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Mosquitoes in Ireland?

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  • 06-10-2012 7:26pm
    #1
    Jenners!
    Registered Users Posts: 24 ✭


    I've moved into a new house this week, and I have discovered some deceased flies, on the bedroom window cill. One is flying about though, still very much alive. They look like mosquitoes, but make no sound. Could this be a parasite, or completely harmless ?

    Sorry for the photo quality, it has wispy long legs, slightly longer than the body.


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    #2
    cookie1977
    Registered Users Posts: 6,794 ✭✭✭cookie1977


    They look like midge flies. Harmless bloodsuckers.
    https://www.google.ie/search?q=Midge+Flies&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&biw=1600&bih=813&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=dIRwULzpNcenhAejroCACA

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midge


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    #3
    Noel Kinsella
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 407 ✭✭Noel Kinsella


    Only place in Ireland with real mosquitoes is Malahide. I believe this species came over in some plants or trees that some lord or whatever imported a few hundred years back. It has evolved now into a unique species that is protected by law and is not found anywhere else in the world. I am told their bite is quite bad and they are very aggressive I will try to find out more from my friend who lives there. If you not in Malahide they are Midges for sure.


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    #4
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 4,630 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Noel Kinsella wrote: »
    Only place in Ireland with real mosquitoes is Malahide. I believe this species came over in some plants or trees that some lord or whatever imported a few hundred years back. It has evolved now into a unique species that is protected by law and is not found anywhere else in the world. I am told their bite is quite bad and they are very aggressive I will try to find out more from my friend who lives there. If you not in Malahide they are Midges for sure.

    I'm not so sure about that. I live in (east) Galway and we've had mosquitoes around here for years. I killed a couple in my bedroom last night, in fact. Mosquitoes have a very distinct shape so, once you know what one looks like, they're not easily mistaken for other insects. I've seen far more in the past couple of months than I've seen in previous years, though. It's being discussed on the Zoology forum.


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    #5
    Jenners!
    Registered Users Posts: 24 ✭Jenners!


    I live down south, but good to know if I end up in Malahide, quinine at the ready!

    I thought midge would be smaller, but what I have found look exactly like the image supplied via goggle/wikipedia.

    Thanks for your suggestions, I can sleep peacefully now :)


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    #6
    Noel Kinsella
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 407 ✭✭Noel Kinsella


    gvn wrote: »
    I'm not so sure about that. I live in (east) Galway and we've had mosquitoes around here for years. I killed a couple in my bedroom last night, in fact. Mosquitoes have a very distinct shape so, once you know what one looks like, they're not easily mistaken for other insects. I've seen far more in the past couple of months than I've seen in previous years, though. It's being discussed on the Zoology forum.

    MURDERER :-) LOL Its a good day today as I have learned something new.
    Thanks


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    #7
    locum-motion
    Registered Users Posts: 5,143 ✭✭✭locum-motion


    Noel Kinsella wrote: »
    Only place in Ireland with real mosquitoes is Malahide...
    ...If you not in Malahide they are Midges for sure.

    Completely untrue. You get mosquitos all over the place.


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    #8
    Noel Kinsella
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 407 ✭✭Noel Kinsella


    locum-motion wrote: »
    Completely untrue. You get mosquitos all over the place.


    This is what Victor the moderator had to say.
    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 from 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).

    This is what I was getting at. Do "ALL" the Mosquitos "ALL OVER THE PLACE" bite ? Which species are they ?


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    #9
    locum-motion
    Registered Users Posts: 5,143 ✭✭✭locum-motion


    Noel Kinsella wrote: »
    This is what Victor the moderator had to say.
    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 from 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).

    This is what I was getting at. Do "ALL" the Mosquitos "ALL OVER THE PLACE" bite ? Which species are they ?

    There are over 2,500 species of mosquito in the world.
    Approximately 460 of these are of the genus Anopheles. (This is the genus of mosquito that contains the species that are capable of transmitting human malaria.)
    This map, from the Centres for Disease Control in the USA, shows the distribution of various Anopheles species. It clearly shows that at A. barbirostris is found throughout almost all of Ireland. Now, while I don't think this species transmits Malaria, it is indubitably a mosquito, and it can transmit a different disease, lymphatic filariasis.

