| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
|
Judith S
Platinum Member
 Wales
15686 Posts |
 Posted - 20 Jul 2013 : 8:07:06 PM
|
I have always, as long as I can remember ( & thats a very long time), reacted horribly to the dreaded horsefly bite!!! Being a redhead (scientific evidence that we natural redheads smell different to other hair colours & also we are FAR more difficult to put to sleep for operations, need far more gum deadening for dental work, have lower pain threshold etc!!!)(wondering now if this applies to chestnut horses as well?). Anyway, getting back to original post.... in the past a horsefly bite would be BAD for me for weeks, tubes of Anthisan, Piriton & on occasions trip to the Drs.....
This year.... "the Year of the Horse Fly".... horrific here & normally we don't get too many of them... but this year OMG its BAD!!!!
But.... OK I have sprayed myself, but I have had very few bites & the ones I have had have not been troublesome to me other than a bit itchy when bitten....
Mmm.... all I can think is that now is my diet (had to alter lots when I became diabetic) contains a huge amount of garlic (hubby says lovely that we will not be getting vampires now LMAO), which I know repels flies.... but is it having an effect on the result of being bitten????
|
    |
|
Report to moderator
|
|
|
Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2013 : 8:09:29 PM
|
| Wondering.... are the bites less irritating to me ??? |
|
Report to Moderator  |
|
|
Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
|
|
Kes
Platinum Member
England
1819 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2013 : 8:32:51 PM
|
| I react very badly too, Mozzies don't bother me like they some people but I come up in horrific welt type lumps if bitten :/ |
    
Carole & Kes, West Sussex. |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Vik1
Platinum Member
1711 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2013 : 9:07:37 PM
|
Midges, mozzie and cleggs luurve me! Im a dark blonde with fair skin. I have to smother myself in insect repellent esp when I go abroad and can not wear any perfume.
This year I have been bitten about 5/6 times...couple quite nasty but not as bad as usual. Someone told me months ago that midges dont like smell of vit b in the blood so I thought Id give it a bash (as well as its meant to help you have more energy).
So while I have been bitten, so far not as bad as usual. Ultimate test will be next week as im off to spain next thurs for a few days. |
     |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2013 : 9:34:20 PM
|
What interests me is the bites I am getting, I am NOT reacting to them as in prev years......
Still getting bitten, but the after effects are less.... |
|
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
|
|
sab2
Platinum Member
8467 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2013 : 9:47:50 PM
|
| Judith i like you have always reacted badly to horsefly bites, this year i was told to spray them with vinegar as soon as poss, and then take antihistamine tables asap, it works for me so far , have been bitten more this year than any other but the vinegar which i keep in car and stables is working a treat. My OH on the other hand is a redhead and he got bitten for the first time ever this year and his whole arm swelled up, but he did scratch and i told himnot to, once you scratch it seems to make them worse, horrid things aren,t they. |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Kes
Platinum Member
England
1819 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2013 : 12:23:40 AM
|
| I could be wrong here but don't they say to use vinegar for bee or wasp stings? Something about neutralizing the sting? Or am I way off. |
Carole & Kes, West Sussex. |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Suelin
Platinum Member
England
2514 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2013 : 02:42:53 AM
|
I have dreadful reactions to horsefly bites. The last episode resulted in antidiabolicals and antihysterics for a week!! I was brunette ( no more sadly, it's all gone white now) I haven't noticed as many horseflies this year, horses seem less bothered.
Not sure about the garlic theory but if it's working then go for that for sure.
I have heard about the vinegar thing and when I was small a lady I knew used to rub a cut onion on a wasp or bee sting for the same reason as the vinegar |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
debs
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3218 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2013 : 04:00:59 AM
|
Redhead here.... horse flies mozzies the lot love me! Lots of garlic and chilli in my diet, obviously attraxts them to me thats why there is none around you Suelin... 
Ali is always covered (ginger) usually none on Mica (coloured) but our old coloured used to be covered too...
Both Al and I seem to come up in lovely big welts, he is very sensitive bless him.
