I've been eaten alive during a weekend's camping in Sussex and given the location (underneath thick socks, underwear elastic etc) I'm wondering if harvest mites are the culprit. Certainly, I did not see any flying insects that could have done it. We did do some walking through an extremely overgrown footpath so they would have had ample opportunity to get all over our clothes, and we were camping in woodland so again a great environment for them.
This is the first time I've experienced them and having read some stuff online that recommends very hot washes of clothes I'm a bit worried - my clothes and camping gear are all merino/silk sleeping bag liners/down bag etc so I can't do that without risking ruining stuff.
I'm thinking I'll wash what I can at the temperature that's appropriate, and spray stuff with something insecticidal.
I've reacted very badly to them (as with all insect bites - the midging I got in the Peak last year had people asking what had happened to me) so I'm pretty paranoid that they may not yet be gone. Anyone experienced them surviving on clothes/gear for any length of time?
(apologies for yet another thread on them but the other one has been archived).