg full of bites from center parcs recently too.
Live in North London, 8 bites and counting over the last 24 hours.
Midges and Mosquitos will appear where there is standing water. Even a plant pot in the back garden - and in Liverpool too.
In fact some of the biggest swarms and bite attacks come from turning highly organic very damp soil - not helpful when bottle digging May to September. Basically if it's hot and damp watch out. The high water table right now is not helping.
Reported bites are growing year on year.
Worse by far are horsefly bites.
Gray
You're not kidding
I've fed a fair few here in north lincs. Deet spray by the back door now.
Not unusual in west Norfolk, but having said that, I haven't seen that many this year.
Keep taking the gin and tonic.
I can't stand them... for some reason they don't seem to bite me, but the noise - especially of a single one when you are trying to sleep - drives me mental!
Plenty hear in rural Essex.
“Don’t look back, you’re not heading that way.”
Here's some advice on British Summer biting critters from the good old NHS.
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/bites-and...ite-sting.aspx
Looks like the nasties are trending upward!
Johnny.
Does anyone know of any good insect /Mosquito deterrents? or traps?
Was up in Scotland last month and found that Smidge worked pretty well. I hadn't used it before (preferring Deet). It didn't keep the horseflies away, but midges and mozzies were few and far between.
Up there they have midge traps that seem to be pretty effective - I think people in the village use Midge Magnets. They aren't cheap, but the results are impressive.
At home, citronella candles seem to work, but I'm not entirely convinced.
In Africa / malarial zones, I still think I'll continue to use Deet, to be honest.
No mozzie here in Mid Wales..... Horse flies a plenty though...
last number of years there have been a few in Derby but this year i have only seen the one - killed it straight away of-course ;-)
I seem to be their favourite fare here in Central London.
My particular bugbear (see what I did there?) are the little black flying insects that feast on my legs in London parks. Anyone know what they might be?
I always seem to get bitten and my body doesn't seem to appreciate it, I remember getting bitten on the golf course by an unidentified bug which made my hand swell up to comedy size.
I live in Oxfordshire near a brook and there's tons of mozzies. Big fat things.
As a few others have said, standing water harbours these little barstewards so get rid of Any. As for keeping them away......most of the repellents don't work with me but there is one thing that does work.
A tip given to me by an army chap several years ago, go to the lush soap shop and buy a few bottles of the tramp shower gel......smells horrific but keeps them at bay, don't laugh it does work!!
We live in Kingston too, right on the river and we get mosquitoes, but on top of that these small flies that swarm into the apartment at night if you leave the door open. I have also never seen as many garden spiders in my life which have completely infested the railings of my terrace (presumably to feed on the biblical swarm of river flies). I'm wondering if this is a one off thing or if there are as many insects as this usually (have only lived in Kingston since November). On the positive side Kingston riverside is undeniably one of the nicest places to live in the UK - i'm still amazed that areas like Richmond and Putney still cost more as they are nowhere near as nice IMHO
I'm with you there, and I'm always on my bike pottering on the river cycle path in the nice weather. Did a very nice cycle pub crawl along the river Thames path last week (Richmond--->Twickenham--->Teddington--->Kingston) which I highly recommend.
Seen the occasional one, not many at all but they do exist in Liverpool.
Maybe in the posh leafy parts like Calderstones? Definitely none in Dovecot.
You might a have point there, friend in Dovecot says he never sees them. I've had them in West Derby, close to some woods.
Hmm, maybe I am mistaking midges and craneflys, will have to pay attention next time I see one.
I am in South London, and have seen them go from none at all, to a lot in recent years, they seem to love my son for supper, being Scottish myself I truly believe that growing up with Midges has made me immune to bites, anywhere I have travelled I have never been bitten by a Mozzy,
I would be interested to hear if any of my fellow Scotsmen have experienced this.
Also in Kingston, (didn't realise there were so many of us!), and agree its a great spot. Couple of years ago had an encounter with the "Blandford Fly" which seems to be spreading its territory to various parts of the south. Worst reaction to a bite I've ever had and took a couple of weeks to properly get rid of it.
My theory is these little critters are finding it too expensive to live by the river in central London so are moving out to the burbs!!
Some big ones in the De Havilland museum...
Horse-fly bites are often mistaken for mosquito bites. Some folks react badly to them.
I always use insect repellent when overseas......but always forget in the UK!
Paul
Of an evening now that the days are drawing out, we like to shoot the breeze outside for an hour or two, but we've noticed quite a few of the little bast###s hovering around us, has anyone had any success with the electrical killer lamps, or possibly a killer spray that we can blanket the place in?
Ditto, heard the buzz buzz buzz laying in bed last night and caught one of the blighters in flight!
Relatively few in Dorset but we do (or did) have the "Blandford Fly".
FWIW Avon's Skin-so-Soft is highly regarded as an insect repellant. You need the normal one which seems to work best.
Also, check what's going on with Deet, it has some very dangerous chemicals in it. Layed me out for 3 days once. I now get dizzy looking at a bottle of it in Boots.
With chopsticks?
Cheers..
Jase
With yesterday's Evening standard!
I should add, we don't want to smother ourselves in lotion, at the moment Napalm is appealing though I think that's perhaps overkill.
I'm around that neck if the woods, but more Wimbledon way and not seen a single mosquito yet this year! I work in Kingston and was planning a pint by the river later. Your mosquito stories may scare me off! (Actually they won't - it's too nice a day!)
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