The only thing that used to work well for me with bites was making a paste from bicarbonate of soda and water then put it on the bite, it takes the itch away and really helps
Those black flies do make a mess if you swat them, I did it when one was on my cream curtains...................

Mike I read the post and knew what he was talking about I was just pulling his wire sorry I find humour in most things. Also the thought of him sitting there marking off their landing spots gave me a chuckle but hey Vapona use is a serious business. On another note my bag of rhino poo mixed with water must have 500 flies inside it, They can get in the top but not out.I placed it about 10 metres from the house and apart from the odd one who is not partial to rhino we have been left alone. You get 3 sachets of the powder and change every few weeks. Just found the website http://www.redtop-flytrap.com/index.html Same thing but on e-bay cheaper than I paid http://stores.ebay.co.uk/REDTOP-PEST-CONTROL-SERVICES

Useful site. Thanks for that.

I used to make fly and wasp traps out of litre coke bottles with a hole melted in the side and some fermenting material in it. The secret was to put a tiny drop of washing up liquid in the solution to ensure that the pests were wetted totally and then they would pass out in the liquid in seconds.

Dawn thanks for your advise, I have never seen a black fly only the resultant damage much worse than a mossie bite. Just as a side issue why did you leave your house you seem in a ideal location etc not for me but I am sure for most,It seems so sad and to return to the UK. For whatever reason I hope your happy and re settled. They say 2008 is going to be the hottest summer Spain has known for many a year Ah well I will try and put up with it

I swear by vitamin B1 for mossie bites, don't know about the flies though. I used to visit Turkey annually and took very bad reaction to the mossie bites. A pharmacist told me about B1. I took 1 a day a month before I went (continued taking whilst there) and also anti-hestimine (spelling!!) daily whilst there - result - an odd "nip" but no reaction. Hope this helps

Another good use of the pens is in fruit trees. You set out a bait station made of the bottom of a coke bottle hanging there. Inside you put a piece of fruit to rot and attract the pests and cover the top of the station with a layer of weldmesh. The holes should be small enough that the small flies tend to land on the wire instead of flying thru unhindered.

Apply the poison to the mesh and hang one in each tree, and that should reduce the problem massively.

Apparently a marmite sarnie a day has the same effect as Vit B1.

No my flies will only eat smoked salmon Just passed the hanging fly trap on way back from the pool and it must have two hundred flying inside apart from the dead ones within the liquid and all this since sunday. They appear to have moved from the front of the house to the purgular where I have the fly trap hung.

[QUOTE=poshnbucks;6524963Just as a side issue why did you leave your house you seem in a ideal location etc not for me but I am sure for most,It seems so sad and to return to the UK. For whatever reason I hope your happy and re settled. They say 2008 is going to be the hottest summer Spain has known for many a year Ah well I will try and put up with it [/QUOTE]

We came back to UK mainly for our son. He'd joined the Navy but hated it and there was nothing in Spain for him. OH worked away for 2 wks at a time so I was alone a lot. Anyway we've been back for 7 months now, our son has just finished his 1st year of a sports diploma and I'm back teaching in colleges(for my sins) OH didn't think he'd settle here after 6 yrs, but is happily back into golfing. I must admit I don't really miss being in Spain, and I was amazed when OH said he doesn't either. We had some great experiences while we lived there, and don't regret it at all.

Well the best of luck Dawn and I hope you got a bigger bath for that pooch of yours

Hi Michael

Cetrizina was obtained today at three euros 20 for twenty. I was in Tortosa getting my Spanish E111 as Mrs Posh likes to pop back to Knightsbridge to do a little retail therapy. We just produced our residencia and they gave them then and there.I had all my papers but they didn't even look at them. time taken 2 minutes queue 25 minutes but that's everything now all done.I would normally get one of those spanish runners to do this sort of thing but we were at the Hospital next door. I like to live and spend well but I get a kick out of saving a couple of euros thanks Michael Karma given the other day.

Take the box into your local pharmacia next time to get them you need NO ID.

Thought of you today Bil, was at the auction at Playa Flamenca, and one of the lots was 20 NEW Rentokil fly killing pens, no one even bid 2€ for them, so they went unsold.

For day to day matters, I find that Coal Tar soap use seems to have some repellent effect. If they aim for your scalp, use Neutrogena T/gel Therapeutic Shampoo.

I can heartily recommend Lifesystems Expedition 100 which is a very strong DEET based repellent. I used that whilst in the jungle in Borneo.

Fenistil gel is brilliant for the blasted itching when already bitten. I know it’s available in Spain cos my tube has dimetindeno maleato, uso tópico externo written on it. It’s anti-histamine in gel form. You can use it to treat sunburn, mild burns, itching, and insect bites. According to the packaging it’s also good for use after allergic contact with toxic plants, jellyfish, and cheap jewellery so it’s perfect for the Costa del Sol.

My brother gets bitten to buggery when he’s around flying things, so one answer is get my brother out for a visit, sit him on your patio, and draw all over him with one of bil’s pens.

Sheesh! Why didn't you grab them?? At that price, for a lifetime supply?