On Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:33:51 +0100 (BST), wrote:

In article ,
Stephen Wolstenholme wrote:
On 10 Aug 2011 14:27:01 GMT, wrote:
Kay wrote:
Afterbite and similar sticks contain some sort of ammonia compound, and
again relieve itching afterwards. I've found that they also seem to reduce
the swelling and blistering that I usually get from mozzie bites (I usually
get swelling as described by the OP, and a central area up to 1cm across of
yellow fluid-fillied blisters).

Definitely wasn't a mosquito - no itching, just a central dimple (presumably
where the bite started), a widening dark red patch, and a widening (but
shrinking again now, fortunately) raised swollen patch, which was very warm
to the touch when it was at it's peak.

A warm raised swelling patch is probably a spider bite rather than an
insect. Most spider bites hurt immediately but false widows get away
before any pain or swelling is noticed. They usually get better in a
day or two.

Not in the UK, it isn't. There are damn few British spiders that
can bite through the skin on most areas of most people, and those
symptoms are common in reaction to insect bites.


My neighbour was in hospital with a spider bite. His leg looked like a
red tree stump. The consultant said it was a garden spider bite. They
don't bit too often thank goodness but false widows do. He said he was
seeing two or three a month at this time of year.

See this site for information about spider bytes in the UK.

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/l.../spider-bites/

Steve

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wrote in message
...
Kay wrote:
Afterbite and similar sticks contain some sort of ammonia compound, and
again relieve itching afterwards. I've found that they also seem to
reduce
the swelling and blistering that I usually get from mozzie bites (I
usually
get swelling as described by the OP, and a central area up to 1cm across
of
yellow fluid-fillied blisters).

Definitely wasn't a mosquito - no itching, just a central dimple
(presumably
where the bite started), a widening dark red patch, and a widening (but
shrinking again now, fortunately) raised swollen patch, which was very
warm
to the touch when it was at it's peak.

Did you ask your doctor for a suitable treatment??

By the way, it is said that you should take an Antihistamine tablet half an
hour before you get bitten

Bill

wrote in message ...
Sigh. 14 species out of c. 700 IS damn few.
Regards,
Nick Maclaren..

Bill

Hm!! That would be 14 too many for me

Bill

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2011-08-10 17:14:20 +0100, "Bob Hobden" said:

Vicky wrote


Same damned thing that bit me on the hand and my whole hand puffed up,
but
this time it's bitten me right in the middle of my shin. :-(
A 2mm initial bite spot (actually, there are 2 of them, only one has
reacted
/very/ badly) has turned into a dark red patch about 2cm across, a
raised
bump about 6cm x 10cm. And it aches.

I've always assumed they were Horse Flies, get bitten a couple of times
every year. Always a hard lump/swelling and some discomfort for a couple
of days and then if I'm unlucky it opens up to a weepy scabby sore.

-- Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

But don't those hurt a lot while they're happening because of the way the
mandibles of a horse fly work? It is a bite, not a 'sting'.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

From my experience of being bitten/stung by a horsefly, I found that the
blighter will have stung you before you realise it, then if you immediately
gently squeeze the site of the bite, a small drop of clear liquid is
expressed. From then on you should'nt suffer any further ill effects.

I was a surveyor frequently working on farmland and have been stung by
horesflies many times.

Bill

"Chris Hogg" wrote ...

vicky wrote:


Same damned thing that bit me on the hand and my whole hand puffed up, but
this time it's bitten me right in the middle of my shin. :-(
A 2mm initial bite spot (actually, there are 2 of them, only one has
reacted
/very/ badly) has turned into a dark red patch about 2cm across, a raised
bump about 6cm x 10cm. And it aches.

I sometimes get bitten by a little fly-like insect, Anthocorus nemorum
or Common Flowerbug, a member of the Cimicidae family, described as
predatory or blood-sucking bugs (bugs in the proper entomological
meaning). Common in the UK.

See http://tinyurl.com/3oekl9z and http://tinyurl.com/3slpzfv

It's quite small and insignificant, at only a few mm long, mostly
black but with distinctive markings on the wings. The bites come up in
a nasty itchy lump in a few hours. I swat them as soon as I see one
land on any exposed skin.


On our last allotment, surrounded by grassland, we were often bitten by a
small black fly that hurt and left a liitle drop of blood behind even if you
immediately smacked it off. Nasty little blighters.

-- Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

wrote in message
...
Jeff Layman wrote:
Go to your local pharmacy and get some loratidine or cetirizine
antihistamine tablets (these are "non-drowsy"). This will help dampen
the response to the bite. Also get some hydrocortisone-based cream to
rub on the bite.

