Thursday, January 26, 2006

Mosquitoes in Cyprus

We've never known anything like it.

Usually in April and October we do get some mosquitoes, particularly if we leave the windows open around dusk. They're annoying when they buzz around our heads at night, but we run electronic killer things, and there only ever seem to be two or three at a time.

But in the summer it's too hot for mozzies, and in the winter too cold. Or so we thought...

This winter, we've had a vast number. Particularly since the New Year. I thought it was because the grass/weeds were so long in the back garden, but I cut most of them a week or so back... and there are more than ever. Today I saw four on the bathroom cupboard mid-morning. I killed about six when I had my shower earlier, and Tim killed another three or four. I've probably caught at least ten in the kitchen today.

What's more, my face is covered in bites. They don't itch - we seem to have developed a local immunity to the effects, so they no longer swell or cause any other problems - but they look awful. Tim has quite a few too.


We don't know where they're coming from, or how they're getting in the house. A few come in the bathroom window, which we leave open for the cats, but not the number we've seen recently. Yet we're barely opening the other windows at all - just a few seconds twice a day to open or shut the shutters.

The electronic smelly plug-in gadget probably helps (I found ten dead mozzies on the sofa in our room this morning) but I don't think it can keep up.

The weather has been damp and cold, but is predicted to be sunnier and a little warmer in the next few days. We could be absolutely plagued by the time spring arrives...

5 comments:

Randi said...

Mosquitos are definitely no fun! We only have them during the late summer and that is enough for me. A couple of months ago we had an infestation of wasps, it lasted for about 1 month and them they were gone!

One thing I like about blogging is meeting people from other countries--so glad to meet you!

mreddie said...

Don't care for mosquitos at all - fortunately it's too cold for them in our area at the moment. We do have an infestation of lady bugs - these little beetles are beneficial but will get in any tiny crack and over-winter in your house if you let them. One of their favorite places is in a light fixture - the vacuum works quite nice to get rid of them, but how do they get in? ec

Deb said...

Yeuch!

Sue said...

Lindy - if it's bites on face and hands etc, reddish and itchy for no more than a few hours, it's probably mosquitoes. You tend to see them around, though, or hear them buzzing at night. If it's paler coloured bites (sometimes whitish) that itch like crazy, often with several in similar place and inside clothes, then it's likely to be the little jumping biting spiders.

Alex said...

Hi Sue,

looking at your update on the power station - so sad...

I then saw this Mosquitoes link as Popular on the right hence the comment to an old post. Feel free to edit!

In 7 years in Cyprus I was a veritable feast for mosquitos, sand fly, cat/dog fleas you name it... My wife got bitten only very occasionally.Plug-in Vapona's & lemon grass based products to rub-on helped a great deal BUT 6 weeks before I left Cyprus I was bemoaning the state of my ankles to my friendly chemist when she suggested the folk remedy of vitamin B. I bought a standard "health complex B" thing and started taking 1 a day. I never had another bite! I suspect when taking them I smell less pleasing to mosquitoes & pack a vitamin B box anytime I get back now.