Mosquitos

[Claudious]

I’m making plans to live on a barge. I’ve researched the hell out of everything but then it suddenly occurred to me that canal could be a bad place in summer due to mosquitos.

 

is this true?

Edited May 3, 2020 by Claudious

[matty40s]

I Claudious, welcome to the Forum.

 

Yes, there are mossers and other flying things, for £2 a pack, you can get great window and door net kits from home bargains and Aldi/Lidl and stay free. 

You can also buy one of these which is one of the most satisfying gifts I have ever received.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/6034766869

Edited May 3, 2020 by matty40s

[Chewbacka]

5 minutes ago, Claudious said:

I’m making plans to live on a barge. I’ve researched the hell out of everything but then it suddenly occurred to me that canal could be a god Sergio place in summer due to mosquitos.

 

is this true?

If you more in a heavily wooded damp area then yes, but in a more open place then no.  

[mark99]

7 minutes ago, Claudious said:

I’m making plans to live on a barge. I’ve researched the hell out of everything but then it suddenly occurred to me that canal could be a god Sergio place in summer due to mosquitos.

 

is this true?

No more than living at in house with windows open. Not a great worry and easily mitigated.

 

Now Canada Geese honking.....

[ditchcrawler]

What about the fish farting 

[Felshampo]

This was last year at Stanwick Lakes on the River Nene. 

 

 

[Claudious]

Wow, thanks for replies, and so quick too!

 

fish farts ? 

[TheBiscuits]

Stuff the mosquitoes - that's what tonic water is for, not just to dilute the gin.

 

Now horseflies on the other hand ... 'orrible barstewards that eat you alive.

[Movin' on]

I can't do eBay links but we bought a couple of rechargeable mozzy killer LED lamps for app £20 each last year and they are brilliant - so good we took them to Gambia in Feb (those were the days) - the locals thought they were brilliant and they worked 

[Claudious]

Horseflies! Ouch!!

 

Quite a few led types. I guessing you mean the lantern shape ones.

Edited May 3, 2020 by Claudious

[NewCanalBoy]

This had me worried too as I get eaten alive when abroad and sometimes get bad reactions to bites.

 

Haven't seen many problems at all. Bought a large piece of mosquito net from B&Q for 3 pounds. Cut it to different shapes and had it on windows/doors in the evenings. Certainly helped with keeping moths and things out when the lights were on !

 

[zenataomm]

2 hours ago, Felshampo said:

This was last year at Stanwick Lakes on the River Nene. 

Isn't that 633 squadron?

[blackrose]

I walked from Cogenhoe Mill to Whiston lock on the Nene a couple of weeks ago and never seen such thick clouds of midges or gnats. It was difficult to avoid inhaling them! But they aren't mosquitoes.

[blackrose]

9 hours ago, Claudious said:

I’m making plans to live on a barge. I’ve researched the hell out of everything ...

 

Assuming you are planning on living on a narrow boat, have you researched whether it's appropriate to call it a barge? Or are you thinking about living on a wider Dutch barge or similar?

 

While it's true that any long flat bottomed boat is technically a barge, most people on the waterways tend not to refer to narrow boats as barges and you'll get some odd looks and smirks if you do.

Edited May 4, 2020 by blackrose

[Claudious]

Yeah okay. - widebeam.

[restlessnomad]

11 hours ago, mark99 said:

No more than living at in house with windows open. Not a great worry and easily mitigated.

 

Now Canada Geese honking.....

Rarely seen mosquito in my house and I have lived in many cities. Did not even know it was a thing to worry about before this thread... ☹️

[Sir Nibble]

Mosquitos will never be as much of a problem as driving a mooring pin through a wasps nest by accident!

[Fender151]

6 minutes ago, Sir Nibble said:

Mosquitos will never be as much of a problem as driving a mooring pin through a wasps nest by accident!

That isn't ever going to have a happy ending, did you say on mooring of leg it?

[Sir Nibble]

As far as I know, the wasps still have the pin.

[Onewheeler]

12 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

What about the fish farting 

One of the noisiest nights I've had on a boat was in northern France surrounded by toads on lily pads. Sex and croaking all night long.

[Detling]

Spiders are your friend they catch the buggers in thier webs

 

[NewCanalBoy]

18 minutes ago, Onewheeler said:

One of the noisiest nights I've had on a boat was in northern France surrounded by toads on lily pads. Sex and croaking all night long.

How did you manage that on a lily pad ?

[Tracy D'arth]

If you are in Britain, there are no mosquitos, they are gnats and midges, fruit flies, dung flies, bluebottles, crane flies, wasps and the venomous hateful vicious horse flies.

Edited May 4, 2020 by Tracy D'arth

[Claudious]

I’m not sure about that you know. I see plenty of mosquitos around twickenham. I’ve noticed it’s getting worse. Maybe it’s climate change related.

[howardang]

7 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

If you are in Britain, there are no mosquitos, they are gnats and midges, fruit flies, dung flies, bluebottles, crane flies, wasps and the venomous hateful vicious horse flies.

For what it's worth, A quick Google gave me the following:-

"There are 34 known species of mosquito in the UK, some of which are known to be feeders of avian and mammal blood (including that of humans) and have been brandished as pest species"

 

Howard