Mosquitos in Ireland???

The Dr00g

I just wondered what was the official stance on this now?

I found one in my house a few nights ago. I trapped the little sh1t under a glass and starved it to death. Took 3 days to die. :rolleyes:

FX Meister

are you sure it was a mossie? It's fun to let them suck your blood and as the are feeding squeeze the area, he will fill with blood and keel over, too heavy to move.

Champ

Hmmm; how big was the thing?:) Correct me if i'm wrong but isn't Ireland's climate a little too unstable for the critters? I.e i doubt they'd appreciate the cold winds and heavy rains; in the West of Ireland anyway... they prefer the more heated climates don't they?:rolleyes:

Of course i've caught on more than one occassion a skimpy like insect; with large transparent wings; and some dangling thing behind it as it flies... i thought it may be a mosquito.. but then again i thought this is Ireland.. no way...

The Dr00g

Pretty sure. It looks exactly like the little sh1t in this pic:

John

I'm not sure on the official stance but I wouldn't deny the fact that they're here. The weather is getting warmer all through the year in Ireland, the winters are definitely milder, just think how often it snows in recent years. I don't think there's a substantial population of mosquitos or even a stable population as of yet.

seamus

I'd never seen or heard one of these before I was on holidays this Summer. Dirty little buggers, very hard to keep track of them. Way smaller than I thought they were. I assumed they were closer to the size of a small daddy long legs.

Why did you trap it under a glass instead of just killing it outright?

Capt'n Midnight

AFAIK one of Cromwells generals died of the AGUE while on a trip here , which is an old name for malaria

The Dr00g

Originally posted by John2
I'm not sure on the official stance but I wouldn't deny the fact that they're here. The weather is getting warmer all through the year in Ireland, the winters are definitely milder, just think how often it snows in recent years. I don't think there's a substantial population of mosquitos or even a stable population as of yet.

Well I think the official stance should be, THEY'RE HERE!!!

I've seen a few here before.

As for the weather... Has anyone seen 'The Day After Tomorrow'??? I think the official stance should be, IT'S COMING!!!

I agree with you though, I don't think there's a substancial mosquito population here yet. But the very nature of the little sh1t is that it can adapt and multiply quickly.

The Dr00g

Originally posted by seamus
Why did you trap it under a glass instead of just killing it outright?

I wanted to examine and observe it, and be sure it was what I thought it was. And I wanted to see how long it could last without a blood meal. By the way, it excreted a lot of watery green droppings onto the white paper part of the trap/observation device/glass.

See how the one in the pic is raising one of its back legs? I observed my little "friend" doing exactly that. Why do they do that? Is it some kind of defensive tactic?

Victor

Mosquitos were introduced to Ireland by Lord Talbot (whatever possessed him to do it I don't know) and have been resident in Malahide for over a century. Any outside of Malahide are either tourists fromt here or abroad (a strong breeze can send them from Wales or Scotland in 1-2 hours or they can hitch a ride on humans or livestock).

Zaph

I remember reading somewhere a few years ago that Cherry Orchard hospital had 3 or 4 different types of resident mosquito. I also vaguely remember it saying something about none of them being able to transmit disease, but I can't remember the reason why not.

Victor

Cherry Orchard has some natioanl designation when in comes to exotic stuff. I presume their mozzies are cative.

center15

I'm living in Cork and there has definitly been a rise in Mosquitos in the last week. I got bitten and there was a huge swelling on my arm afterwards.

Zaph

Cherry Orchard is where they treat tropical diseases, and it is possible that their nozzies were originally captive, but apparently they live in the air conditioning system now.

The Dr00g

Fascinating.

John

Mosquitos probably got to Cork via the ferries coming from France. That's my thinking anyway.

mike65

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3927761.stm

Two cases of West Nile Virus infection have been confirmed in Ireland.

In both instances the patients had recently visited the Algarve in Portugal.

West Nile Virus usually causes mild symptoms such as fever or skin rashes, but can be deadly. It killed 264 in the US last year.

The Health Protection Agency has warned people travelling to Europe to take measures to avoid being bitten by infected mosquitoes.

The virus is transmitted by mosquitoes which suck the blood of infected birds and then feed on humans.

It has been found in parts of Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia as well as North America. In Europe, recent outbreaks have occurred in Romania and Russia.

The Department of Health announced in May it had drawn up plans for dealing with an outbreak of the potentially deadly West Nile virus as a precaution.

The Irish cases were confirmed after tests on samples from the patients were carried out at the Health Protection Agency facilties in Porton.

Mike.

Victor

Originally posted by zaph
Cherry Orchard is where they treat tropical diseases, and it is possible that their nozzies were originally captive, but apparently they live in the air conditioning system now.

Eh, what do they survive on? Don't they need blood or something to eat? And don't they spawn in water and water and ventilation systems and hospitals and Legionaires Disease don't get on well together?

Dave99

i was reading a book in bed on friday night and heard the unmistakeable sound of a mosquito near my head. this was in dundrum in south dublin. it was a warm night however i have never heard of a mossie in ireland before. having travelled in australia and se asia and survived bedroom-packed battalions of these little friendly fellows i was stunned to recognise the sound. amazing the other reports on this thread.

Merrion

There are a large number of different species of mosquito, many of which can live in ireland...but the only one to be scared of is the female anopholees (sp?) mosquito which is the one with the stripey back legs. <as in the photo above>. These need warm standing water to breed in so the only place you'd be likely to find them here would be in a used tyre yard.

norrie rugger

irish mossies dont carry malaria.

cocobryce2

theyre ****in everywhere. think my girlfiends house has an infestation. killed five this evening in the space of about 10 mins.

DrIndy

where the hell did this thread come from?

Victor

It came from 2004.

DrIndy

should have stayed there.

Capt'n Midnight

One of Cromwells commanders died of the ague and then there's that bit of the Scottish play

Macbeth wrote:

our castles strength will laugh a siege to scorn: here let them lie till famine and the ague eat them up

also this
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol6no1/reiter.htm Malaria in England in the Little Ice Age

IrelandJunior

Yes, that's Cyprus currency. And these bastards were nowhere to be seen in that country.

Is it good to be home? Hell ****ing no! They are eating me alive!!!!!!!! :mad: :mad: :eek:

hulie

Omg i've killed like at least 20 mosquitoes in the past two days and i live in kildare, i've seen them in work and in my home, they're everywhere. Just this second i was lying in bed and i heard one, that noise is so distinctive.I was in Africa in June and i swear to god i didn't see as many as i've seen here, it's ridiculous. I've never seen them in Ireland before...didn't think we had the climate for them??? Anyway should i be afraid...what's the worst that can happen??? Please somebody put me out of my misery!?!?

Victor

hulie wrote:

Please somebody put me out of my misery!?!?

**Click click BANG!**

Jumpy

I have mosquito bites all over my feet because they were sticking out from under the covers. The little bastards ate me alive last night.

Spyral

are you sure it was a mossie? It's fun to let them suck your blood and as the are feeding squeeze the area, he will fill with blood and keel over, too heavy to move.

HE wont, only females drink blood !