No , the midges didn ’ t raise the tinnie , but there were enough to lift it .
WHAT IS A MIDGE ?
Firstly , a midge is not a sandfly but a small biting fly . Sandflies tend to be a common name for many small biting insects .
Although many types of midges are found in Australia , only a few cause a severe itch and irritation , and all that bite are females ! They are small enough to be often only noticed once it ' s too late and after the initial itch starts . They are from one to three millimetres in size , dark-bodied ( more so as they fill with blood ), with lightly coloured wings . They are also fast-moving , making them difficult to see and , therefore , to act on .
The tales and thoughts that midges urinate or deposit eggs or larvae on or under the human skin are false .
When biting , in search of a highprotein blood meal , midges inject an anticoagulant along with their saliva , which includes a type of histamine that results in the initial itch . Scratching and breaking the skin , which induces a weeping infection , prolongs the effects and increases the severity . The itch and soreness can last for days or weeks and affect different people differently .
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