Climate Change: Something Else To Worry About

~ beetleypete

Anyone who reads this blog on a regular basis will know that I suffer badly from insect bites during the summer season.

If something is capable of biting a human, it will choose me above anyone else who happens to be in the vicinity. Then it will follow me home, to feast on me at its leisure.

In an effort to combat them, I spend a lot of money on repellent sprays and creams. I also wear an impregnated bangle, and have to take daily tablets to control the itching on the bites that get through my defences.

At least the arrival of colder months gives me some relief from those bites, on my daily walks with Ollie.

I certainly do not expect to be bitten in November, that’s for sure.

But we had a very long spell of relatively mild wet weather during October. When the rain stopped, the sun came out and had a surprising amount of warmth in it. It got to temperatures unknown in November since I lived here, and we didn’t even need to put the heating on until after dark. After three days of bright sunshine, I was able to start to enjoy my walks with Ollie as I was not getting soaked. Then yesterday, I noticed huge clouds of midges on the path next to the river. I decided to backtrack, to avoid walking through the visible swarm.

Close to the time I was heading home, I met a dog-walker I hadn’t seen in a while, and stopped for a socially-distanced chat as the dogs checked each other out. At one stage, he remarked “You have a lot of flying things around your head”. I moved away from that spot, and said my farewells.

This morning, I woke up with five large itchy bites at the back of my head, and a swelling in front of my left ear.

They got me again. And it is November!

69 thoughts on “Climate Change: Something Else To Worry About”

    1. Pollution has been reduced by lack of human activity during lockdowns, but once everything opens up again, I am sure it will go back to pre pandemic levels.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  2. Pingback: Climate Change: Something Else To Worry About — beetleypete – GLOBALYNC – Humanity

  6. As i heard today, we will get a strong winter. There is much more time for coldness to arrive. For sure, the climate change is true, but i am a little bit concernd about all the changes one will do in a short periode of 20 years. Changes had been possible over the last 40 years, but the industries dont want, and the politicans want to be in office. 😉 The community is going older, and the question is who should pay for this? Michael

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  16. sorry to hear that, Pete. i had an insect bite in the summer that turned into allergy. it brought me to the specialist twice, took antibiotic pills. Benadryl so i can sleep at night and topical cream. hope you feel better 🙂

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  17. I’m a lucky one Pete Nothing bites me and I haven’t a clue why. I can sit with three or 4 people who will be waving like mad at the bugs while nothing bites me.

    Perhaps I stink – at least to the bugs!

    Best from Florida

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  19. (1) It’s bad enough having to deal with midgets, but now you’re dealing with impregnated bangles, which will spawn thousands of tiny banglets!
    (2) All this talk about pesky flying things has really gone to your head.
    (3) On a recent climb to the top of Cathedral Rock, I fed a bunch of chipmunks assorted nuts and figs out of the palm of my hand. But each time I needed to replenish the supply, they began nibbling on my fingertips. Maybe you need to feed the midgets and banglets. They don’t eat much.
    (4) “I certainly do not expect to be bitten in November.” And nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition, either.
    (5) Jessie and Phin are in Kansas, so they’re bound to encounter the Wicked Itch of the West.

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  20. Luckily most critters steer clear of me my son is like you though he covers himself and surrounds himself with mosi things and they find the little bit that is unprotected they just make a beeline for him 🙂

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  21. Working in the garden, the other day, I noticed there were clouds of insects flying about enjoying the sunshine. I didn’t get bitten, fortunately. Probably more fortunately for the insects as my blood is st toxic at the moment it would kill them instantly 🙂

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  22. I am sorry to hear of your attack. I am the lucky one whose scent doesn’t attract flying critters. BUT this summer when we went camping, there were biting flies that attacked me. I was miserable for weeks! They ate holes out of my calves and ankles. Ugh.

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  23. Yep. The little flies that invade us from the fields disappeared briefly but they’re back! I’ve had to wield my electric fly-swatter again (can’t stand the smell of fly spray).
    Electric fly-swatting is a year-round blood sport in our house.

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    1. We have two electric fly-bats, as well as a selection of traditional rubber/plastic swatters. If none are immediately to hand, I use the hard sole of my sheepskin slippers! 🙂
      My home is a slaughter house for any flies or wasps, not to mention the spiders my wife always kills without hesitation.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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    1. I always have a bath before taking Ollie out, but don’t have much hair left to wash. 🙂 I expect to get their attention in the summer, Julie. But November? That doesn’t seem natural.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  27. That’s a real drag, Pete. I really hope that some sort of global consensus can be arrived at, to arrest the inexorable progress of climate change, if not actually start reversing it, before it is too late; how we recognise that we’ve reached that point [hopefully if, not when!] is another matter, as extreme weather events are not rare, but there will surely be a cumulative effect. I fear things might get a lot worse before they actually get better. Cheers, Jon.

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    1. I have no doubt that it is all going to get a lot worse. It is probably too late to do anything except ‘fire-fighting’ it now. On the plus side, I doubt I will live long enough to suffer the worst of it. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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    1. I took a long time coming round to the idea of accelerated climate change. But the last two years have finally convinced me that something bad is happening. I have never had insect bites in November, not in 68 years.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  30. Aww Pete, I’m sorry😔 That’s not a good way to start the sunday with. And yeah it’s something that I guess is going to happen more frequently now with the changing climate. People can keep saying the weather is normal, but we all know better. Hopefully with December on the horizon you will get at least some relief from these nasty critters 😔 Hope you will at least still be able to have a good sunday today😊

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