The beasts of Candleston
Having been bitten like most of you a Candleston, the worst bite are always from the dam Horse flies, they normally swell up around the bite and are itchy and have on occasion given a least good sized area of red enflamed skin
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Bites have always been an unavoidable fact of life when out LARP'ing, be it horseflies, mosquitoes or my personal favourite, giant acid spitting ants. We do what we can to disuade them from thinking us tasty meals of course, but if the insect decides it's going to bite, then by the time you notice it's usually too late. :(
I don't get on well with commercial insect repellent, my skin is too sensitive so it burns when I apply it. I resort to citronella and garden insense sticks to try to keep the area around the tent at least clear of the monsters. For personal protection, a thick layer of sun cream helps since the bugs don't like greasy skin. Or a few drops of essential oils (citronella, lemongrass or teatree) either applied to clothing or to the skin via a carrier oil will drive the things off. But in both cases, you need to reapply frequently.
Other than that, all you can do is cover up - which we do - so as to present as few target patches of skin as possible.
I'm glad to hear the antibiotics are doing the trick and the swelling is gradually going down. Hopefully, by the time you read this comment you'll be well on your way to a full recovery. :D
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For the weeklong I intend to invest in every chemical agent natural or man made I can find to protect myself, including vitamin B and smelly oils (I may quiz you about them), with luck I will make myself the most unattractive thing to insects at Candleston.
I’m even considering a mosquito net for my medieval tent.
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