France and mosquitoes this year

[mariesnowgoose]

2nd and even 1st gear on the col du Tourmalet all way down and it should be fine. However if your just doing Gavarnie the easiest way in is from Lourdes 20 miles south of there. Dead easy road, not steep at all. Col du Tourmalet is fantastic though. We did it two up on the little Honda Vision as well as in the van.

Those bends would be a bum clencher on a Harley, Barry!

It was "interesting" enough doing the country roads on one in Derbyshire when I lived there

 

[barryd]

Those bends would be a bum clencher on a Harley, Barry!

It was "interesting" enough doing the country roads on one in Derbyshire when I lived there

Yep. Don't see many Harleys in the Pyrenees. Not many Honda Vision 110s either come to think of it. Love those roads. That same day I think we did three cols totalling over 21000 feet.

 

[JQB]

Watch your brakes if coming down the col du tourmalet from Gavarnie. Set ours on fire a few years ago !

It's coz the converters don"t bother with the vacuum brake option, that would solve the problem i reckon.

 

[jacquigem]

It's coz the converters don"t bother with the vacuum brake option, that would solve the problem i reckon.

I will take your word for it . A 30 minute brew break and all was good . If I did it again I would stop more often as quite a few good places with stunning views.

 

[Rumour]

We had had big big problem with mozzies at Saint-Pierre-la-Mer (end of Narbonne Plage) a few years back. It was right in the marshy area, lots of horses a bit further inland too that attracted them. In the Aire, we could only find a spot on the outside and we found out why. Bitten to buggery! So we moved into the centre for the next night and problem solved! (Or could it have been the Deet? I guess we'll never know! ) Moved on the next day...

 

[gypo]

We were on the site just across the roundabout from here, it was like Jurassic Park there!

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Liz got a few bites but never saw what did it, I was fine though.

 

[The black dug]

We are currently on a site near to Narbonne on the Mediterranean. The mosquitoes are so bad that we cant site outside even in the midday sun.
I’ve not know it this bad before. I usually get a few bits through out ours trips but I’ve been hammered this trip and still have 3 weeks to go!
I have read that the tiger mosquito is as active in the day as it is at dusk and dawn.
I also read that the tiger mosquito is now all over France.
As anyone else noticed they are worse this year?
D

We were in Beni-Cassim hardly any mossies , moved to Saint-Marie-la Mer intending to spend 2 weeks. We lasted 2 days . Unbearable

 

[gypo]

We moved to Dax on route to montalivet for tomorrow.
Luckily we haven’t seen anymore

 

[witzend]

No body hasn't mentioned Avon Skin so Soft for mosquitoes on this thread it used to be the go to preparation a few years ago we still never go with out it it never used to be but even Avon have got to hear of its reputation now an have it labelled as mosquito spray

 

[barryd]

I can tell you if it's any help that there are no mozzies on Flamborough Head right now. I did spot a Polar Bear today though. It's that cold!

 

[2cv]

As the climate warms mosquitos in Europe are ceasing to be just an annoyance and increasingly transmit very unpleasant diseases. https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-... 2023, there were 130,73 for the whole period.

 

[bazzybabes]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce5520m6x2go

Mosquitoes have become a growing threat in Europe over the past two decades.

The Asian tiger mosquito, aedes albopictus, which is thought to be the most invasive species of mosquito in the world, is now spreading across Europe from its southern European 'base camp'.

It has become established in Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Spain, according to the ECDC.

It has also been recorded in Belgium, Cyprus, Czechia, the Netherlands and Slovakia.

Tiger mosquitoes spread diseases such as dengue fever, external, chikungunya, external and Zika virus, external which, until recently, were typically only present in parts of Africa, Asia and the Americas.

Another mosquito, aedes aegypti, which transmits yellow fever, as well as other diseases, has set up home in Cyprus. Experts say its potential for spreading to other parts of Europe is "concerning" given its preference for biting humans, and its ability to transmit disease.

Very bad news, specially for me, I'm a mozzie magnet!

 

[Rumour]

No body hasn't mentioned Avon Skin so Soft for mosquitoes on this thread it used to be the go to preparation a few years ago we still never go with out it it never used to be but even Avon have got to hear of its reputation now an have it labelled as mosquito spray

It's an urban myth. Years ago, it used to include Citronella in its formulation. That was taken out over ten years ago and as the only ingredient that repelled some mozzies, it was then just a skin softener. We did try it about six years ago, at the aforementioned Saint-Pierre-la-Mer, but reverted to the Deet after the first night. We were bitten very badly just relying on SsS.