    Now, your original claim was that there are no "real mosquitos" in Ireland except in Malahide, and that everywhere else they are midges "for sure".
    Would you care to either rethink or provide a source to back up your claim?

    ps. Even if Talbot did introduce some non-native species of mosquito*; what makes you think that it hasn't either died out or spread all over the country? The likelihood of it both surviving and failing to spread is pretty slim.

    * And I'm not saying he didn't; I'm arguing that your specific claim was incorrect.


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    #10
    locum-motion
    Registered Users Posts: 5,143 ✭✭✭locum-motion


    By the way, have a look at this thread, which has been discussing whether or not we get mosquitos in Ireland for 8 years now.

    (Until this summer, it was in the Health Sciences section, but this year some bright spark moved it to Nature and Bird-watching.)

    Every year, it seems, someone comes on to Boards.ie and says

    "WTF! We've got mosquitos in Ireland now?",

    to which a million people respond "Don't be so surprised. We've always had them."

    The Malahide story got an airing on that thread too.


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    #11
    locum-motion
    Registered Users Posts: 5,143 ✭✭✭locum-motion


    Noel Kinsella wrote: »
    This is what Victor the moderator had to say.
    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 from 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).

    This is what I was getting at. Do "ALL" the Mosquitos "ALL OVER THE PLACE" bite ? Which species are they ?

    Noel,
    It's customary when quoting people to either use quote tags or even quotation marks to show where the actual quote starts and ends. I'm just after noticing that your bit attributed to Victor actually came from the other thread that I directed you to, where it looked a little something like this
    Victor wrote: »
    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).


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    #12
    Noel Kinsella
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 407 ✭✭Noel Kinsella


    Thank you for the English lesson Mr Locum_motion I will remember this for the rest of my natural life.


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    #13
    locum-motion
    Registered Users Posts: 5,143 ✭✭✭locum-motion


    Noel Kinsella wrote: »
    Thank you for the English lesson Mr Locum_motion I will remember this for the rest of my natural life.

    It wasn't an English lesson. I was pointing out normal Boards.ie etiquette, since you're quite new to it.

    Now, can we return to the topic please.


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    #14
    locum-motion
    Registered Users Posts: 5,143 ✭✭✭locum-motion


    Noel Kinsella wrote: »
    Thank you for the English lesson Mr Locum_motion I will remember this for the rest of my natural life.

    I'll take that as a "No" to the question I asked, then, will I?







    In case you've forgotten, the question was:
    locum-motion wrote: »
    ...
    Would you care to either rethink or provide a source to back up your claim?...


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    #15
    Noel Kinsella
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 407 ✭✭Noel Kinsella


    locum-motion wrote: »
    I'll take that as a "No" to the question I asked, then, will I?







    In case you've forgotten, the question was:

    In answer to your question mr loco_motion. """"""""""Would you care to either rethink or provide a source to back up your claim?..."""""""""""". I am going to re-think my, """""""""claim""""""""" ,and when I have, """""""""""""re-thought"""""""""" ,it enough and to my satisfaction I will make further comments. Please dont engage me again on this """"""""issue""""""" I will engage you when I am ready.
    Best Wishes


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    #16
    Tree
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 4,683 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tree


    Please be civillised when discussing threads in the Biology forum. It is a place for scientific discussion, not for personal attacks.

    Warning issued, further misbehaviour will not be tolerated. Thanks


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    #17
    Noel Kinsella
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 407 ✭✭Noel Kinsella


    Tree wrote: »
    Please be civillised when discussing threads in the Biology forum. It is a place for scientific discussion, not for personal attacks.

    Warning issued, further misbehaviour will not be tolerated. Thanks

    Thank you.


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    #18
    RGDATA!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,324 ✭✭✭RGDATA!


    Noel Kinsella wrote: »
    Only place in Ireland with real mosquitoes is Malahide. I believe this species came over in some plants or trees that some lord or whatever imported a few hundred years back. It has evolved now into a unique species that is protected by law and is not found anywhere else in the world. I am told their bite is quite bad and they are very aggressive I will try to find out more from my friend who lives there. If you not in Malahide they are Midges for sure.


