# Tiger Mosquitos



## ed786

We leave home on Saturday, heading for Italy and an approx. 5-week tour, leaving Dover on Monday morning. Heard this week about "tiger mosquitos" but have seen no previous mention of the beasts on MHF. Has anyone had experience of them and can offer any comments or advice.

Ed


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## ardgour

There were a few scare stories about these a couple of years ago. They are called tiger mosquitos because they have rather attractive stripes (if you are in to that kind of thing and bother to look before swatting it). Yes they can potentially transmit a few nasty diseases but first the local mosquito population has to be infected with the disease before you can be infected by a bite. There are no recent reports of nasty diseases from these in Italy so don't worry. 
The usual precautions about using insect repellent to avoid getting bitten applies - mainly because there are lots of biting nasties in the warm moist air around the Italian lakes and constant itching can ruin your holiday.

Chris


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## Zebedee

Quite so Chris, but the little swine have a really nasty bite, and they itch like the very devil.

Best to hide indoors at dusk, with the mosquito blinds drawn and the spray can at the ready.

The further South you go the worse they are. Puglia is one of their favourite hunting grounds, and they have been known to carry off and devour fully grown alsatian dogs!

I exaggerate only slightly!! :lol: :lol: 

Dave


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## ardgour

Zebedee said:


> Quite so Chris, but the little swine have a really nasty bite, and they itch like the very devil.
> 
> Best to hide indoors at dusk, with the mosquito blinds drawn and the spray can at the ready.
> 
> The further South you go the worse they are. Puglia is one of their favourite hunting grounds, and they have been known to carry off and devour fully grown alsatian dogs!
> 
> I exaggerate only slightly!! :lol: :lol:
> 
> Dave


Only problem is that Tiger mosquitos are day biters, so hiding indoors at dusk is no good if you are trying to avoid them but it will help you avoid several of their cousins.
Insect repellent at all times is the only way to go - alsation dogs don't tend to wear insecent repellent which might explain their casualties :lol: :lol:

Oh and don't forget - as with all mossies it is the females that are the nasty vicious biting bloodsuckers, the males are peaceful vegetarians living on nectar


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## Zebedee

:lol: :lol: :lol:


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## mangolover

*I know something about this...*

If we are talking about the active in daylight, striped Aedes aegypti mosquito, I have very unpleasant personal experience of this blighter from whom I and my daughter contracted Dengue Fever. But this was in Koh Samui Thailand. At that time I recorded the event in my (now neglected) blog. http://baanbophut.blogspot.com/search/label/Dengue

A Google search confirms Dengue like diseases have spread to Italy from Africa. http://denguefeverinformation.com/page/4/


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## eddied

*Tiger mosquitoes*

 Been bitten by these in the garden; resulting in severe swelling round the cheeks and eyes. Autan insect spray doesn't seem to keep them away; but a yellow wristband that I bought on a visit to Gibraltar does. Can't remember the brand name of it though; and it's not actually impressed on the band itself.
saluti,
eddied


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## Grizzly

Three years ago, at Guarda on Lake Guarda, I was bitten by something that did not go the usual course- ie itchy, swollen lumpy-to-weeping-blister type bite but made me feel terrible for several days. My arm came up like a balloon and I had severe headaches and it felt as if every joint in my body was being stretched. I also had a high-ish temperature.

With hindsight- and access to the symptoms of a tiger mosquito bite- I wonder if that was one though there were no warnings of that type of mozzie then.

G


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## DC4JC

I got bitten by one of these on my forearm when we were in Bordeaux earlier this year.
My wife saw it on my arm but neglected to tell me!

Unlike a normal mossie bite it came up like a egg and I eventually had pain down the back of my hand and into my fingers.
As a result took some antihistamine tablets, which did the trick.

Not nice.


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## SaddleTramp

I am not usually affected by mosquito bites BUT I got a bite from one of these last year just west of Venice when we stopped for a cuppa, It was nasty, I have never known itching like it and a lump came up like an egg just close to my wrist, Not very nice at all.

I used a lot of E45 itch relief which certainly helped.


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## Glandwr

Anyone know why blood feeding insects find some more palatable than others? My wife is a martyr to them but I don’t seem to suffer. I tell her I get bitten as well but don’t make a fuss :wink: 

Dick


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## Grizzly

Glandwr said:


> Anyone know why blood feeding insects find some more palatable than others? My wife is a martyr to them but I don't seem to suffer. I tell her I get bitten as well but don't make a fuss :wink:
> 
> Dick


Doesn't really answer your question but it sure throws up a whole new lot of explanations!

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/11/10/the_odd_body_mosquitos/

G ( also a mosquito-attractor: available for your open-air party- at a fee !)


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## DC4JC

DC4JC said:


> I got bitten by one of these on my forearm when we were in Bordeaux earlier this year.
> My wife saw it on my arm but neglected to tell me!
> 
> Unlike a normal mossie bite it came up like a egg and I eventually had pain down the back of my hand and into my fingers.
> As a result took some antihistamine tablets, which did the trick.
> 
> Not nice.


