to think that mosquitos should not be a thing in the UK?

[DonMosquiote]

I've lived in England for many, many years and may have the odd midge bite. This year for the first time ever, there have been mosquitos - yes actual fuck off mosquitos with the high pitched wine and everythign - in the garden and as it turns out in the house.

This is why I am posting. One of the bastards got in my bedroom unnoticed and had some kind of major banquet on my upper hip when I was sleeping without a sheet. I don't know if it's a pile of bites or a bite on a bite on a bite - but it's a bad scene. It's so itchy and the centre (which is massive) is virtually hard with the multiple hive reaction. The sporners would wet themselves with excitement to see it.

How did this happen?

I've never known mosquitos in the UK. certainly not in suburbs.

As a realted qu - how can I find the culprit? I've tried a light on a night to lure it out but no joy. Where would it hide in a bed room

I've never not known mosquitos be here, am envious of the people who've not been nibbled their whole lives. Definitely always worse abroad in summer, but here, I've already got three down my thigh and one on the back from Monday night when I had the doors open too late. They are starting to go down a bit now. I've squished about 8 or 9 this week.

DS and ExH never got bitten when we all lived together, but I'm the only blood type 0 amongst us, apparently that's why I get picked on (we're the tastiest).

and DS still has never had one, they just zoom in on me.

to soothe the itche, dip a teaspoon in boiling water and hold it on the bites for as long as you can. The heat breaks
down the enzyme that causes the itching. Then loads of repellent as well as water and washing
up liquid in a bowl as it stops them flying back out! Out of interest what blood type are you

I’m in my 40s and have had mozzy bites every year of my living memory, and I live in the U.K.

It's thought that malaria used to be endemic in the UK. So I'd guess we have fewer mosquitoes now than previously.

@CliffeHanger
@Smartiepants79

Historically, malaria was endemic in England. Was known as ague.
Yeah, was going to say "Wait till you hear about the malaria, OP."

Fun fact: there was a malaria outbreak on Sheppey at the end of WWI, when infected soldiers returning from Salonika were stationed there. The malaria got into the local population of anopheles (the mozzie which carries it), and it all kicked off

I really didn't know about this. Obviously I've been bitten by and seen midges/gnats in the UK. Not only have I never previously been bitten by a mosquito in the UK I have never even seen one before here. I am very familiar with the mosquitos charms as I lived for a long time in a mosquito area so it's not that I'm mistaken about what they look like.

Regarding bite reactions, I find that the first couple of bites in any new location/start of a holiday are very itchy and get a big hive. Then later ones are less troublesome. I don't know if there is any science in it but I've always assumed that your body gets used to that type of mosquito saliva or whatever it is you are reacting to so copes with it better.

@MereDintofPandiculation
That pattern of bites sounds more as if you have picked up a cat flea

Why do you say that? I don't have a cat, haven't been near a cat, haven't had a cat in the house.
Do cat fleas only travel on cats or can they survive in a garden uncatted?

If its a cat flea what do I do?

I definitely think it's mosquito bites but worried about fleas now!

last night I slept with sheet up to neck and appear to have no new bites

I’ve a new bite on my foot to add to my collection 😩 Either I’m sticking my foot out from under the sheet or the bugger is trapped in there somehow despite me nuking the sheets with bug repellent!

I’ve had to cover the top of my foot in plasters just so I can get my shoe on without rubbing on the blisters. Thankfully the antibiotics have kicked in and the swelling has gone down.

My daughter has been bitten overnight. Does anyone have any idea what these bites could be? It's totally freaking me out and I just want to stop her being bitten!

Anything that likes to feed on blood loves me. Have been bitten in the UK by all sorts inc mozzies for years - I'm in the South East. Best you can do is try repelling methods on yourself and your environment. Or find someone they prefer the taste of and stay near- everyone around me rarely gets bitten; I get all the bites! There are places in the world I won't visit as I know I'll get bitten and the mozzies there spread awful illnesses. Even with inoculations it's a risk I won't take.

I absolutely hate the little fuckers. I'm sure someone will be along to tell me how important they are in the scheme of things but I can see no reason for mosquitoes to exist- I'd much prefer that they didn't! Worst ever bites for me were when then bit both my eyebrows/ eye lids in my sleep. The bites swelled up so that I couldn't open my eyes. I've had some very nasty bites to my face.

Those look like mozzy bites.

Remember when abroad we shut the window before putting lights on. Well the other night I had a leather jacket and a moth fly straight in and past me while I was brushing my teeth.

Mozzies love water so ponds, water butts are a target

South of England, have always noticed them but some years seem to be worse than others. I have definitely noticed my reaction to them has got worse though. Mine get hard and swollen and blister in the middle like horsefly bites.

We have them here on the south coast

I have definitely noticed my reaction to them has got worse though. Mine get hard and swollen and blister in the middle like horsefly bites.

Yes - this is what mine are like. The cluster of bites is just horrible - it's rock hard.

I never saw one when I lived in suburban Birmingham, but now I'm 30 miles down the road in rural Worcestershire, surrounded by water and trees and they are very much a thing, as are horseflies.

Me and DH have been bitten loads during the past week. I have been bitten in the UK before but nothing on this scale! I have eight bites and counting.

Coincidentally, our next door neighbours installed a pond earlier this year 😑

I only came across "skeeter" syndrome last year. I never got bitten in the UK, or didn't get a reaction anyway, so accustomed to our own varient. I was bitten a lot as a child in Italy, over time I gradually become accustomed to those too. Then those little speckled zebra bastards arrived, and I am really allergic to those. Big reactions, blisters, bruising. Apparently you do get accustomed after a while with those too, but in the meantime, you have to go through the pain. A sandfly made my whole leg black last year too!

I recommend biteaway. It's fantastic for bites. Little machine that goes really hot and you put it on your bite and it helps instantly. Living in the south of Germany means i get bitten all the time 😞

Yes indeedy. I should add, the Sheppey re-infection was just the most recent incident. The north Kent marshes have been famous for "marsh ague" since medieval times.

http://www.cliffehistory.co.uk/the-ague-or-english-malaria.html

Kent also has some nasty 🤢 spiders I read somewhere

The little heat pen available on Amazon is a game changer! BiteAway.

We live near a canal in the UK, and there have always been mosquitos here.

NW Uk and I currently have 5 mosquito bites, 3 in an attractive formation. Going to investigate the Amazon device now!

@DonMosquiote *@MereDintofPandiculation
That pattern of bites sounds more as if you have picked up a cat flea

Why do you say that? I don't have a cat, haven't been near a cat, haven't had a cat in the house.
Do cat fleas only travel on cats or can they survive in a garden uncatted?

If its a cat flea what do I do?*

They can drop off the cat they're on after a meal, then wait around for something else warm to pass by. Leap on to your ankle, then make their way higher stopping off for meals as they go. Eventually they'll drop off again. They can't survive on human blood.

Use Afterbite to deaden the itching and otherwise don't worry.

I said it sounded like a flea because of the bite on the ankle. But it could be a mozzie. I react more to mozzies (egg sized lump, scabbly blister weeping yellow stuff) than I do to fleas (just itchiness).

Horseflies are nasty beasts. Now matter how quickly you react to their landing, they've already done the damage.

YABU we've always had loads of mozzies! I hate them but they're pretty important tbf