Insect pen is best relief for me, takes away the sting and the itchies. I do of course smell like Ive been wee'd on but hey ho! its like pure amonia |
    |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Quarabian
Platinum Member
Wales
4340 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2013 : 07:49:14 AM
|
| Less sugar in your system might be working. I noticed that with midges they were more attracted to me when I ate a lot of mars bars etc. Now my diet is less sugary I think I don't taste as good Could it be the same with the horse flies. |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Vik1
Platinum Member
1711 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2013 : 09:58:06 AM
|
| apparently they are attracted to darker colours. Certainly this year Ive found storm suffering more than Velvet did (she was chestnut). You can buy traps with a dark ball in it to attract them..more aimed gardens rather than horsey folk. |
|
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Eeyore
Gold Member
1181 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2013 : 11:57:24 AM
|
| I'm dark haired but very pale and biting insects just love me. I eat lots of garlic and lots of marmite (vit b) but they still seem attracted to me. I also react horrendously to horsefly bites and usually have to resort to antibiotics etc. This year because I'm pregnant I can't take anything, not even antihistamine. I've been covering myself up as much as possible to try and protect myself but one of the little b*&%*s bit me through jeans last week! My horse is also being bitten a lot, I'm topping up her fly repel 3 times a day. They have just been awful this year. Anyway the only safe things for me to use are lavender and chamomile which luckily seemed to have worked so far, along with ice packs. |
Heléna
   |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Pasch
Platinum Member
2277 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2013 : 12:41:38 PM
|
It's interesting you saying that a change in diet resulted maybe in you reacting less to insect bites.You probably eat a healthier,"cleaner"diet so it could be your body is less prone to inflammation and reacts less violently to bites.What we eat really makes a lot of difference to many things...as for garlic,that is supposed to keep them away because it changes your skin odour but frankly I didn't notice a big difference when feeding it to horse,and it wouldn't change the way you react to bites.
I lived in Thailand for a while and I remember getting red lumps that would itch forever from mosquitoes in the beginning (I am a brunette with pale skin)until suddenly one day I noticed the bites just itched a minute or two and left no sign.I think my body just had enough of reacting,there were too many of them anyway!I did get Dengue afterwards but that's another story...
Just yesterday I was on motorbike and a wasp got into my cleavage  managed to get it out of my tshirt but it had stung me already,I was expecting big swelling (not that I need it )but apart from a small doughnut around the sting that disappeared as soon as I applied ice,all I got is a slight itch.
Anyway mosquitoes are attracted by carbon dioxide in our smell,heat and dark colours.An overweight,sweaty person wearing dark clothes is their ideal target.I don't know what attracts horseflies... |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Kes
Platinum Member
England
1819 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2013 : 12:48:22 PM
|
| Not a top healthy tip but Mozzies hate cigarette smoke. When we got out on the bikes of an evening in big groups, although I hate it, I sit with the smokers, mozzies hate it = no bites. |
Carole & Kes, West Sussex. |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Pasch
Platinum Member
2277 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2013 : 1:12:00 PM
|
I think I'd rather have bites than smoke!  |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Kharidian
Platinum Member
England
4297 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2013 : 2:48:34 PM
|
Kes, it's vinegar for wasp stings and bicarbonate for bee stings! Remember "Bicarb for bees, vinegar for vasps"! I don't know what is recommended for horsefly bites.
Caryn
|
Kharidian (Prince Sadik x Khiri)........ Alkara Cassino (H Tobago x Rose Aboud)
aka "Roger".................................... aka "Chips"
     
The first image is from an original painting by Pat Shorto.
South-East Essex |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Kes
Platinum Member
England
1819 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2013 : 2:50:59 PM
|
| That's it!!! I couldn't remember it exactly, I was hoping someone else would know for sure, thank you |
Carole & Kes, West Sussex. |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
JanC
Bronze Member
United Kingdom
221 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2013 : 3:46:31 PM
|
I too hate horse flies - they are the only things I will splat!
When I get bitten I use Bonjela (the stuff for mouth ulcers) and I find this really stops the itching and usually minimises the swelling. I don't suppose that will help the people who react so badly that they need antibiotics - but might be worth a try for those to whom the bites are an "just" an irritation.
Hope that helps
Jan |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Sharea
Silver Member
United Kingdom
289 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2013 : 6:45:45 PM
|
I've noticed that Tiger lily who is chestnut gets far more attention from them than Sharea but doesn't react as badly when she's bitten. Sharea had a very nasty reaction to a bite on her tenderest parts last week.
I've been bitten countless times this year, they're really bad, I come up in a nasty red welt, looks horrible and I try not to scratch. I'm brunette, used to live in tropical countries as a child and apart from getting malaria at 2 was never really bothered by biting insects.
I have become tastier as I've aged! |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
heathermcbreen
Platinum Member
England
2132 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jul 2013 : 3:15:54 PM
|
| I'm another redhead... we are officially more sensitive due to more nerve endings in our skin ... apparently nearly twice as many as normal people... someone told me we were allegedly closer genetically to orangutans... but that may be completely untrue.... I dont know if I get bitten more... but I do react really badly.... I have one of the ammonia pen stick things which does help.... |
| Report to Moderator |
|
| |
Topic |
|
Horsefly Bites in Humans
