What bit me?!

[C.A.R.]

I never get bitten

At least, not when my peers usually get bitten in these summer evenings by midges (not midgets, autocorrect, jesus could you imagine?!).

But on Sunday we went for a nice pub lunch and it was only when I got in the car to head home I noticed a stinging sensation in my right arm - back of my arm above the elbow (so I can't even see it without a mirror).

Got home and put some form of bite cream we have in the first aid box and this eases the stinging sensation and seems to settle it down a bit.

Applied it again Monday and thought it had gone away as on Tuesday it didn't bother me one bit.

Now today - AAAARGH my feckin' arm! First time in fairness I've worn long sleeves (work CPD seminar) so could just be irritation?

Anyways, get home and insist on more cream being put on by my obliging nurse / wife who happens to have a couple of mates over (sounds like a flock of seagulls in front room).

Cue lots of prodding and inspecting / amateur prognosis by the small crowd which has now gathered (remember I can't see what their looking at).

Recommendations include everything from "A&E now" to "amputation"

But I've done what most of us would do and photographed it to show the internet. Before I open a beer and consider my options.

Apologies for the worst picture in the world (yes, it looks like I'm growing a nipple on the back of my arm). Measures about 25mm across - about the size of a 2P coin and raised from the surrounding skin but sunken in the middle. Firm to touch. Doesn't hurt to prod it, but is aching / stinging / throbbing intermittently.



And I know I need to work out more. It's on the to-do list.

[BoRED S2upid]

Some kind of tick you will definitely have Lyme disease google it 🙂

[cbmotorsport]

Snake, definitely a snake.

[Graculus]

My money's on a Horsefly. An actual horse would have left a bigger mark.

Keep it clean and don't Google images of Horsefly bites.

[pidsy]

The Nicaraguan Ebola Tick has a similar bite.

Probably best to amputate immediately. At home. With a skilsaw.

[carinatauk]

Probably a Botfly!

[Frank7]

If your pub lunch was in Florida, I’d have
suggested West Nile virus, via a mosquito.

[Captain Smerc]

Your skin is so smooth !

[croyde]

I got bitten by a horse fly. On my leg. Turned into cellulitis. So fekin painful I couldn't even walk.

Ended up in hospital on anti biotics.

I have traveled the world, been to the tropics and end up bedridden by an insect bite in Tooting.

[Cass63]

There’s a nasty bd fly around Oxfordshire at the moment called the Blandford fly, been a lot in local news about its bite, it’s put people in A&E

[langtounlad]

Cass63 said:

There’s a nasty bd fly around Oxfordshire at the moment called the Blandford fly, been a lot in local news about its bite, it’s put people in A&E

It's especially prevalent in Blandford (Dorset).

[popeyewhite]

Looks like a spider bite to me.

[cbmotorsport]

Does sound like a Cleg/Horsefly bite. They can be really unpleasant. Don't normally see them until a bit later in the Summer though. I've not seen one yet, and they're usually everywhere round here. They like cool shady areas, like woodland and grassy fields usually.

Antihistamine tabs and cream. If it starts to look nasty or infected, docs.

[C.A.R.]

Red patch now the size of a tennis ball and looking angry.

Keep putting the Antisan cream on it which calms the throbbing.

Pharmacy said little more I can do but if it gets much worse go to doctors.



On an (almost) completely different note, I caught this big angry b*stard in my house earlier!

[croyde]

[David A]

I’ve had similar - wasp/bee sting in forearm couple of days later after two nights of successive swelling and feeling like it was on fire I went to Doc’s. My watch didn’t fit anymore to give an idea.

Presricbed prednisdolone steroids which did the trick plus antihistamines. Seems I’m getting alergic in my old age.

Go to Doc’s.

The small white dot top left by elbow is the sting.

[C.A.R.]

Continuing to get messed up by bugs.

This time, I have been stung / bitten by something on both my legs, near the ankle. Happened on Saturday, drew blood, didn't even think it was a bite at first, just thought I'd caught myself (I had been drinking...)

However this morning, some 2 days later, I was unable to stand to use the toilet!

The bite on my left leg is not as bad, but looks very similar.

Been to docs this morning and been given antibiotics, but it apparently won't start taking effect until 24/48 hours later.

My ankle has now disappeared!

[croyde]

Horse flies actually cut the skin to cause a bleed and then feed on the flowing blood.

Fekers.

[Saleen836]

croyde said:

Horse flies actually cut the skin to cause a bleed and then feed on the flowing blood.

Fekers.

Agreed!
https://www.liveleak.com/view?t=a17_1372626018

[Chimune]

Yes horse flies are utter utter bds.
We had a few last year - they're attracted by moving water reflections apparently. Great fun with the kids in paddling pool!

Git bitten by one in Israel many moons ago. Also by the pool....
Two sets of mouth parts, one set to hold on. Second set slice you open. This complex arrangement does make them a bit slower to disengage so you do have a better chance of making contact then mashing the little fked into the decking...