Over the last week or so, I’ve been bitten by what I can only assume is a new type of mossie. I’ve had, in succession, a hugely swollen ankle, a hugely swollen right hand, and now a hugely swollen left hand. It’s a painful allergic reaction and I am getting pretty miffed.

Now, I’m a Scot (currently living in Manchester) and have been exposed to the worst midgie swarms bonnie Scotland has to offer without any of the allergic reactions I’ve been seeing this summer. They’re not horsefly bites either, as I have had plenty of them and they are quite distinct from what I’ve got now.

I’ve been in Manchester for three years and this is the first summer that I have reacted this way to a bite. I am trying to MTFU about the whole thing, but am genuinely curious about what’s causing it.

So, have we been invaded by a new species or variety of mosquito?

Any entomologists on here? We seem to have experts (some of them not just self-proclaimed) about most things so I figure it’s worth asking.

Pie.

Might be horsefly’s, I have been plagued by horsefly’s this year.

Horsefly’s what?

Maybe you’ve changed. On holiday you always see a few people whose legs are covered in bites. They either are more attractive to mozzies or react differently to most people.

They sound like the buggers that hit the sarf about 5 years ago.
They can leave golf balls on the sides of your calves!
ouch.
rub , don’t scratch. 🙂

i starved a mozzie to death over 2 days . . .

First day saw him, tried to kill him he got away and went into hiding . . .

Next day came home from work, was putting the hoover over and he had 3 goes at trying to land on my legs, i ran off, couldn’t find him, again he went into hiding . . .

next morning, i woke up went into lounge and found him shriveled and bloodless with legs in the air on the sofa . . lol

They’re in the North East too.

I suffered from really bad bites all over my legs and arms on a ride that ballooned up and required antibiotics recently. They left big bruised areas around them and were red hot to touch.

I mate had the same in the same general area a couple of weeks later and also needed antibiotics.

I’ve had, in succession, a hugely swollen ankle,

Darn sarf but I had an old lady style cankle last week, never had that before, daughter needed antibiotics for her bites, Doctors Surgery was apparently “overrun” with peeps calling about insect bites.

I’ve found two mosquitoes that I’ve been unable to identify as Mosquitoes you would find in Britain. I’m sending them in to the Health Protection Agency.

I had a killing spree at home the other night, 4 smaller ones and one that actually really sounded like a mossie – that high pitched whine, it was large too.

I’m in the East though, it’s practically the tropics compared with Mad-chester!

My parents darn sarf get these horrible little black speckled winged things. Less numerous but more vicious in terms of itchyness/swelling than the midges I’ve encountered oop north.

I got attacked in Delamere a couple years ago. I mentioned it on here and people were saying I was mistaken – I know the difference between a mozzy and a midge!

Was out tonight (deep south) and the mosquitoes were unreal. Swarms of the buggers.

I’ve had a couple of nasty ones over the last month, both times on the right leg, both with lots of swelling and fat ankles.

There’s loads of species of Mozzies in the UK.

There’s the species of biting fly called the Blandford Fly, which is a nasty little buzzer!
Isn’t there a new invading mossie called a Tiger Mosquito? It’s pretty big, and has noticeable stripes on its legs.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2134583/Huge-Asian-tiger-mosquitoes-poised-invade-UK–bring-deadly-diseases-dengue-fever-them.html

Happy to report no misquitos here in Liverpool…

I know this is a bit old, but I have been bitten twice now in the last week and they have both swollen heavily and have caused the surrounding skin to go hard. I’ve been assuming it’s an allergic reaction, but would like to know wtf is going on as it’s not my normal reaction!

mrssuperfurryhead got bites galore in france and was recommended to take vitamin B1 for a week before departing next time. makes you taste nasty or stops the reaction, not sure which