teasel – we agree on the sunscreen issue, but on this; less so.

Well, I mean, I can’t love them – it hurts too much!

Wasps are turd sandwiches.
Cleggs are douches.

I was discussing our cleg plague with a neighbour the other day and he noted that the local magpie population around where we live is way above normal levels.

As a result the local song bird population has most likely suffered allowing all manner of flies to increase in numbers.

A system out of balance.

‘Orrible! The kids and I were plagued by them on the way up and down from Goatfell on Isle of Arran last week.

Have been bitten by them out on the bike before and ended up on strong antibiotics because of cellulitis. Always seems to happen if bitten in shin area for some reason. If the red, blotchy bit around the bite starts to spread significantly, especially towards your core, go see a doc because it could mean infection. Paranoid about them now because of past experiences and took antibiotics with me on holiday this year just in case. :-/

Three courses of antibiotics in the last few years because of these little bastards. Apparently they land on clothing then crawl in or onto skin so you can’t feel them. They then try to excise a piece of skin to take away and feast on. In doing so, they chew loads of crap from your skin and their mandible into you, hence the much worse infection than a mozzie bite. Muddy mtb legs make this worse, and you have less chance of feeling them if your legs are caked in mud too.

Get to the quack for some antibiotics quick.

They are one of the few species I would happily see go extinct.

On a slightly different tack, apparently if you find a mozzie on a loose part of your skin, you can pinch the skin up and trap the little buggers mouthparts, but they cannot stop the flow of blood, so they swell up ans eventually burst! A suitably revolting end.

So, erm, not that struck with the elephant man look. Off to get some advice…

Jeebus!

Is your taste in art subtly influenced by years of being feasted upon by vicious insects?

So, erm, not that struck with the elephant man look. Off to get some advice…

lol something similar happened to me last year, flew into a wasp which got caught behind the bridge of my glasses… unsurprisingly it stung me a couple of times, my face was so swollen I was unrecognisable – had to take the first day off work as I couldn’t see enough to ride in.

A week of antihistamines sorted it out, no permanent damage done.

lol. It’s got bigger! Now on a triple whammy of antibiotic eyedrops, tablets and antihistamine tabs. Off to browse some Damien Hirst spot art now.

Ouch! Hope you’re better soon. I sometimes react really badly to horseflies (legs swollen to nearly double width once) but this year only days of horrid itching. Don’t understand why the difference but they put the fear into me if I see them!

Riding in Wales I was just declaring myself pooped at the top of a climb. The words were scarcely out of mouth when I saw the unmistakeable swooping flight round my legs and shot off without drawing breath… ‘ride like you’re pursued by horseflies’ could be my next race strategy.

Evil!

Everytime I get bitten by one I have to go on a strong dose of antibiotics as they swell up big style. Usually arm or leg and with 24 hours its swollen the whole arm or leg.

Had to spend a night in hospital a couple of years ago from it. Arm was double its normal size, felt like it was on fire and must have weighed more than a downhill bike.

One of the little sods got me in Edale the other week. Struggling speeding up a hill and suddenly felt a little chomp under my armpit. Properly hurt (in the way that mozzie bites don’t) but no real ill effects other than a bit sore. Fortunately I don’t seem to attract them too much. That said midges are another story entirely, they just lurve a bit of me. Enjoyed a congratulatory pint or two in Hebden the other week after a particularly testing loop. Got absolutely massacred. Had counted 50 bites on one leg 😯 before I gave up and got back to scratching..

I’ve been trialing Avon Skin so soft for the past few rides.

It works for me.

I still have nasty healing marks on my legs though from the past month.

..Stouts… <shudder>

Simple solution, ride with me. They love me long time and will more than likely pick me over you.

Is that Avon stuff available in Boots?

Simple solution, ride with me.

My mate has got bitten the last few times I’ve been out riding with him, he wasn’t out in the dales the other week and I got bit 🙁

They’ll be loving this warm summer, there were even more than usual in Assynt last week I’m sure.

Insect bites become far worse when I put antihistamine cream on them, might be worth noting for those of you getting lumps. Not sure what it is, maybe the lanolin in the cream.

Still they aren’t as bad as their aussie cousins, the march flies.

teasel – we agree on the sunscreen issue, but on this; less so.

Well, I mean, I can’t love them – it hurts too much!

Yeah okay, maybe “love ’em” was a step too far. I was just attempting to enlighten those claiming they have no purpose or place on this planet.

How’s the eye looking, Stever…?

http://avonshop.co.uk/beauty/b/bath-and-bodycare/skin-so-soft.html

Amazon etc look like resellers making a profit

How’s the eye looking, Stever…?

Eye update: looking (geddit!) much better thanks. Swelling down, less red, I can open it and everything. Drugs are good, mmkay?

LOL, yeah. Just don’t go riding up the rainbow road OK? Glad to hear it’s better man.

Avon skin so soft has been reformulated apparently and the active anti-bug ingredient removed:

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/midge-repellant-that-works