It took a few days before realising what it was. It felt like I'd walked
into something and it had bruised and swollen. I've been putting anti
histamine cream on it the last 2 nights, I would have taken an AH tablet
but
I think they have accidentally gone to visit my mum in the boys' suitcase.

As you react so badly, you might want to consider using insect-repellent
spray or cream before venturing into the garden for any length of time.

It only happens once or twice a year, and tbh, I don't think about it
until
it occurs. Mosquitoes are annoying, but don't cause anything like that
problem (they did when I was pregnant and in Italy, though!)

From previous suggestions, the most likely culprit to my mind is
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blandford_fly

They are nasty little buggers, and certainly produce a reaction like you
describe. I thought they sprayed the area between Blandford and Wimborne
each year now ? Certainly started to when I was down that way.

My next door neighbour suggested red ants, Nick thinks it's a spider (but
he
would, he's a little spider-phobic)

--
Kathy

Bill Grey wrote:
Did you ask your doctor for a suitable treatment??

I'm not going to a doctor on an emergency appointment (only way to get one
without a 2 week wait) for an insect bite! They'd laugh me out of the
place!

By the way, it is said that you should take an Antihistamine tablet half an
hour before you get bitten

I'll try to remember in future.

Martin wrote:
By the way, it is said that you should take an Antihistamine tablet half an
hour before you get bitten

I'll try to remember in future.

How can you remember half an hour before you are bitten?

*installs sarcasm monitor into Martin*

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
Do you have any clue if this is a spider bit, Vicky? Were you in the same
area of the garden/allotment when you were bitten? There are some spider
bites that cause allergic reactions and Ray had something similar on his
lip a couple of years ago, though it didn't hurt at all, just went numb
and large swelling.
--


Wouldn't he have noticed if he had a spider on his lip before it had a
chance to bite him??
Tina

On Thu, 11 Aug 2011 22:50:58 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 2011-08-11 22:29:58 +0100, "Christina Websell"
said:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
Do you have any clue if this is a spider bit, Vicky? Were you in the same
area of the garden/allotment when you were bitten? There are some spider
bites that cause allergic reactions and Ray had something similar on his
lip a couple of years ago, though it didn't hurt at all, just went numb
and large swelling.
--


Wouldn't he have noticed if he had a spider on his lip before it had a
chance to bite him??
Tina

Apparently not. He didn't feel anything at all and of course, couldn't
see anything. But the nurse who saw him at the local hospital could
see two puncture marks inside his lip and agreed it looked like a
spider bite. He didn't feel anything on his lip and he didn't feel the
bite. He came into the house with a rapidly swelling and numbing lip
and given its location, I insisted on the visit to the local hospital
in case it started to impede his breathing. There was no pain and no
itching. Mind you, the other day he had a long, nasty scratch on his
forearm, just above the wrist. He hadn't felt that either, really and
just said he'd "caught it on something". I think he's had so many
scratches, bruises etc. that he really just doesn't notice them until
after the event.

Gardening's like that, isn't it? You just get so focused on the job
that minor injuries escape notice till after. The barber once
extracted from my scalp a thorn I didn't even know was there. It's a
blood sport in which the blood is that of the gardener.

--
Mike.

On Aug 12, 3:21*pm, Gary Woods wrote:
Sacha wrote:
Good description! *I think Ray has spent all his life in nursery work,
so bumps, scrapes and grazes and cuts, are just part of the territory. *

I call it a blood offering to the garden goddess. *I usually contribute
while mowing a semi-wild area around the pond- there are some wild brambles
I try to push back with the lawn tractor/mower, and usually one reaches
over to retaliate.

--
Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

A bit of fresh blood helps the plants grow, and who worries, the first
60 years are the worst, but after that it's just scars on scars.
Sacha, I agree 100% with Ray, it's just part and parcel of this work.
David Hill

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2011-08-11 22:29:58 +0100, "Christina Websell"
said:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
Do you have any clue if this is a spider bit, Vicky? Were you in the
same
area of the garden/allotment when you were bitten? There are some
spider
bites that cause allergic reactions and Ray had something similar on his
lip a couple of years ago, though it didn't hurt at all, just went numb
and large swelling.
--


Wouldn't he have noticed if he had a spider on his lip before it had a
chance to bite him??
Tina

Apparently not. He didn't feel anything at all and of course, couldn't see
anything. But the nurse who saw him at the local hospital could see two
puncture marks inside his lip and agreed it looked like a spider bite. He
didn't feel anything on his lip and he didn't feel the bite. He came into
the house with a rapidly swelling and numbing lip and given its location,
I insisted on the visit to the local hospital in case it started to impede
his breathing. There was no pain and no itching. Mind you, the other day
he had a long, nasty scratch on his forearm, just above the wrist. He
hadn't felt that either, really and just said he'd "caught it on
something". I think he's had so many scratches, bruises etc. that he
really just doesn't notice them until after the event.

