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I hope not Huia, they sound horrible.
I often have bad reactions to things like this, and have to take antihistamine etc
Lizx
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Perhaps you sent one of your flies to me, Liz!
Huia.
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Watch out for Norwich blood sucking flies
ANTHONY CARROLL
Last updated: 30/07/2010 11:00:00
Timber Hill Health Centre, Norwich, has seen an increase in the number of people with insect bites. Photo: Jerry Daws.
It could almost be a title of a B movie.
But the Invasion of Norwich by Blood Sucking Flies could be turning into a summer of pain for the city's residents.
Because of the warmer weather and garden makeovers people are being targeted by a whole army of insects with only one thing on their mind - a nice meal of human blood.
The Timber Hill Health Centre in the Mall has reported a surge in the number of people complaining about pesky insect bites.
And there are fears that some species of blood sucking fly, such as the Blandford fly, are buzzing their ways towards to city to chomp on unsuspecting city folk.
Although the Blandford fly, named after the market town of Blandford Forum in Dorset, is only up to 3mm long it packs a powerful bite that can lead to a painful infection that needs hospital treatment.
It is thought the flies are gravitating in larger number towards cities such as Norwich from their usual riverside habitat in rural southern England because of the balmy weather.
They are also being attracted to ponds and other water features people have built in their gardens.
It is believed that pop singer Mollie King from girl group the Saturdays was bitten by one of the flies recently and caused her to postpone a television appearance because of a swollen foot.
Horse flies and mosquitoes also appear to be growing in number and carrying out more brazen attacks on people.
Yesterday Donna Laws-Chapman, the practice manager of Timber Hill Health Centre, was quoted in a national newspaper article about the Blandford fly threat and rise in insect bites.
She said: “We have been inundated with patients suffering from insect bites, particularly during the hot weather. A lot of the bites were infected.”
It is female Blandford flies that pose a menace as they use their lacerated mouths to bite their favourite targets of ankles and feet to help build up their egg supplies before mating.
If bites become infected they can swell to the size of a golf ball and can trigger allergic reactions and flu like symptoms.
Although Ian Bedford head of entomology at Norwich's John Innes Centre had not heard of any evidence of Blandford flies heading to the city he was not surprised that they and other species could be on the move.
He said: “I would say do not panic but it is something that needs to be kept an eye on.
“When you get dry and hot weather it creates niche environments for insects.
“Although they are only small Blandford flies give a rather nasty bite which can easily punch the skin.”
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