possible to be bitten by a horsefly this time of year

frenchmartini

i have a huge bite on the top of my ankle, where the front of the leg and ankle join.
it came up yesterday, after a walk the day before in a meadow. it's huge, red, v v itchy and has a massive hard lump underneath.

it's very distinctive of a horsefly bite (i am very prone to them and also highly allergic, needed hospitalization once).

curious nature knowers, could it have been a horsefly in the depths of an irish winter?

swifts need our help!

Very unlikely

frenchmartini

thanks! i wonder what it was.

Kess73

Given the time of year it would indeed be unlikely to be a horsefly, as Swift has already said. But given how mild a winter we have had, coupled with plenty of wet weather over the past few months, it is not impossible for some late or early horsefly to be out and about.

magicbastarder

i've seen mosquitos out in the last week or two, so a horsefly would not surprise me.

denismc

I saw a common lizard last week so it would't surprise me

frenchmartini

denismc wrote: »

I saw a common lizard last week so it would't surprise me

where'd you see that? i love lizards.

am watching my ankle closely. it's very large, swollen, hard and itchy, very very typical of the b***ard horsefly bite :mad:

Murt10

Could it be a spider or some other type of insect?

I usually come out in lumps the size of golfballs when I'm bitten by anything. My family is the same

I go on anti-histamines for the summer/autumn months.

A couple of years ago I was in the beergarden of Westport House during the day. I was wearing only sandals. I felt something like a woodpecker drilling down into the top of my foot. I looked down and seen a skinny insect about an inch long where the pain was coming from.

Massive swelling. I had to go out sick from work for a week as all I could wear on my feet was flip flops. I also had to wear shorts as my trousers were rubbing off the bites and irritating them even further.

I also got a spider bite on my forearm while I was abroad once. It swelled up and looked like Pop eye's arm. Hard as a rock.

I hate biting insects.

Maudi

frenchmartini wrote: »

i have a huge bite on the top of my ankle, where the front of the leg and ankle join.
it came up yesterday, after a walk the day before in a meadow. it's huge, red, v v itchy and has a massive hard lump underneath.

it's very distinctive of a horsefly bite (i am very prone to them and also highly allergic, needed hospitalization once).

curious nature knowers, could it have been a horsefly in the depths of an irish winter?

i was out in the bush last fri.and was surprised to see midges out..especially after the mornings hard frost..so i believe it coulda been a horse fly..im unlucky that like yourself i react to the f..kers bites...i find vicks vapo rub on hands neck and ankles works great as a repellent tho..or when i do get bit..a poultice of plaintan crushed with bread and works great.