*****
I thought it was a bit of grass on his arm.....honest.

Dave also didn't say that I also had about 9 bites in total....5 on one cheek of my bottom and lower thigh and 4 on the other. 8O

All the size of half a boiled egg I might add and all mingled into a huge swelling.  Drove me mad with the pain and itching.

But I didn't make a fuss of course. :roll:

Janice


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## Grizzly

DC4JC said:


> [...5 on one cheek of my bottom and lower thigh and 4 on the other. 8O


...and there's another mystery to add to the many about mosquitoes.

How did they manage to get a flimsy proboscis through the clothes that ( I assume) were covering your bottom and so suck blood ?

I get lots of bites apparently through socks, jeans etc. The only other explanation is that the blessed animal crawls up my leg or down my sock top and I can't believe that either !

G


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## Glandwr

I think that the flying insects have a bit of a bad press. Many bites blamed on them are no doubt spider bites.

They'd go up your trousers and down your socks. (sorry can’t find a shiver emoticon) 

Dick


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## Grizzly

Glandwr said:


> Many bites blamed on them are no doubt spider bites.


Good thinking Watson ! I'd not thought of that one.

G


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## eddied

*Mozzies*

 For keeping all sorts of mozzies (but not spiders) away, can also vouch for a regular dose of Marmite.
saluti,
eddied


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## DC4JC

Grizzly said:


> DC4JC said:
> 
> 
> 
> [...5 on one cheek of my bottom and lower thigh and 4 on the other. 8O
> 
> 
> 
> ...and there's another mystery to add to the many about mosquitoes.
> 
> How did they manage to get a flimsy proboscis through the clothes that ( I assume) were covering your bottom and so suck blood ?
> 
> I get lots of bites apparently through socks, jeans etc. The only other explanation is that the blessed animal crawls up my leg or down my sock top and I can't believe that either !
> 
> G
Click to expand...

I wondered about that too. The only exposure I can think of was when I had a shower at the campsite in Bordeaux......must've been waiting to pounce. :?


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## Rapide561

*Tiger Mozzies*

Hi

We have been in Italy for a month or so now and other than a few "normal" mozzie bites at Easter, all is well so far.

Russell


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## Autoquest

Like Les, I was eaten alive in Venice - all of the bites swoll up and itched like crazy, they also leaked plasma stuff that dried like a big cornflake.... and they scarred 8O


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## Grizzly

*Re: Mozzies*



eddied said:


> For keeping all sorts of mozzies (but not spiders) away, can also vouch for a regular dose of Marmite.
> saluti,
> eddied


I wish eddied ! I'm a Marmite addict but mosquitoes love me ! Perhaps I ought to smear it on...? :wink:

Jungle Strength Deet is effective but I don't like to think what it does to you if you apply it regularly.

G


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## Glandwr

My son in law swears by a wet suit Grizzly.

Dick


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## aldra

Take antihistamine tablets one a day, 24 hr cover 

They work for me and every biting insect loves me  

good taste :lol: :lol:
they wont stop the bites but they will prevent the swelling and the itching
that's an allergic reaction

aldra


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## hmh

Best remedy we know is a Click-It, a small yellow plastic thing like a piezo gas-lighter. Boots sell them.

Zap the bitten area about 15 times, as soon as possible, then follow up with essential oil of lavender, or T-tree if not.

The allergic reaction often doesn't kick in for 24 hours anyway, but this should stop it, or calm it down substantially.

If you get a bad allergic reaction, get an anti-histamine such as Zyrtec ( active ingredient cetirizine), or Vitamin C is quite a strong anti-histamine.

Helen


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## Grizzly

hmh said:


> Best remedy we know is a Click-It, a small yellow plastic thing like a piezo gas-lighter. Boots sell them.


Boots also sell this:

http://www.flairpath.com/

(the Aspivenin kit)

which is very effective for removing venom from a variety of bites, stings and punctures - including snakes. It's not cheap but is handy to have when going to foreign parts.

Get at a mozzy bite early and it does at least prevent some of the swelling and damage.

I don't find taking preventative anti-histamine a lot of use- I take acrivastine anyway for various reasons and it does not seem to stop bites itching.

G


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## ed786

Thanks for all the info, not much reassuring! We have some anti-mosquito spray to spray on the skin for prevention, acquired in France a couple of years ago and another version which we bought in New Zealand to combat sand flies as I had suffered a mass attack on a previous visit around 4 years ago. As with others, I appear to be more prone to attack than my wife. We also have some anti-histamine cream and cortisone cream which is supposed to help once bitten.

The disturbing thing with these tiger mosquitos is that apparently they are biting during the day time when the usual risk time is dusk and later.

Anyway, the M/H is loaded up now ready for our getaway tomorrow morning but we do not depart from Dover until Monday morning. We are using a BritStop tomorrow night near Beaconsfield so that we can meet up with our two adult children who both live and work in the Thames Valley.

Cheers, Ed


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## Grizzly

ed786 said:


> Anyway, the M/H is loaded up now ready for our getaway tomorrow morning but we do not depart from Dover until Monday morning


Enjoy your trip and I hope all the mosquitoes- of whatever type- leave you alone.

G


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