    If your story is true, how exactly are they being contained to only Malahide?


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    #19
    Noel Kinsella
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 407 ✭✭Noel Kinsella


    RGDATA! wrote: »
    If your story is true, how exactly are they being contained to only Malahide?

    I think my information is incorrect all I gave was an opinion I am not qualified to give anything more than an opinion and what I had heard. Also with them supposedly "all over the place" they must be in other parts of Ireland too I dont know what the technical explanation for all over the place is but I think we have all established they are not just in Malahide, they may be a unique species in Malahide I dont know is anybody here actually qualified enough to explain the situation ? Or are we all just dealing with opinions and what we have heard or read ? My friend who is allergic to mosquitoes and lives in Malahide told me it was the only place in Ireland with Mosquitoes that bite and that they were a unique species thats what I repeated here trying to help the poster. It seems that having an opinion or being mistaken around here is a punishable offence for which I am deeply sorry.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Noel Kinsella
    Thank you for the English lesson Mr Locum_motion I will remember this for the rest of my natural life.


    "I'll take that as a "No" to the question I asked, then, will I ?"

    In case you've forgotten, the question was:
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by locum-motion
    ...
    "Would you care to either rethink or provide a source to back up your claim?..."

    Rather like being in a court case LOL were you lying then or are you lying now Mr Kinsella LOL
    I will not be commenting or trying to help anybody unless I have solid proof as to what I am saying from now on.


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    #20
    Amalgam
    Registered Users Posts: 6,026 ✭✭✭Amalgam


    Mosquitoes here in South Dublin, in a fairly chilly house. Recognisable by a set of legs 'kicked upwards' (they look inverted), back from the wings. Still alive as of this week. I've seen some hardy sods fluttering about up until December.

    Here's a handy link. They state 18 species, I've read elsewhere, twenty, some, if not most, host specific. (not necessarily human hosts)

    ---

    P. Ashe, J.P. O'Connor and R.J. Casey

    Irish Mosquitoes (Diptera - Culicidae)
    A checklist of the species and their known distribution

    Caution - Acrobat .pdf link

    http://www.mosquitocatalog.org/files/pdfs/004240-0.pdf

    (the file is also attached, below: 004240-0.pdf)

    ---

    The paper dates from 1991, so, given how quickly invasive species can populate, through transport and climate changes, the landscape of what's out there might be different today.


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    #21
    Gambas
    Registered Users Posts: 846 ✭✭✭Gambas


    Amalgam wrote: »
    Mosquitoes here in South Dublin, in a fairly chilly house. Recognisable by a set of legs 'kicked upwards' (they look inverted), back from the wings. Still alive as of this week. I've seen some hardy sods fluttering about up until December.

    Here's a handy link. They state 18 species, I've read elsewhere, twenty, some, if not most, host specific. (not necessarily human hosts)

    ---

    P. Ashe, J.P. O'Connor and R.J. Casey

    Irish Mosquitoes (Diptera - Culicidae)
    A checklist of the species and their known distribution

    Caution - Acrobat .pdf link

    http://www.mosquitocatalog.org/files/pdfs/004240-0.pdf

    (the file is also attached, below: 004240-0.pdf)

    ---

    The paper dates from 1991, so, given how quickly invasive species can populate, through transport and climate changes, the landscape of what's out there might be different today.

    I was just about to post that paper. Makes for great reading. Mozzies are very common here but they don't tend to be the type that give nasty bites. I've seen them indoors even as late as January.


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    #22
    Amalgam
    Registered Users Posts: 6,026 ✭✭✭Amalgam


    Gambas wrote: »
    I was just about to post that paper.

    Some interesting history listed: Malaria outbreaks in Cork, 1850s (page 14), the numbers are quite high, but there seems to have been contributory factors, returning soldiers (Crimean War) and extensive drainage work.


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    #23
    Noel Kinsella
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 407 ✭✭Noel Kinsella


    Now that is very very interesting
    Amalgam wrote: »
    Mosquitoes here in South Dublin, in a fairly chilly house. Recognisable by a set of legs 'kicked upwards' (they look inverted), back from the wings. Still alive as of this week. I've seen some hardy sods fluttering about up until December.

