Midge and gnat bites

mazza111

Rubbing them with a slice of lemon dries them up faster unless an allergy has occurred. Same with mosquito bites. Used to use this regularly until I became allergic to the little blighters, now it's antihistamine and steroids when i get bitten

Katiehound

If you look at this thread there are some different ideas-
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2550179
good luck!

ps hope I've pasted the correct one!

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Cleg's a nickname for the Horse Fly - evil little tykes, they are. You never feel the bite until they fly off and they have super razor sharp biting bits, but the next 24 hours are when you get a quail's egg sized lump and *%&( me - they itch!

Only thing that ever works with them is covering up and using antihistamine as soon as you spot the bump.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Taken from NHS Direct:

Types of insect bite

The symptoms that can occur from different types of insect bites are listed below.

Midges, mosquitoes and gnats

Bites from midges, mosquitoes and gnats often cause small papules (lumps) to form on your skin that are usually very itchy. If you are particularly sensitive to insect bites you may develop:

bullae (fluid-filled blisters)
weals (circular, fluid-filled areas surrounding the bite)

Mosquito bites in certain areas of tropical countries can cause malaria (a condition that causes a high temperature and can be fatal). See the Health A-Z topic about Malaria for more information about this condition.

Fleas

Fleabites can be grouped in lines or clusters. If you are particularly sensitive to fleabites, they can lead to a condition called papular urticaria (where a number of itchy red lumps form). Bullae may also sometimes develop.
Fleas from cats and dogs can often bite below the knee, commonly around the ankles. They may also affect the forearms if you have been stroking or holding your pet.

Horseflies

A bite from a horsefly can be very painful. As well as the formation of a weal around the bite, you may experience:

urticaria - a rash of weals (also called hives, welts or nettle rash)
dizziness
weakness
wheezing
angio-oedema - itchy, pale pink or red swellings that often occur around the eyes and lips for short periods of time

Horseflies cut the skin when they bite, rather than piercing it, so horsefly bites can take a long time to heal and can cause an infection.

Bedbugs

Bites from bedbugs are not usually painful, and if you have not been bitten by bedbugs before, you may not have any symptoms. If you have been bitten before, you may develop intensely irritating weals or lumps.

Bedbug bites often occur on your:
face
neck
hands
arms

The Blandford fly

The Blandford fly (sometimes called blackfly) is found in:

East Anglia
Oxfordshire
Dorset

Blandford fly bites are common during May and June. They often occur on the legs and are very painful. They can produce a severe, localised reaction (a reaction that is confined to the area of the bite), with symptoms such as:

oedema (swelling)
blistering
a high temperature (fever) of 38C (100.4F) or over
joint pain

Ticks

Tick bites are not usually painful, and sometimes only cause a red lump to develop where you were bitten. However, in some cases they may cause:

swelling
itchiness
blistering
bruising

Ticks can carry a bacterial infection, called Borrelia burgdorferi, which causes Lyme disease (a bacterial infection that causes a rash and high temperature). If Lyme disease is not treated, its effects can be serious (see Insect bites - complications).

See the Health A-Z topic about Lyme disease for more information about this condition.

Mites

Mites cause very itchy lumps to appear on the skin and they can also cause blisters. If the mites are from pets, you may be bitten on your abdomen (tummy) and thighs where the pet has been sitting on your lap. Otherwise, mites will bite any uncovered skin.

larmy16

Thanks Jo. Had to laugh at the Blandford Fly. It sounds positively aristocratic!

I bought myself a plug in mosquito zapper. I was getting bitten mainly in bed where I tend to throw off any sheet as so hot at the moment.

It was £7.11 from Waitrose and it seems to have done the trick.

shoppingnoodles

I get always get eaten alive by mozzies too and having moved to house near a reservoir this year, it has been worse than ever, so I waged war against them.

I've been using the pink Skin so Soft and eating marmite on toast every day for breakfast and it works. Apparently they don't like the smell of skin full of B vitamins from the Marmite! Have only been bitten once in the last 4 weeks. Hope it works for your hubby. Good luck.