Summer weather starts to bite
TORRENTIAL rain quickly followed by searing sunshine has caused more than just wardrobe complications for people in Notts.
The volatile weather conditions in the county over the past couple of months have created the perfect breeding climate for a select group of garden dwellers and blood suckers.
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Garden pest: After months of wet weather, Notts has seen a big increase in the number of mosquitoes and other insects.
Notts Wildlife Trust has recorded steep population increases in mosquitoes, horseflies, snails and slugs.
And the reason for this has been attributed to the mild and muggy weather conditions, which are ideal for these insects to thrive and breed.
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Erin McDaid, of the trust, said: "We have had a few calls from the public about an increase in the number of insects and other small creatures.
"This has to be down to the weather we have had this summer.
"There is a lot of them about but bats can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes in just one night. Nature has a funny way of righting the imbalance when things like this happen."
Slugs and snails have also found the weather conditions favourable to breeding.
And the population explosion is causing a real problem for some.
"I've lost a whole row of lettuces this year," said keen gardener Maureen Cope, 68, of Long Eaton, who tends an allotment in Wilsthorpe Road.
"I've never known it this bad for slugs; they will eat anything. We have had to use slug pellets to kill them and protect our crop. But we don't like using them because of the risk they could carry to other wildlife if they're swallowed.
"And to make matters worse, in the wet weather we hardly saw any bees so some of our flowers haven't been pollinated as well as they usually would have."
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust says it has not seen any cases of allergic reactions to mosquito or horse fly bites, despite the rise.
Horse flies cut the skin when they bite, rather than piercing it, so bites can take a long time to heal and can cause an infection.
People should seek medical advice if the bitten person experiences wheezing, nausea, a fast heart rate or dizziness.
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