I never notice gardening injuries, bramble scratches and such but I sure
would notice a spider on my lip. I noticed a ladybird in my hair yesterday
because it tickled.
A garden spider on the lip would be so much more than that that I can't see
that anyone could ignore it.

On Sat, 13 Aug 2011 21:08:07 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2011-08-11 22:29:58 +0100, "Christina Websell"
said:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
Do you have any clue if this is a spider bit, Vicky? Were you in the
same
area of the garden/allotment when you were bitten? There are some
spider
bites that cause allergic reactions and Ray had something similar on his
lip a couple of years ago, though it didn't hurt at all, just went numb
and large swelling.
--


Wouldn't he have noticed if he had a spider on his lip before it had a
chance to bite him??
Tina

Apparently not. He didn't feel anything at all and of course, couldn't see
anything. But the nurse who saw him at the local hospital could see two
puncture marks inside his lip and agreed it looked like a spider bite. He
didn't feel anything on his lip and he didn't feel the bite. He came into
the house with a rapidly swelling and numbing lip and given its location,
I insisted on the visit to the local hospital in case it started to impede
his breathing. There was no pain and no itching. Mind you, the other day
he had a long, nasty scratch on his forearm, just above the wrist. He
hadn't felt that either, really and just said he'd "caught it on
something". I think he's had so many scratches, bruises etc. that he
really just doesn't notice them until after the event.

I never notice gardening injuries, bramble scratches and such but I sure
would notice a spider on my lip. I noticed a ladybird in my hair yesterday
because it tickled.
A garden spider on the lip would be so much more than that that I can't see
that anyone could ignore it.

I don't know! The other week I was weeding under a large pampas grass.
The OH brought out a cup of coffee and casually mentioned that my nose
was bleeding badly! I hadn't noticed that somehow a sharp "leaf" had
made quite a deep cut. I never notice I've cut my neck shaving until
someone points out the blood stain on my shirt collar. I've had bee
and wasp stings on the arms and not got bothered but any below the
waist I find _really_ painful. Maybe different people simply have
different sensitivities.

Cheers
Jake
==============================================
Gardening at the dry end (east) of Swansea Bay
in between reading anything by JRR Tolkien.

www.rivendell.org.uk

"Jake" wrote

"Christina Websell" wrote:
"Sacha" wrote

Apparently not. He didn't feel anything at all and of course, couldn't
see
anything. But the nurse who saw him at the local hospital could see two
puncture marks inside his lip and agreed it looked like a spider bite.
He
didn't feel anything on his lip and he didn't feel the bite. He came
into
the house with a rapidly swelling and numbing lip and given its
location,
I insisted on the visit to the local hospital in case it started to
impede
his breathing. There was no pain and no itching. Mind you, the other
day
he had a long, nasty scratch on his forearm, just above the wrist. He
hadn't felt that either, really and just said he'd "caught it on
something". I think he's had so many scratches, bruises etc. that he
really just doesn't notice them until after the event.

I never notice gardening injuries, bramble scratches and such but I sure
would notice a spider on my lip. I noticed a ladybird in my hair
yesterday
because it tickled.
A garden spider on the lip would be so much more than that that I can't
see
that anyone could ignore it.

I don't know! The other week I was weeding under a large pampas grass.
The OH brought out a cup of coffee and casually mentioned that my nose
was bleeding badly! I hadn't noticed that somehow a sharp "leaf" had
made quite a deep cut. I never notice I've cut my neck shaving until
someone points out the blood stain on my shirt collar. I've had bee
and wasp stings on the arms and not got bothered but any below the
waist I find _really_ painful. Maybe different people simply have
different sensitivities.


Last week I loaded my rotovator into my Landrover van and drove down to our
allotmet to do a bit of digging where the early peas had come out. Half way
down to the plot I felt something on my leg, put my hand down and it came up
literally covered in blood. Somehow.somewhere, I had properly cut my leg 3
inches long, never felt a thing. Luckily I stop bleeding quite quickly so I
still got the digging done.

-- Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

"Martin" wrote in message
...
On 11 Aug 2011 10:18:14 GMT, wrote:

Bill Grey wrote:
Did you ask your doctor for a suitable treatment??

I'm not going to a doctor on an emergency appointment (only way to get one
without a 2 week wait) for an insect bite! They'd laugh me out of the
place!

By the way, it is said that you should take an Antihistamine tablet half
an
hour before you get bitten

I'll try to remember in future.

How can you remember half an hour before you are bitten?
--

Martin

Is there such a word as pre-member?...:-)

Bill