    Here's a handy link. They state 18 species, I've read elsewhere, twenty, some, if not most, host specific. (not necessarily human hosts)

    ---

    P. Ashe, J.P. O'Connor and R.J. Casey

    Irish Mosquitoes (Diptera - Culicidae)
    A checklist of the species and their known distribution

    Caution - Acrobat .pdf link

    http://www.mosquitocatalog.org/files/pdfs/004240-0.pdf

    (the file is also attached, below: 004240-0.pdf)

    ---

    The paper dates from 1991, so, given how quickly invasive species can populate, through transport and climate changes, the landscape of what's out there might be different today.


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    #24
    K3lso
    Closed Accounts Posts: 244 ✭✭K3lso


    Theres tonnes of mosquitos in Ireland...strange to see them still around in October though but I killed loads this past week. I always make a note of killing these...whats the point leaving them to bite you during the night. Last year, a friend of mine got bitten during the night (I was in the same room but it didn't get me)...her leg blew up the next day. She was in hospital for ages and had to go on a course of anti-biotics.

    You can tell a mossie by the fluff they had on the front of their face....nasty little creatures...spawn of the divil I say.


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    #25
    Grayditch
    Registered Users Posts: 14,347 ✭✭✭✭Grayditch


    The seem to be worse than usual in Malahide this year. Had to "assassinate" 10 of them in my girlfriend's house the other night. Nothing quite like the sound of them going by your ear at night. They sound like a jumbo jet in the distance, coming closer.


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    #26
    Cailin_Eile
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭Cailin_Eile


    We just studies the life cycle of the mosquito in college a couple of weeks ago. Our Animal Diversity lecturer said there were 16 different species of mosquito in Ireland. None of them spread Malaria though.


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    #27
    Noel Kinsella
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 407 ✭✭Noel Kinsella


    Just killed a mosquito.


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    #28
    Noel Kinsella
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 407 ✭✭Noel Kinsella


    Tree wrote: »
    Please be civillised when discussing threads in the Biology forum. It is a place for scientific discussion, not for personal attacks.

    Warning issued, further misbehaviour will not be tolerated. Thanks

    As I am new here can someone please tell me how do the warnings work ? What is a yellow ? What happens if a poster gets two warnings etc ? I dont get it and could not find anything in the rules regarding this issue.
    Thank you guys


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    #29
    Tree
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 4,683 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tree


    Noel Kinsella wrote: »
    As I am new here can someone please tell me how do the warnings work ? What is a yellow ? What happens if a poster gets two warnings etc ? I dont get it and could not find anything in the rules regarding this issue.
    Thank you guys
    Noel: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/faq.php?faq=bie_faq_im_new_here#faq_bie_faq_im_new_here_warning

    Further discussion in this thread is limited to mosquitoes in Ireland. Thanks


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    #30
    noddyone2
    Registered Users Posts: 313 ✭✭noddyone2


    Noel Kinsella wrote: »
    Only place in Ireland with real mosquitoes is Malahide. I believe this species came over in some plants or trees that some lord or whatever imported a few hundred years back. It has evolved now into a unique species that is protected by law and is not found anywhere else in the world. I am told their bite is quite bad and they are very aggressive I will try to find out more from my friend who lives there. If you not in Malahide they are Midges for sure.
    Moskies are everywhere, they do bite, the ones you can hear whining at night indoors do not bite - I can't remember whether that is the male or female. The bite can turn itchy and raise a lump. If you have any standing water around in the summer ( buckets, barrels etc.) you may see little red wrigglers (sometimes called bloodworms) rise to the surface and then submerge, then rise again. These are the larvae of moskies. You can kill them with a little oil, paraffin etc. on the surface of the water. It forms a skin and they cannot breathe.


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    #31
    Forest Fire
    Registered Users Posts: 115 ✭✭Forest Fire


    Apparently there are 16 species of mosquito in Ireland. Google Mosquito Ireland and you will find out. May save on embarrassing postings and twatty responses.


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