I got bitten by a horse fly yesterday and the swelling is probably going to get in the way of my running ☹️ It’s on my inside thigh and so movement might be a bit restrictive. The heat from it is already melting any ice applied to it quite quickly 🙄
Honestly, I should know better because I have a bad reaction to insect bites and should start wearing repellent much earlier than summer but tend to forget until that first nip!
This subject came up three years ago on the forums and Oldfloss had a very nasty tale about a horse fly bite and ended up in hospital! I then did a bit of research and posted the results so I thought it would be useful to post again. Every point, while humorous, is accurate and there is obviously a serious underlying message which is… remember insect repellent!
oh don't get me started on midges 😱 We’ve got one of those fly squatter things at home but it might be a bit cumbersome to take it out on a run! The thing is I saw the little monster on my thigh and grabbed him and got him in my palm and squeezed but then I opened my fist and he flew off 🤬 I obviously didn’t squeeze tightly enough. He’s probably waiting for me again to get his revenge…..
And they have sonar and call notes apparently ( midges) the female they say is prone to biting more often than not men, when she's found a suitable victim it's a midge free for all as they attack 👀🦟🐜🐞🦋🐝
Ouchey!😣 Sorry to hear about your horse fly bite IP, I hope it begins to settle soon. Nasty little blighters ( blightessesses just read your linked post, and it's the females that bite!)
I will definately be applying insect repellent from now on, as I have had one of those nasty nips myself....
Thank you for the heads up...
Maybe I run slowly enough to get under their radar 🤔😉😎xxx
It’s my own fault Jan because I know there are horse flies around at this time of year and I know I should wear insect repellent every time I go outside but every year I forget (🙄) and get bitten by something! I must make an effort next year and do this properly 😂
But they are nasty and we can do well without them in our running lives.
Oh my goodness ouch!!! The dreaded horse fly!!!! Eek. .I took notice of your post then and so far. So good!!!Keep an eye on it...and, as the Dr who saw me, told me, cold Nivea or any cold cream.. ( pop in the fridge), will ease the heat and the itching...
I immediately thought of you Floss when I saw the little blighter and realised I had been bitten! I’ve got cream on it and ice packs (very soothing) and taken an anti-histamine and am hoping the heat goes from it tomorrow. I can’t believe I was so careless and wore shorts in the garden with no insect repellent 🙄 xxx
I still think of you and that post... I am so aware of being bitten again..I have a reverse hypodermic insect thing at the van and in the car. ..and have hydrocortisone cream that is the strength of the European brands....It was horrid and I really hope yours settles down xx
I’ve put hydrocortisone cream on it but I use to have anti-histamine cream which was brilliant but I’ve not got any left ☹️ Not sure which one is better …. xxx
Arggggh horseflies IP, the devil insect. I’m sorry you were “got”. I know what you mean about the bites swelling up. And the itching is horrific. 😩😩😩
Have you ever encountered Bavarian horseflies? They’re huge and make the ones over here seem sweet and harmless. I was attacked by them three summers ago when we were there on hols. Ohhhhh, the ooze, it went on for days and my legs looked like aliens. 😖😩
Ouch Munks 😱 no!!! And I don't ever want to encounter Bavarian horseflies!!! They sound horrific. You sound like me, any insect within a mile radius makes a direct flight to my skin. I’ve been on holiday with friends and I’m the only one that ever gets bitten 🤬
Me too IP. I joke to my friends and family that they don’t need insect repellent if I’m around. They all gravitate towards me; midges, mosquitoes, horseflies - anything bitey. 😩 We must have similar delicious blood! 😅
Ooh ouch IP! Fortunately we don’t really see them too much here on the coast but I remember all too clearly how horrible they can be! Hope you heal swiftly!
I have had bites in places where there is rubbing, it was okay when I covered the bite with a dab of ointment, then a small Elastoplast, then the largest size of Compeed.
I have a bad reaction to bites and the area around swells up. When my husband gets a mosquito bite (rarely) it’s a pin prick, whereas my bite site is the size of a melon and inflamed 😫 hence the disruption to running ☹️
Me too. I reckon our husbands don’t get bitten because we’re right there and much more appetising. The only time mine gets bites is if I’m not around. I wish there was an inanimate version of me for me to use as a distraction like my husband uses me!
Ew! I HATE bitey insects, but they LURVE me! I've already bought myself some deet for the 'summer'. When they get me I get huge, painful lumps. Hope yours gets better soon.
Sorry to hear that IP. Would taking an anti histamine before you start help? When I started keeping bees I used to take one on inspection days to mitigate the affects of stings.
That’s a very sensible idea but I’m outside every day if I can, running, walking, gardening and I’m one of those people who doesn’t take medication unless I have to.
Once I get the insect repellent on and the right clothes then I’m usually protected well.
Been bitten myself a few times. Apart from antihistamine creams, also take an oral antihistamine such as Piriton or one of the non-drowsy brands. Cheap as chips in Wilkos.
Last year I got bitten by an insect on my shin. One visit to doctors, one visit to the hospital (where they wanted to keep me in! They only let me go home at 2am if I promised to go back by 7am) and 5 courses of antibiotics later was I ok. They were worried it was going to turn into sepsis. Needless to say, me and my insect spray are now best friends, even though I dislike the stuff.
How scary! And 5 courses of antibiotics 😱 just shows how nasty some of these bites can get. I don’t mind the Jungle Formula aerosol spray, it’s easy to apply and smells ok.
I felt a tiny black insect biting me on the inside of my left wrist just before the end of yesterday's run. Ouch! I'm afraid it turned into a smear on my kit a fraction of a second later. I can still see the dot of site where it bit. It's not infected.
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