Insect Bites

[Robinia]

Oh no! It's started! Every year my life is made a misery through being very sensitive to insect bites. The ones that give me the most trouble are tiny black bugs that look like a flea from a way off but are actually flatter & have brown spots. Does anyone have any idea what they may be,& which plants are they most likely to live on? I love my garden but I'm becoming paranoid since having a bite that became ulcerated & infected.

[IndieSinger]

They sound a bit like thunderflies/corn flies/horse flies (the name depends on which part of the country you're from). They go for anything brightly-coloured, but especially whites and bright yellows. As one of their names suggests, they live on the corn that famers grow. When it's sunny they come and infest our white ceilings and will attach themselves to white t-shirts (but not blue jeans). So it's really the farmers' fault and nothing you can do in your own garden! (Except maybe don't wear white/yellow...)

[apricot]

Hi Indisinger, I thought horseflies were much bigger than you described. I though what you described sounded like midges but I haven't ever seen a midge you could see brown spots on! Do they come out in the evening or are they around all day? The only solution is to spray yourself with repellent (including your hair) and or cover up with fine weave clothes. Good Luck

[Cetti]

I can understand you being worried noddy as I had an infected bite last year from a Thunder Fly/Thrip and it's very nasty, but they don't appear until the middle of the Summer when it's hot and sticky. Horse Flies are quite large - also wrong time of year, so that's another one out the way.

I have noticed in my garden small clouds of midges appearing where there's water - so could these be the culprits, do you think?

[Robinia]

Thanks for all replies, I suppose there are so many similar bugs, especially with all the weather changes,that only an expert could tell one from another.At the times that I caught them in the act it was mostly early evening & worse in spring/late summer.If I don't get the anti-histamine cream/pill asap they're awful & oooh they do itch!!

[maxiplus]

a good frost will see them off,or move to the south pole