Midges?

A

allendog

Registered User
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Hi,
Had started going to a rural location (near the Bog of Allen) in Co.Kildare for most of the weekends since last May. A couple of weekends ago, I noticed having developed some kind of skin irritations or 'hives' - itchy blemishes/weals all over my face and neck/throat and on my forearms. Might be 'midges', I supposed. They went away, and last weekend, they returned - more fiercely than before. I didn't spend much outdoors, was never near the river/canals/bogs, etc, so it can't be midges...
Anyway, would appreciate any advice re ointments/repellants, etc. - or I'd consider having to give up going to the country for the weekends...!:(
Thanks,
Allendog
 
allendog said:
Had started going to a rural location (near the Bog of Allen)

..

was never near the river/canals/bogs, etc, so it can't be midges...
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This seems a bit contradictory. Could it be mosquitos? DEET based repellents can deal with these satisfactorily.
 
They might or mightn't be mosquitos, they could simply be any of the myriad small irritating 'midges' more usually found in Ireland. I don't live anywhere near countryside/open stretches of water, and I definitely noticed an increase in the level of fruitflies/assorted airborn thingies this summer.

Doesn't bother me, since - thankfully - they usually leave me alone... (too many toxins in my blood, I reckon! :D) - but Mrs M and the more 'prone' of our kids have been lashing on the leftovers of the Spanish mosquito repellent. If you need ongoing supplies, I'd recommend [broken link removed], because the stuff costs an outrageous price here...
 
Maybe it's bed bugs of some description in the place where you're staying the weekend. Whether you were indoors or outdoors during the day you'd still get bitten at night.
 
I have found this year a small fly giving a very painful bite/sting.

It is a smaller version of our common housefly and three of my family have had attacks from them.
There is an antihistamine product called Zirtek which can be bought over the counter in chemist shops and if taken after one gets bitten will stop all the itching and swelling, possibly if taken before going it would help.
 
Last year I was bitten by a fly about 3/4 of an inch long which brought blood in a micro second it wasnt a horsefly. It was dark brown. by heck did it pain for over two hours.
 
ClubMan said:
Is it a horsefly by any chance? Their bites can be sore alright.
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Have had bites from horse flies but this particular fly is much smaller than those, it's about half the size of a house fly.
 
Have you considered using a midgemagnet? They work by pumping out carbondioxide and only attract females about to lay eggs so they can be very effective over a season or so.
 
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