Anyone else been having problems? There is a small brown fly, a bit like the common house fly, but these bite like a hot needle. Yesterday, in one half hour I was bitten more times than in all the time previously in Spain.

Some of our neighbours are staying inside most of the day, and I am currently risking heatstroke wearing long sleves and jeans if I go into the garden, 'cos it beats being bitten to death.

Does anyone know what they are?

I know the ones you mean, they are sandflies (their name comes from their colour). The problem with them is that you rarely see them bite! In Australia they are a problem and they call them something like 'no see ums'! The bites cause an allergic reaction and take several days to go down. I was bitten in Spain last summer, everytime one went down - I got bitten again!!! They are much worse than mosquito bites!

I hear Avons' Skin so Soft body spray is the best way of keeping them away -I've stocked up on it so I am keeping my fingers crossed this summer!

I thought he meant those too - but aren't they tiny?

Yes, they are the ones that cause that serious illness with dogs, but they are only reckoned to come out after dark.
Thats why vets recommend that dogs are kept indoors between May and September at night-time.

It's not just dogs that can catch it (Leishmaniasis). Humans can be bitten by infected flies and catch it.

It is rare but the TV presenter Ben Fogel caught it from a sandfly bite and it nearly killed him.

Under new rules recently introduced in Spain all dogs that have the disease either have to have a very expensive treatment or be put down.

The reason for this is that infected dogs are a reservoir for the infection and as it can be passed to humans it is now strictly controlled just like rabies.

saw what sandfly can do to a dog, poor little thing, like mange but X10. She had barely any hair left on her, she was a campo dog and someone has taken her in and is having her treated, she is on injection 19 of 30.

First thing on my list for our dogs was trip to vet and they had the full lot, rabbies booster, parvo, kennel cough etc booster, sandfly collars and drops, worming tablets, 300 euros later at least can sleep easier knowing they have at least some protection. Just wish that I was not a walking buffet for the mosquitto population, our house smells like a pox doctors clerk at night just before bed and I still get bitten, lol.

We seem to have been adopted by the dog from the finca next door, think he is thinking of moving in, lol. He is spending less time there and more time at ours, now stays in at night and refuses to go home, amazing what a little love does.

Seems a bit of a mystery Bill.
Only thing I can think of is the horse fly family,incl clegs,and deer or forest flies that all have a wicked bite, but don't quite fit your description though I think the deer fly is a tad smaller.
Only other brown one I know is the sh!t fly or dung fly but as the name suggests they have other preferences.
Shall await developments with interest.

Well, these aren't tiny, and they are out in the sun, so poss not sandflies.

Our neighbour down the road is blanketing house, garden and allotment with insecticide, which I really don't want to do.

What with the winter, the rain, et al and now this, this has been the worst year here for a long time.

There seem to be more flies about this year, they usually arrive later but are here already, not the bite type, just the ones that keep relanding on you when you swack them off.

I would agree on horse fly, they really hurt but at least it's short lived pain.
Horse flies tend to be a light brown colour and a bit dappled.

The only horse flies I know aren't anything like these. These biters are almost identical to the small houseflies.

I agree with that.

I still remember being bitten by a horsefly when I was about 8. It was a big fly and the swelling was about 3" across and took a week to go down.

Don´t know what the fly is Bil but do swear by Avon soft n smooth and also M&S lemon shower gel for the mossies don´t know if they will deter your lot. Do you have horses or goats nearby? Also the electronic bat www.swatthefly.co.uk is brilliant much better than any you can buy in the DIY stores. 7.45 GBP plus P&P and deliver to Spain

what they could be is African Black flies, unlike mosquitos, which stab you with a long sharp probocus(Nose) these little pests have extended mandables which chew throught the to layer of skin, then they spit an anti coagulant into the wound...... that is what causes the itch. bathe the bite in MEDICINAL alcohol and apply an antihystemine cream.

Use a repelant with Deet. dry off sweat(they are attracted to moisture) if possible wear close fitting sunglasses.

African Black Flies sound really nasty

http://www.cartercenter.org/health/r...ess/index.html