Midges have started

[caorach]

There have been a few midges about for quite a while now but the cold weather has really set them back and they haven't been at all bothersome. However, things have warmed up a little and they have appeared in annoying numbers now. Even my attempts to boil up some water for tea on Friday were thwarted:

 

[crosslandkelly]

Wow, ouch!

 

[Paulm]

Mmm, midge soup, tasty ?!!!

Just ordered some Avon So Soft spray, supposed to be good for them, contains citronella I think, don't know if anyone else has tried it and rates it ?

As a bonus I'll have lovely soft skin too apparently !

Cheers, Paul

 

[mick91]

This doesn't bode well for me camping in Galloway next to standing water does it?

 

[GGTBod]

Just drink it through your headnet and you'll be fine, it doubles a midge strainer i love the little but it paints a kind picture as the midge one they wouldn't fly off after the attack

 

[Harvestman]

You have to pay good money for protein-enriched water like that is sports nutrition places. Drink up!

 

[BushBerks]

I'd forgotten how bad it gets up there in summer! Funny enough, I've only been up in summer once... Now I remember why lol!

 

[Toddy]

Time for the big midge net canopy there I think….or away out onto the loch where they won't follow you.

I reckon that's why folks built crannogs. No midgies

M

 

[mick91]

Just drink it through your headnet and you'll be fine, it doubles a midge strainer i love the little but it paints a kind picture as the midge one they wouldn't fly off after the attack

It's fine I've just made one of the canvas filter bags I've seen on here. The missus would argue that I've; butchered a pair of shorts that where £10, used 500 yards of thread, sent a needle through my thumb and could have used a sock. She would be right. But that isn't the point is it?

 

[Toddy]

Speak to Ian (bilmo-p5), though they do say that necessity is the mother of invention.

M

 

[mick91]

Speak to Ian (bilmo-p5), though they do say that necessity is the mother of invention.

M

That's who's I saw. Its made me realise that people with a skill or talent make it look easier than it is. And sewing machines are sharp. Didn't have that mess on making my tarp. Even if my 1 night under it was one of the wettest I've ever had

 

[caorach]

Mmm, midge soup, tasty ?!!!

Just ordered some Avon So Soft spray, supposed to be good for them, contains citronella I think, don't know if anyone else has tried it and rates it ?

Avon Skin So Soft is great if you are sitting down to watch an episode of Countryfile. If you are actually going to go out onto Ombrotrophic bog or wetland then you need something that actually works.

In my view that means either something with lots of DEET in it or Smidge. I'd my doubts about Smidge, but it actually works, and was what I was wearing on the day I took the tea photo. I only had one bite and, to be fair, probably got that before I'd put the Smidge on.

 

[jtkirkland]

We have a similar pest here in the SE US that we call sand gnats. They swam and bite when the weather is perfect. I use an all-natural product called NoNatz!. You can find the stuff on Amazon (US). It works pretty well on the skin but requires reapplication after a while, particularly if you are sweating. I'm not sure if you could find a seller who would ship it to the UK affordably but I can get you the ingredients from the label and you could mix your own. Everything in it can be found at the Chemist and a Natural Food shop that sells essential oils for aroma therapy etc. Let me know if you're interested...

I recommend a shot of strong spirits to keep them out of your tea. Either splash it in after brewing or, better yet, take the shot yourself and skip the tea...

Cheers!

Jefferson Kirkland

 

[GGTBod]

Smidge definitely works i've put that stuff through some serious testing, it needs reapplication every couple of hours for full effect and more often if you're a heavy sweater when active but that's expected, i came back last time without a single bite, my bro was not so lucky as he fell for the oldest midge trick in the book and got the top of his butt and lower back savaged as he never tucked himself in and everytime he bent over collecting wood and stuff they feasted on the bare flesh, everywhere else he had applied smidge and in the bad times had a beaton jacket on but not tucked in, he said he will not need to learn that lesson again the hard way.

 

[Toddy]

I like the Autan spray. I don't flare up into an itchy mess with it; it does stop the midgies (and the clegs ) but it does need re-applying often when the wee horrors are in full rapacious rampage.

M

 

[GGTBod]

skip the tea..

Skip the tea!!!!!!! You know the world of mankind is on the edge of falling if that has to happen

 

[caorach]

I like the Autan spray.

It has exactly the same active ingredient as Smidge, though I think they use a different trade name for it - saltadin, icaridin, bayrepel, picaridin are just some names for the same thing. Smidge claim that their version is waterproof and so better but I've no idea if that is true but it works and doesn't melt my fishing rod, fly line, the switches in my car etc. etc.

 

[Toddy]

I didn't know that; I do know that the spray on bit makes my life easy It gets into my hair and easily onto any exposed skin really effectively. The rub on stuff I always miss bits

Having grown up with DEET as the supposed be all and end all (literally!!) I must admit that I like not worrying about plastics melting and worrying about just what it's doing to me too.

M

 

[caorach]

I must admit that I like not worrying about plastics melting and worrying about just what it's doing to me too.

I know science changes but you can see that even the EPA are pretty convinced that it is doing nothing at all to you. The perfume and moisturiser in the product is probably more dangerous to you than the saltadin:

http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/chem_search/reg_actions/registration/fs_PC-070705_01-May-05.pdf

 

[tiger stacker]

Bitten on both arms last sunday, finger flicked a clegg who thought it was Count Dracula. The joys of living in land of the midge