Midgies!! Help

[Toddy]

Last night was bad Smirr and warm after a hot day. I went to put the wheelie out at the kerb and got royally munched just going from the back gate to the road
The bottle of Autan is back beside the back door

cheers,
M

 

[bronskimac]

Deet for me, all out chemical warfare!

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Launching last night was bad at Loch Ard, eastern end, and loading the canoes up at 9pm was MIDGE HELLLLL. Luckily my colleague borrowed a kids head net but I just suffered the clouds of midges. I was loading canoes so huffing and puffing which in turn brought more over.

 

[Hushwing]

Aye the midges around Loch Lomond and the Trossachs are really bad - but this year some are saying it's the worst for many years - probably the good combination of good weather then a couple of weeks of wet then good weather again. But if you wear a kilt you definately don't want midges around the Trossachs

 

[Mikey P]

Deet for me, all out chemical warfare!

We need Agent Orange.

 

[dwardo]

admit deafeat and move on,

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

No, the kids I had out loved canoeing, but did not like the midges at the shore when packing up. A lot said today, that were going to by head nets.

 

[Wildgoose]

Wilkinsons are still selling them, £1.99 this year. They are green and come in a little stuff sack. Their by the "camping" equipment on a strip thing hanging up.
My permission has an old salmon farm, still wet but no fish. The midges swarm whenever I arrive.

 

[Filterhoose]

It won't stop them swarming, but does deter biting. Marmite on toast for breakfast few days before you launch yourself at the wee gehts. Avon Skin So Soft (Blue bottle). Head net, smoky fire. Other than that, muckle doze of patience.

 

[Mikey P]

What do people think of mosquito coils?

 

[Hammock_man]

"Mikey P, What do people think of mosquito coils?"

I think they are great at stopping them having babies but a real devil to fit!!!!

 

[ScoobySnacks]

The mozzie coils work in an enclosed space, though I'm not sure how much good the smoke will do you. However, they're no use whatsoever when you're walking, or doing something active, or even sitting out of an evening.

The only thing I've found to work, over a season of ghillying in the highlands, was a midge jacket. It's a wee bit warm in the sun, but it beats getting eaten alive by the midges (and the cleggs, and all the other bitey nasties).

I walked from Acharacle to Laga today, and for most of the walk there was a nice breeze, so the little buggers were hiding. It was only when I stopped for lunch by a wee Lochan that they came out en masse. I managed not to get eaten, but it wasn't a pleasant experience!

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

We used them on scout camps. In rainy weather we would sit in cooking shelters and play forfeits. Get a mug, light a mozzy coil. Put a piece of toilet paper over the mug with a rubber band, like a drum, and set a coin on it. Then you touch the paper with the mozzy coil, it burns a bit, then pass the coil to the next person. They burn a bit and so on. If the coin drops through after your shot you do a forfeit......

 

[ScoobySnacks]

I've also found that they don't seem to bite me. The only thing I can put this down to is being on Warfarin (anti-coagulant used in rat poison) because of my artificial heart valve. I reckon either they don't like the taste, or they have a sip and bleed to death!

Bit of an extreme remedy I grant you.

 

[Mikey P]

"Mikey P, What do people think of mosquito coils?"

I think they are great at stopping them having babies but a real devil to fit!!!!

Heh heh! I asked for that!!!

 

[Mikey P]

I'm looking at them for having round the tent in the evening to help clear any midges from the tent and hopefully keep them away in the first place. I figure that if the wind is strong enough to render the coils ineffective, it *should* be strong enough to blow the midges away!

I have a head net but I also have a midge jacket (as mentioned above) which I'll be taking to Skye with me later this month. They (head nest and jackets) seem to work best when wearing a wide-brimmed hat underneath (like a Tilley), which keeps the net mesh away from your skin and makes it much more comfortable. I'll post a pic later.

 

[Mikey P]

Here we go - not a great pic of a midge jacket but you get the idea. There is a zip around the dark netting in front of the face so you can drop the hood easily. You can see how the wide-brimmed hat keeps the net off the face (which can be really annoying). I've also found that most of the small head nets pack so small you can stuff them inside the pocket inside a Tilley hat so it means it's always there when you need it.

I think I got my midge jacket from here: http://www.midgejacket.co.uk/ but you can get them from Amazon too, although I cannot vouch for quality.

Anyone who has not been enveloped in a cloud of midges may think this is all a bit extreme but frankly, I'd rather look like I'd fallen into a net curtain factory than get eaten alive. Does anyone use these elsewhere in the world or is it just Scotland? I imagine they'd be a bit impractical in the jungles (I just used to bathe in DEET on exercise in Belize/Africa) but for maybe Russia, Nordic states, Europe, Canada?

 

[Harvestman]

The midge net in the Tilley hat pocket is such a good idea I just put mine in there.

Thanks.

 

[21st century pict]

"Anyone who has not been enveloped in a cloud of midges may think this is all a bit extreme but frankly, I'd rather look like I'd fallen into a net curtain factory than get eaten alive".

After being attacked by a swarm o clegs on the Corriyaiack pass I wouldn’t even bat an eyelid if someone walked past in plate mail armour. A good quality midge net is the only real %100 guarantee, a long sleeved shirt is a must and bottle o AVON SSS for up yer kilt and a big smoky fire, no worries.
I know some fishermen from the west coast that have a midge net in every jacket they own. Never leave home without one sort of thing.
PS if you’re in a bothy the Avon sss makes a great James Bond flamethrower for mozzies.

 

[stu1979uk]

Avon woodland fresh skin so soft. I have used both the spray oil and the moisturiser cream both help well but not 100% effective. The little bugers have ruined more than one outing they should kill them all!