Keds

Re: Keds

Sal the 1st — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:28:56 GMT

its also worth mentioning the other critters you have identified are commonly found when they sort through the nests for birds nest soup

Re: Keds

Sal the 1st — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:26:53 GMT

remember a couple of us going to the pub one night straight from work and a number of these were seen to be crawling around on the bosses shirt

and ok this is a bit bigger than they really are - but believe me they are still quite visible to the naked eye even in a darkish pub!

Re: Keds

Claire Cameron — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:10:09 GMT

ewww thats them. gross!

Re: Keds

Mrs Dot Dot — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:45:07 GMT

[quote user="Kimbo1985"]

[quote user="Caro Laithwaite"]

I have to say l just moved my hands figured l couldn't do anything else. No point jumping around all over the place wish l had seen that. But then l scrape maggots out of wounds with bare fingers easier than gloves and a lot quicker.

[/quote]

As much as I love demaggoting thing, there is no way you'd catch me doing it without gloves on! Yuck!!!

[/quote]

Ditto!!!! Yuk! Yuk! Yuk! I wouldn't be able to feel like I could scrape everything out from under my fingernails...............................

Re: Keds

Kim Buckley — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:17:52 GMT

[quote user="Caro Laithwaite"]

[/quote]

As much as I love demaggoting thing, there is no way you'd catch me doing it without gloves on! Yuck!!!

Re: Keds

Caro Laithwaite VN — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:07:02 GMT

Re: Keds

Charlotte says smile — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:03:03 GMT

ooh im glad I have never seen these before! they look horrible, just looking at the picture has made me feel all itchy!

Re: Keds

Mrs Dot Dot — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 18:57:35 GMT

[quote user="Bouncyfi"]

They are fairly minging!!! Might even freak me out and I am scared of nothing!!!! (except moths but don't tell anyone)

[/quote]

They are v v scarey when they are crawling around your hair....... and I'm not too much of a scary person!!!! They kind of buzz as well..........................

Re: Keds

Fiona Leathers — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 18:36:23 GMT

They are fairly minging!!! Might even freak me out and I am scared of nothing!!!! (except moths but don't tell anyone)

Re: Keds

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 18:20:31 GMT

[quote user="Mrs Dot Dot"]

The Swift has some other insect associations. The largest of these is a host specific parasitic flat-fly with a pair of vestigial wings, Crataerina pallida; this particular species of blood-feeding louse-fly is host specific to the Swift. An interesting feature of this insect is that it does not lay an egg but broods internally before laying a fully formed larva that immediately starts to pupate; when the pupa hatches into an adult it seeks to associate itself with a bird or seeks a nest of young Swifts. Other insect pests of the Common Swift consist of feather lice (Mallophaga sp), ticks, fleas and mites.

Don't know if this is similar but I guess this is what I had on me the other week, see other thread on creepy flat flies.... this says that this kind is specific to swifts.

'Edit'! Just realised it wasn't a swift it was a kestrel I got flat flies off! Sunday afternoon gooey brain! Anyway this is a picture of a type of flat fly..........................

[/quote]

Mrs D , that is what I saw, ewwwrgh!!!!!!!!!, gross but they do a job, which is to keep the swift parasite free. they look totally alien to me and made me cringe, but thanks for the pic

Re: Keds

Kim Buckley — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 18:14:58 GMT

Yeah I've seen these on swifts. Horrible things!

Re: Keds

Mrs Dot Dot — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 18:09:19 GMT

Don't know if this is similar but I guess this is what I had on me the other week, see other thread on creepy flat flies.... this says that this kind is specific to swifts.

'Edit'! Just realised it wasn't a swift it was a kestrel I got flat flies off! Sunday afternoon gooey brain! Anyway this is a picture of a type of flat fly..........................

Re: Keds

Claire Cameron — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 17:52:51 GMT

[quote user="STRVN"]

Anyone got a pic of flat flies ot keds?

Just wondering if they are the same as the parasites that live on swallows........... they look totally alien to me, and when I first saw them I actualy could not believe they were real as I had never seen anything like it.

Miss VN your parasite sounds much like what I saw on the swallow, so maybe they are the same.

What I do know is this "parasite "lives on the bird all its life and actually stops the bird from getting any other type of parasite.....ie it eats them, so is more like a symbiot, rather than a parasite.

[/quote]

I've tried googling for a photo but can't find anything. They didn't look like any flat flies I'd seen before, totally different.

Wish I'd got a photo but couldn't bear to have got close enough!

Re: Keds

Claire Cameron — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 17:50:32 GMT

[quote user="Caro Laithwaite"]

I know the things you mean have seen them on swans. Bit like quicksilver the way they glide about. Thick bodys squat and deinatly no wings. Usually appear when you have an arm full of swan.

[/quote]

ugh they're gross. Me and my boss were flapping around the back yard like a right pair of nutters trying to get away from them

EWWWWWWWWWW the thought makes me squirm

Re: Keds

Caro Laithwaite VN — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 17:48:45 GMT

I know the things you mean have seen them on swans. Bit like quicksilver the way they glide about. Thick bodys squat and deinatly no wings. Usually appear when you have an arm full of swan.

Re: Keds

Mac Feather — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:25:17 GMT

I think keds are kinda like flat flies.

Re: Keds

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:36:38 GMT

Anyone got a pic of flat flies ot keds?

Miss VN your parasite sounds much like what I saw on the swallow, so maybe they are the same.

Re: Keds

Nick Shackleton — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:03:38 GMT

are keds not flat flies?

Re: Keds

Mac Feather — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:34:24 GMT

Have heard of sheep (and goats I think,not sure) having infestations of keds.