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By
- June 3, 2020
- Health & Wellbeing Home and Garden Insects/Wildlife Portugal
BUGS, BITES AND GOING SLIGHTLY BONKERS
We have been here for 5 months now and considering I am out in the garden most days I have not actually been bitten by bugs very much, just a few ant bites and 1 spider bite. Then May and June arrives, the weather sores and the mosquitoes come out in force. I haven’t been bitten excessively, I have about 8 bites on my arms and legs but the issue with me is the bite itches like hell and I scratch it at night, then it becomes infected and swells. I scratch it more, then it bleeds and eventually heels leaving a nice scar. So one bite can last around 10-14 days for me.
We have just purchased one of those plug in deterrents and hubby went to the pharmacy today and got some insect repellent with DEET which smells like a sweaty rugby players arse! He also got some gel for after bites. I do hope it works otherwise we might have to get a mosquito net as I’m being bitten at night as well as in the garden. I’m reluctant to buy the net as I often pee 2-4 times a night and sometimes when I get up I have no clue as to where I am and walk into the wardrobe in the dark and I just think I will get up and walk towards on-suite taking the net and half the ceiling with me. I find having the air con on at night helps as I itch less than when it’s cool.
I was a bit delirious last night and didn’t have the stuff from pharmacy so was trying everything in the house: ice cubes, tea tree and eucalyptus oil, MAC prep and prime (I was desperate), baking powder (I don’t have bicarbonate of soda) and it seemed like a good idea at the time as similar looking products, then ended with natural yoghurt (well it works for fanny thrush itch) sadly nothing worked and I just made a big mess, but hey that’s nothing new?
I’m a lucky lady as I have not experienced any tics yet.
I have just tried the Fenistil gel on my ankle bite and it’s fantastic. Hallelujah!
Update:
I have recently read that Avon ‘Skin so soft’ and Victoria Secret ‘Bombshell’ oil & perfume spray repel mosquitoes really well. I am definitely going to investigate this as most likely cheaper than the tiny roll on DEET product which cost 11 euros in the pharmacy and I can smell beautiful whilst gardening.
Further update:
I have managed to source the Skin so Soft from Avon UK and After Bite from Amazon UK. The After Bite used to work great when I was a child so I hope it works as well now. The aim is to put some on as soon as you are bitten, the sooner the better. This prevents scratching and bleeding and the 2 week cycle of healing.
8 Comments
Bollinger
4 years agodo you know how the locals deal with this problem? Probably immune! I haven’t needed to use it but when I’m hillwalking in Scotland the other walkers all use Avon’s Skin so soft to repel the midges. Nowt worse than a midgie attack!
Helen
4 years agoHi Bollinger,
I’m not sure what the locals use as with Covid-19 I haven’t left the house since March so haven’t been able to ask anyone. It will be interesting to find out what remedy they use, I can imagine it’s an old one past down frpm granny. Adrian (hubby) used to live in Scotland – Inverness and Orkney he said the midges can be quite bad there. I got another 2 bites yesterday on the back of my leg and after a little research I realise they can bite through clothing especially tight fitting like my leggings. They also are more attracted to black and dark clothing which is basically 90% of my wardrobe.
Thanks,
Helen.
Bollinger
4 years agoAh ha. So thats why hot countries wear the white flowy wardrobe and I thought it was just about heat! I was meant to be cycling next week with 8 pals in north of scotland and we were going to Orkney for one night. Covid knocked that on the head. Next time we go cycling in Scotland I’ll wear my WHITE cricket outfit. That should turn heads…
My wife (Another Helen!) and I have been booked for Albufeira in August with our two kids. Will be my first time in Portugal if it goes ahead. Not sure that it’s looking likely though!!
Have a great day
B
Helen
4 years agoHi Bollinger,
My hubby is a keen cyclist too. He is going to write me a post for my blog soon as there are so many fantastic cycle routes in Central Portugal. Albufeira is beautiful, parts of it can be a bit touristy but we have had a few holidays there are loved it. Some people associate it with hen and stag parties but that is usually in the ‘strip’ area. The ‘old town’ is worth a visit and there are a lot of activities you can participate in, we love horse riding, tennis and the beaches are devine. If you hire a car and want to explore we did a day trip to Monchique, Silves and Portimao (not far from Albufeira). Silves has a castle if your into history. Zoo Marine is a great day trip with kids of all ages and so much more than dolphins as there is a beach, water slides and birds of prey as well as shows and a 4D cinema. There are also great water parks if you like throwing yourself down rapids and slides (not my thing!). I think you will be OK for August as I have read that Portugal is welcoming tourists from late June so as long as the flights are not cancelled you should be fine. There is no quarantine period either for people entering Portugal from UK. Some airports take your temperature by automatic machines that you walk through.
I think you will fall in love with Portugal.
Thanks,
Helen.
Bollinger
4 years agoThanks Helen, that’s really helpful and I’ll look it up. I’m worried about quarantine on return to UK. My wife and I could do it but my eldest is 19 and works as a nursery nurse so wont be able to work from home. Hopefully find out at some point soon whether there will be restrictions
Best,
B
Helen
4 years agoHi Bollinger,
We were just having this conversation about quarantine. I am desparate for my daughter to visit us or for me to visit her in the UK for her 18th birthday in August but if I visit her and have to quarantine for 14 days I’m not sure how that will work. It would be far easier for her to visit us and lovely as she hasn’t visited yet but after her trip she would have to return to UK and quarantine for 14 days and she can’t do this as she has a PT job in Primark which restarts mid June. I understand the quarantine is for safety measures but I just don’t understand why it’s in force in UK but not Portugal. We are getting mixed messages here about when boarders reopen between Portugal and Spain, it’s all a little confusing. I would also like to visit my daughter late September and see her off to university in Nottingham but I would only return to UK for a few days so this would be impossible to do if quarantine is still 14 days.
Thanks,
Helen.
Bollinger
4 years agoI think quarantine sounds completely unworkable and if they do implement it, it won’t last long. Mind you, I can just see all the sacked parking attendants (everyone working from home) relishing the thought of a new career as Quarantine Police!
Best,
B
Helen
4 years agoHi Bollinger,
I agree, not sure how they would police it and from viewing all the Uk news on my phone it appears a lot of the UK are breaking the rules anyway. Those photos of UK beaches were crazy! Our beaches reopen 6th June but I’m staying home for now. I’ve just read that UK now need to wear face masks on public transport. Portugal have been doing this for some time now. Better late than never – maybe!
Thanks,
Helen.