Getting bitten in St Anne's Park D5

crystallamp

Walk the dog a few times a week in St Anne's from the Sybil Hill entrance & bring her into the dog park.

Each time I've gone over the last fortnight I've been bitten by what I suspect are Mosquitos. They even come through my leggings. The bites become so inflamed I couldn't wear shoes for a couple of days and had trouble walking. Talking to a woman at the dog park she said she couldn't wear her specialised work shoes from a bite she got on her ankle down there.

I was told there were actual Mosquitos in the Malahide park and Donabate from the 1800's. (Apparently the owner of Newbridge House brought trees back from Africa with Mosquitos)

Aard

Anywhere warm with still water will be a breeding ground for mosquitos. They usually only come out at dusk so maybe avoid those times while we still have a bit of warm weather.

crystallamp

Aard wrote: »

Anywhere warm with still water will be a breeding ground for mosquitos. They usually only come out at dusk so maybe avoid those times while we still have a bit of warm weather.

It's always around dusk that I walk her! Interesting! Thanks!

Esel

Wear white clothing if possible too. It helps to keep them away. You might need insect repellent.

thomur

Heard that water butts without filters are great breeding ground for them. Still water and all that

RebelButtMunch

thomur wrote: »

Heard that water butts without filters are great breeding ground for them. Still water and all that

A water butt should have a lid on it.

Esel

Used tyres outdoors are one of the worst (hardest to eliminate) sources, because it is (nearly) impossible to remove the water from them.

Jay D

crystallamp wrote: »

Walk the dog a few times a week in St Anne's from the Sybil Hill entrance & bring her into the dog park.

Each time I've gone over the last fortnight I've been bitten by what I suspect are Mosquitos. They even come through my leggings. The bites become so inflamed I couldn't wear shoes for a couple of days and had trouble walking. Talking to a woman at the dog park she said she couldn't wear her specialised work shoes from a bite she got on her ankle down there.

I was told there were actual Mosquitos in the Malahide park and Donabate from the 1800's. (Apparently the owner of Newbridge House brought trees back from Africa with Mosquitos)

I was actually wondering where the hell I was getting these from. I've one on each arm and another on my lower back. Actually thought there was no mosquitos in Ireland!

I do get bitten pretty bad in hot countries but didn't think I had to worry here. I do be in or going through Saint Anne's regularly running.

snickerpuss

I got terrible mosquito bites in Malahide Park two years ago. My leg swelled up, went purple (!!!) and I ended up on a drip in Beaumont getting tests for septicaemia. I always avoid Malahide Demesne at dusk now as it wasn't the first time I was bitten there. Never had any in St. Anne's though!

BMJD

I heard that the north Co dublin coastline is the only area in Ireland that has mosquitos . I've no idea why!

As said, white clothing is good for keeping them away. Apparently eating lots of onions and garlic is a natural repellant as well .

ironclaw

BMJD wrote: »

I heard that the north Co dublin coastline is the only area in Ireland that has mosquitos . I've no idea why!

As said, white clothing is good for keeping them away. Apparently eating lots of onions and garlic is a natural repellant as well .

Oil of Citronella, literally the oil from a lemon skin, will repel them very effectively as well.

Esel

BMJD wrote: »

Apparently eating lots of onions and garlic is a natural repellant as well .

Garlic keeps more than mosquitoes / midges at bay!

Muahahaha

If buying mossie repellent make sure to get something with a high DEET factor, some of them dont have much DEET at all and are pretty useless.

Esel

If you don't like using topical repellents (some people have a thing about DEET, but I am sure there are effective non-DEET preparations available), then avoid the infested area when it it very overcast or anytime around dusk and dawn.

As I said, if you want/have to be in the area at these times, wear as much white (or at least light-coloured) clothing as possible.

Full dark/night: the little fuppers are a bit like vampires!

This next bit might sound a bit off the wall, and is for use in a post-bite scenario.

You can buy a piezo-electric device to zap the bite. Not sure how efficient they are, but someone has developed such a device and put it on the market.

You can easily improvise one by dismantling a cheap cigarette lighter which contains a piezo component (a lot of lighters these days have them - you will know it from the flint type by the loud click).

Simply put the end of the wire very close to the bite, and press the plunger. You will feel a bit of a zap. Personally, if I was prone to a severe reaction from such a bite, I would happily zap that bite 100s of times if it stopped it progressing to the state that people have described above.

The chemist will also have post-bite topical preparations. Anti-histamine tablets can work too.

loyatemu

BMJD wrote: »

I heard that the north Co dublin coastline is the only area in Ireland that has mosquitos . I've no idea why!

.

I've seen mosquitos in Wicklow and other parts of Ireland, never been bitten by them though - the Irish variety seems less aggressive than the continental ones.

Midges on the other hand...

Allyall

crystallamp wrote: »

I was told there were actual Mosquitos in the Malahide park and Donabate from the 1800's. (Apparently the owner of Newbridge House brought trees back from Africa with Mosquitos)

It wasn't whoever owned Newbridge house, it was apparently Lord Milo Talbot De Malahide.
He was an amateur Botanist and brought plants back from South America, Australasia and other parts of the Southern Hemisphere from 1948 - 1973.
I went to a Cricket match there last week to check it out. Ended up quite drunk and ravaged on both arms and legs and a few massive bites on my back..
Saw one (Mosquito), they're quite big.

Apparently they were rampant in the 70's and 80's, then calmed for a while.
Then a few years ago they came back with a bang.

I got talking to a few people about them and they were saying that, while there did seem to be a lull in the castle grounds, there were still swarms of them in the "marsh", which extends across the western side of Malahide.
So best to avoid that area too..

I look like I have Chicken Pox on my arm.

Speedsie

There have been mosquitoes in Ireland for centuries. Fortunately none have carried malaria since the 17th century.

Oliver Cromwell is purported to have died from malaria contracted from a mosquito bite in Cork.

crystallamp

At least there was one positive outcome from their presence Speedsie.

Met a friend whilst walking in the park during the week, as we spoke, a large mossie flew around her head and I warned her about it. She told me that one of her employees was currently in hospital with cellulitis following a bite on her leg in St. Annes!