hevs

A pommy (well, english actually, but lets not split hairs ) freind that used to live in my old town in England (UK, whatever!!) sent me this and said i could share so you would all be forwarned!!
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Just when we thought we had settled in a very safe, innocuous part of Australia, the mosquitoes strike!

Last summer we had a tiny courtyard garden and weren't bothered at all. However, we now have a large garden complete with swimming pool and fish pond and enjoying the ubiquitous Aussie Barbie has turned into a major health hazard, especially for me. It seems my reaction or should I say overreaction to mossie bites it causing my doctor some concern. I sheepishly went along last Monday having had a dreadful weekend due to the bites on feet and ankles. What concerned her was the red line crossing my foot and heading up my ankle. It seems I had developed Cellulitus, (inflammation of the fat cells) and I have to confess there are plenty of fat cells in my body, but I'd always considered my feet and ankles to be rather trim, so felt quite miffed! I had of course, in a rather British fashion, apologized for bothering her with such a trivial matter. I did think she was rather alarmist, but said she was pleased I'd come in, another 24 hours and I'd been on a drip in hospital!



Well I'm now on my second course of steroids, (following 9 bites this Friday evening), I do have fantastically firm muscles and a very deep voice, am pumped full of anti-biotics, might as well take the Diflucan to combat the Thrush you're going to get and to top it all we were wormed this week, yes, My daughter and I have worms!



and my Doctors remark "welcome to Australia!"



In order to understand my nemesis, I've done some research; here are 10 interesting facts about mosquitoes.


Across the world, 1 in 17 people will die due to contracting a disease from a mosquito bite!

Only the female mosquito bites humans and animals, she needs the protein from blood for her eggs, hubby just lives on pollen.

In her 6 week life cycle, she will produce on average 3,000 mosquitoes!!!!!!
In Australia, contractible diseases from mosquito bites are: Ross River Fever, Murray Valley Encephalitis, Kunjin Virus Disease and Barmah Forest Virus Disease, only a couple of those are fatal though.

To find us, mosquitoes are mainly attracted by our carbon dioxide
.
They also home in on our lactic acid omissions, through our pores and can find us from a distance of 36m.

They are attracted to dark colours.

They can bite through jeans.

They breed in still water, (the fish pond has to go!), rest on foliage during the day, preferring to feed at dusk.

They have infra-red vision and can find us in the bloody dark!


It's a balmy evening, Hubbys outside in the garden with a glass of wine and I'm inside watching him through the window.

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She apparently wears jungle strength aeroguard and lives in a "nice" area of the city.

I sympathise cos i react too, but at least my fat cells havn't let me down yet!!

tiredwithtwins

ew!!
I usually get bitten to high heaven when i go on holiday to europe, but when i was in asia/aus, they didnt bite more than twice!! must have eau de mossie on when i go to europe! Perhaps the aussie ones dont like the look of my fat!

hows the diy going hevs....still wielding that chainsaw i hope?

Sue

MELANIE6

Have heard on good authority that you should take Berocca Multivitamins - the aussies do and it helps stop the bites as it is high in vit b's and they don't like it apparently.

Anything helps, my kids get bitten every night and we don't have a pool!
Invest in a mozzie lamp.

Melanie

spalen

I read that when they get a good bite on you, they eat what they want , then when the buggers are leaving they spray a pheromone or scent that tells all the other mossies in the same hemisphere - "dinners up - good food here" so even more of them come after you after just one of them gets lucky.

Loopy

Cellulitus can be awful & really painful so lots of sympathy to your friend!
Had it a few years ago and had to keep my foot/leg immobilised for a while to stop it spreading. I too was told that if it spread further I'd be in hospital with a drip, not nice!

However, don't you usually get it through an infection entering broken skin? If so she could have got it through scratching the bites or through the bites themselves. Maybe she will build up her immune system so it won't happen again. Also perhaps there is something she can take/apply to stop her reacting so badly to the bites.

Hope she's ok

Loopy with a couple of bites on my arm & one on my knee!

sharkbait

When I lived in Mackay, you couldnt even hang the washing out in full sunlight without donning jeans and long sleeved shirt. Not very comfy in 34c and 90% humidity. Even then constant swatting was required, not easy when battling a Hills Hoist.

Paylia

Hi Melanie,
I am sure you are quite right, I remember reading a pharmacology book written about 30 years ago that extolled the taking of large doses of vitamin B2 in order to act as an insect ( mosquito) repellant . Apparently the vitamin B2 is leaked out in your sweat and because it smells so vile the mossies go away and feed on someone else.
I wonder if you have found this out already judging by your signature?


Peter

Pollyana

They are weird things Mossies - as yet, not been bitten, even when I've been with friends who have really suffered. I put it down to something to do with sweat/vitamins/whatever released through the pores - my immune system is shot to bits and full of nasties - so maybe thats why they don't like me! At least it gives me a reason to be thankful for being sick!!!

Having said that of course I shall be mugged by a gang of the gits next time I set foot outside the door.....

MELANIE6

LOL - HaHa , actually some aussie friends told my hubbie this when he visited Aus last year with son, when I asked in UK at the chemist for Berocca they told me "we only order this for the aussies" - so must be true!!

nickname actually childhood name from lovely, yet distant brother!!

Melanie

scotvness

I only ever seem to get bitten when I've alcohol in my system - I do hope the little buggers suffer from hangovers

Brissiegirl

try taking a garlic supplement... or consuming vast quantaties of garlic.. apparently it has the same effect....

SunshineGirl

We were told by friends that live near Airlie Beach to take vitamin B and garlic tablets, starting a month before we went to stay with them.

So we did and didn't get a single bite.

steandleigh

Have tried the lot - vit B, garlic supplements, industrial strength mossie spray, new age crap from the health shop, none of it works, fact is...












they love my pommie blood!!!!! :scared:
Its a pain in the arse, but part and parcel of living up here and a few ( well, a LOT of) bites aren't going to stop me. But then again, its not been , life threatening yet!!!