 

[gypo]

No body hasn't mentioned Avon Skin so Soft for mosquitoes on this thread it used to be the go to preparation a few years ago we still never go with out it it never used to be but even Avon have got to hear of its reputation now an have it labelled as mosquito spray

I have tried all sorts of sprays etc, I think d

It's an urban myth. Years ago, it used to include Citronella in its formulation. That was taken out over ten years ago and as the only ingredient that repelled some mozzies, it was then just a skin softener. We did try it about six years ago, at the aforementioned Saint-Pierre-la-Mer, but reverted to the Deet after the first night. We were bitten very badly just relying on SsS.

yes I tend to agree,
If you search bbc podcasts (best thing since sliced bread) there is is a guy on there explaining that about the only thing that really works is deet.

 

[2cv]

I have tried all sorts of sprays etc, I think d

yes I tend to agree,
If you search bbc podcasts (best thing since sliced bread) there is is a guy on there explaining that about the only thing that really works is deet.

I regularly visited parts of Africa where up to one in ten mosquito bites were malarial, so very important to avoid being bitten. Strong deet regularly applied along with avoiding being out around sunset were advised, though long term use of the deet could have unpleasant effects.

 

[Rumour]

I regularly visited parts of Africa where up to one in ten mosquito bites were malarial, so very important to avoid being bitten. Strong deet regularly applied along with avoiding being out around sunset were advised, though long term use of the deet could have unpleasant effects.

It can. I also understand that some plastics don't react well to Deet! So be careful when handling expensive electronic items.

 

[maingate]

I regularly visited parts of Africa where up to one in ten mosquito bites were malarial, so very important to avoid being bitten. Strong deet regularly applied along with avoiding being out around sunset were advised, though long term use of the deet could have unpleasant effects.

When you work long term, especially in West Africa, there is nothing you can do to prevent being bitten. All you can do is take a few sensible precautions.

The main school of thought was that it was best to take no anti-malarial treatment. Malaria is unlikely to kill you if you have access to medical treatment (which we did). Taking Malaria tablets does not prevent you getting Malaria in the first place but it does disguise the onset of symptoms. This means that the disease has multiplied in your body without you being aware of it. In actual fact Malaria does not kill people per se. It wipes out your immune system, weakens muscles (including heart and other essential non-tiring muscles) and leaves the body open to infections. In places like West Africa there are plenty of nasty diseases which will kill you after contracting Malaria. I required Hospital treatment for a serious Urinary Tract infection despite getting early treatment for Malaria. I still have some side effects 25 years later.

 

[barryd]

When you work long term, especially in West Africa, there is nothing you can do to prevent being bitten. All you can do is take a few sensible precautions.

The main school of thought was that it was best to take no anti-malarial treatment. Malaria is unlikely to kill you if you have access to medical treatment (which we did). Taking Malaria tablets does not prevent you getting Malaria in the first place but it does disguise the onset of symptoms. This means that the disease has multiplied in your body without you being aware of it. In actual fact Malaria does not kill people per se. It wipes out your immune system, weakens muscles (including heart and other essential non-tiring muscles) and leaves the body open to infections. In places like West Africa there are plenty of nasty diseases which will kill you after contracting Malaria. I required Hospital treatment for a serious Urinary Tract infection despite getting early treatment for Malaria. I still have some side effects 25 years later.

That's nothing! In the pandemic I contracted a rare strain of Covid Ebola. Its so rare it doesn't show up on any tests. The only cure was cheap Scotch from Aldi. I never talk about it.

 

[2cv]

When you work long term, especially in West Africa, there is nothing you can do to prevent being bitten. All you can do is take a few sensible precautions.

The main school of thought was that it was best to take no anti-malarial treatment. Malaria is unlikely to kill you if you have access to medical treatment (which we did). Taking Malaria tablets does not prevent you getting Malaria in the first place but it does disguise the onset of symptoms. This means that the disease has multiplied in your body without you being aware of it. In actual fact Malaria does not kill people per se. It wipes out your immune system, weakens muscles (including heart and other essential non-tiring muscles) and leaves the body open to infections. In places like West Africa there are plenty of nasty diseases which will kill you after contracting Malaria. I required Hospital treatment for a serious Urinary Tract infection despite getting early treatment for Malaria. I still have some side effects 25 years later.

It is possible in malarial areas to avoid it with care. I’ve never had it but spent years as a child in West Africa and have regularly visited malarial zones for 30 years. Cerebral malaria has a death rate of up to 20% with treatment, 100% without. I know people who have caught it and died.