Yes, some flies bite too. Here in WA we have "March" flies, although they might appear in February too. Down in the SW, I've also been bitten by huge flies I call "stealth bombers", they're so big. You can be sitting on a world-class beach when suddenly you notice this monster on your leg and it hurts! I also got badly bitten by bull ants when I lived in Queensland. And you must have heard about the spiders, etc ...

Not a prevention but if she/you do get bitten then from my experience taking something like Zyrtec seems to help a lot when it comes to controlling the itching

Some places in OZ are swarming with them in other places you almost never see a single one, it all depends on where you live.

Some of those ants are related to the wasp family.

It's not too bad when they bite you, but when they sting you with their tail sting, it is just about the same as a wasp sting.

Thanks everyone -

A couple of months ago, I was out in the front garden playing with my son, he's only a little toddler. We were both barefoot on the grass next to the mango tree.

Suddenly I felt a hot pain on the sole of my foot, not a throbbing but a constant hot pain. I picked up the wee one and went inside. The pain gradually got worse, and before too long my whole foot was in pain. Not just mild insect bite irritation or bee-sting pain, this was actually quite worrying ! so I laid down on the couch and tried to ignore it (as you do). 30mins later the pain started to subside, so I began to relax a bit.

Anyway a couple of hours later I started feeling ill, very fatigued and a little bit sick. I went to bed early, maybe at 8pm. Even though it was approx 27c and very humid, I felt extremely cold. I was actually in my bedroom, with all the windows shut, under a winter quilt/doonah, and I was shivering ! I went outside into the lounge to get a drink...the aircon was set to 24c... and this drop in temperature induced a shivering fit that lasted about 10mins, I had to dive back into bed to try and get warm again. Now I was getting a little bit scared. The next morning I was due to fly out into regional Qld for work. I lay there thinking, what should I do? Should I call the hospital and cancel the trip ?

But an hour later, I was starting to feel good again.

Welcome to Australia MrsE ! Don't worry about the mossies !

Try this:

http://www.chirostore.com.au/p/93215...alia-wide.html

Some people on this board recommended it as it worked for them

Normally I would argue that the GC was the worse place for Mosquitos but at the moment, they have to be the worse I've experienced since I arrived. Everyone I've spoken to agrees, it's not the humidity because the humidity is not bad here. but I do think it's to do with the amount of rain we had recently.

Excellent advice given already.

Mossies are terrible all over SEQ at the moment, and all other areas affected by heavy rainfall. Lots of blocked gutters full of water for them to breed in.

REDLAND City Council has stepped up mosquito eradication in response to growing numbers of the insect, thriving after recent algal blooms, king tides and heavy rain over Christmas and New Year.
The council has undertaken four aerial treatments between November 19 and January 6, distributing larvicide over a combined 1465 hectares.

"Surveillance and light sample results to date indicate that the council's own local treatment programs have been highly successful, with preliminary survey results yesterday (last Wednesday) for the recent aerial treatment indicating a 98 per cent mortality rate,"

The council's chief executive officer, Gary Stevenson, said while local populations had been hit hard, tourist mosquitoes could be contributing to local numbers.
http://www.redland.qld.gov.au/Counci...heets/Mossies/

We even get tourist mosquitoes here !!!!

My OH reckons that I'm the best protection against mozzies because they always bite me and leave him alone!

I've found "Off" to be very good (or "f..k off" we call it..... ) and if you do get bitten, tiger balm is brilliant

All - thank you so much! Some really info and some funny stories

I don't eat meat and for some reason don't tend to get bitten- well unless meat eating hubby is not around.
I guess they are not too fond of my blood!


Recently I read that rubbing soap on a bite (bar of, not liquid) helps. I have been doing this to my 2 year old and her bites have not been as itchy and clear up more quickly. Mr P has now converted to this method. Stingose spray can hurt!

Mossies don't like tofu ...

Fact: Linda McCartney and Adolf Hitler were never bitten by mossies

Didn't do them any good in the final reckoning though.

Esp in Perth, the flies are the devil in disguise...spoil alot of fun over there.
As for mozzies...good luck, they are just as bad.