anyone know what these are?

I think they are mosquito larvae Fran. They appear in any standing water at this time of the year.

thanks, Dorjac! I'll bale the pond out and put the water lily and frogbit into buckets until I can get a proper oxygenating-circulation thingie

Midgies larvae are inevitable in a pond Fran. Don't worry, you might get Dragon Flies. I think they eat them. :)

In that case I'll leave them be, and watch what happens next year. There are dragonflies around - at least my gardener saw one when we were working at the bottom of the garden. by the time he'd pointed it out to me it was no longer there. But I'd put up with a lot to see them.

lol of course if they don't appear I'll have to reach for the ointment!

Jungle Formula.....a bit sticky, but works!

thanks dear! I don't usually get anything special, but then, this is my first garen so I'd better get ready - I had enough bites this year to motivate me

It was quite bad here too. Even my OH had them. I usually forget to put on the stuff, but keep a tube of Anthisan cream handy, which takes the itch right out of bites really well.

that's the annoying thing, they don't itch till later, and then they don't stop! and they don't go for faces, hands or arms, which are the m ost exposed and so the easiest target: i've had them behind one knee and around my shoulder-blade - they must work hard to get at those places!

Mind you, I always sleep with the window open, and there weren't any net curtains up at the time (had to book handyman to do that and there was a waiting list). in desperation I got ouit my old bed canopy; that seems to have worked.

Good thinking. I often wonder how they get in my socks, down my bra etc!

lol persistent and devious little so-and-sos!

even in bed one is usually covered, unless restless sleeping pushes the covers back.

Mmm...

lol the first time I built myself a canopy, it worked fine - but I had to spray inside it to make sure that I didn't trap anything in there with me!

Did I ever tell you about the time we went on hols to St Lucia and in the taxi from the airport to the hotel I acquired 54 mosquito bites and spent the nest 10 days on antibiotics and quite ill and looking just dreadful? I hate them! They come up the size of red maltesers on me...like the plague! I shall be taking Vitamin B1. It did the job for me last time. I've also just read that Lemon Eucalyptus oil is an effective repellant, so I'll be buying some of that too. It sounds like it would smell good too!

oooh, that's bad!!! must have made you really eager to get home again! Not surrprised how you feel about them Didn't the British in India drink Tonic Water as a deterrent? seem to recall that it changed the smell of the skin, or something, that deterred the mozzies.

and given climate change, and how more southerly insects are moving northwards, we'll probably soon all need such repellent as a matter of course

Oh Fran! Don't say that! I'll be having nightmares now! ;) the experience was a challenge, but the children were small at the time and so we sat by the pool at the quietest spot, me covered up so as not to scare any onlookers (well, that's standard these days with or without the bites!) and I spent a lot of time admiring a large Ficus tree! but it didn't put me off the Island. We've been back at least twice since then, and this year we're going to Antigua. The Caribbean is just pure gorgeous! Even with the mozzies! I am a lot more careful. The repellant goes on before I get off the plane now!

Oh, your jaunts sound gorgeous! The furthest I've ever been is Venice; the Carribbean sounds heavenly - apart from the pests.

Did you do blogs? I'll have to go hunting!

Look at blogs on Karensusan63 from Jan. 2012. There are two or three there.

OK, Karen, thanks

Very few midges in our garden this year Fran. Usually clouds of them. I cannot say I have ever been bitten while working near these clouds, then I seldom am bitten, whereas others seem more tasty. These little wiggly things, whatever they turn into, are food in natures chain system I suppose. I see much about not leaving standing water around. Unavoidable where one has butts galore I fear. I know Aegeana mozzies pack a hell of a wallop. They are Greek island mozzies...very. nasty. Dragonflies love tasty snacks of clouds of mozzy/midges Fran. There is a river somewhere near you, so they will visit. You may not easily spot them as they dart around so fast.

There was a swarm of small flying annoying things at the other end of the garden, when I was doing some more work on clearing the "jungle" outside the gate. Mostly annoying because it means having to breathe with my mouth closed! and it's amazing how often the find their way insdie my specs, which I then have to take off and blow the pest away. But if it encourages dragonflies ...