snaps

Stupidly I thought I was safe in the garden finishing off some paving. Wearing shorts I ventured a little too far onto the garden. Within moments I could feel the pain in the back of a leg and a sand-fly having an enormous breakfast.

Is there a time when these mini-draculas are not on the rampage?

britsinnz

I've just put this on another post but have you tried aerogard insect repellant? It works great for me. I never get bitten by anything when I use it and as someone with really sensitive skin I have not had even one skin reaction in all that time. When I forget to use it the bites drive me crazy. The little buggers love us expats.

snaps

I usually have a quick spray of some DEET from an aerosol before heading out into the garden, but this time I was trying to finish off a little job on the paved patio thinking they'd be on the lawn only. It was only when I overstepped a few inches that they attacked and attached. I'll not be so quick in future.

jmh

I think the body builds up immunity to them in due course. It takes about 1000 bites if I recall correctly. You should be immune in no time at all.

snaps

Thanks. I cannot be far off already ;o)

Hazelnut

I was bitten by a few when out and reacted quite badly to the first ten but, by the end of the three weeks, my reaction was reducing and was definitely more manageable. I guess years of building up resistance to midges where we live now means I'm more programmed to build resistance quickly. A friend in Nelson said it took her 2-3yrs but she's fine now.

One scary thing was a bite the first night we were there. I was bitten in the night when asleep and my whole forearm swelled! It reduced over a five day period and I kept slapping aloe Vera, tea tree and antibacterial cream on it. I studiously ignored he two bite holes rather an the one hole I had in all the other lumps.