What has bitten me ?

[Gilli]

Help - I'm going mad with itching and scratching. I spent much of the bank holiday weekend working in the garden .... until the light went on Sunday night ..... and, at the time, noticed lots of "nasty tiny little flies" hovering about at dusk.

I'm now absolutely covered in big angry red bites which are driving me up the wall. They're mostly on my back (where I was bending over the flowerbed), also, my stomach, arms .... and worst of all, under my hair.

I know it's too late now, but does anyone know what might have bitten me ? .... it wasn't mosquitos, I'd have heard them. These flies were black.

[Jules001]

don't know whereabouts you are, but it sounds like midges to me.

[pjm007]

They could have been 'Fungus Gnats', they are very common in gardens, and look and act in much the same way as mosquitos.

[Gilli]

Midges had occurred to me, but perhaps mistakenly thought these were restricted to Scotland - I'm in Hertfordshire.

Whatever they were, no way am I going to garden so late ever again !

[nuoyg]

My mum and dad like sitting on their patio and they get those bugs late at night and I think they may be midges.  They find lighting candles keeps them at bay.

If you're really itching then calomine lotion may help as it's very cold.

[FP]

Get some Piriton or other antihistamine tablets to relieve the itching and take down the inflammation.  They work very well.

I would say they were gnat bites.  I don't know whether gnats are the same as mosquitos!

[Noweia]

Midges, found everywhere, especially wet areas.  I'm the only person in my family who ever gets bitten :(

You can get insect bite cream, to put on the bites, that relieves the itching, go to your local chemist and ask them!

[doctorsteve]

Sounds like midges, they do occur all over the country but especially in bonny Scotland, my neck of the woods. Best treatment once bitten is antihistamine like piriton and some hydrocortisone or eurax cream both avaliable over the counter at the chemist.  The best option is to try to avoid being bitten in the first place.  And most insect repellent appear not to work.  I have found that the most effective repellent is a moisturiser called skin so soft from Avon.  Strange but true.

[dmsjps]

Midges, gnats, whatever, they don't like tea tree spray. Honest, get some and you'll never look back. I don't know if you can get it in health food shops or chemists for humans, but I just use the tea tree spray I get for my dog's itchy skin from the pet shop. It doesn't smell fantastic like your perfume will, but it's not a horrible smell so you can put up with that a lot easier than you can the bites!