# Luss midges



## Bengal (Aug 13, 2010)

Just back from our Scottish trip & had a great time except for our last day. We were at the C&CC site on Loch Lomond (Luss) & discovered the midge...well, 1000's of them. Trying to put the EHU cable away whilst fighting the early morning biters must have been comical to watch. We got 100's in the van & it took 2 days to get rid of them. We both have over 30 bites each & the other half's decision to wear a skirt was not a good one, the little blighters can find any exposed skin!

A lesson learned the hard way!

Bengal


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## steco1958 (Mar 5, 2009)

An experience you will never forget !!

The vie to Ben Lomond is worth it though !!


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## TerryL (Feb 19, 2009)

Hmmmm! Have they started early this year? Must be the wet.

As many MHers know,for the OP and anybody else going there, Avon Skin So Soft moisturiser - the little b-----s hate it. Most Scottish campsites sell it!

Doesn't put us off Scotland though, we love ALL of it!

Terry


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## Patty123 (Oct 4, 2010)

Oh my gosh, they are early this year, we had a wonderful time touring Scotland for 6 weeks, staring 1 April, we stayed at that site at Luss and not a midge in sight, loved it, beautiful view and lovely sunsets too.

Patty


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## ardgour (Mar 22, 2008)

BEWARE - the midge is evolving :twisted: 
I was bitten on 1st December last year and spoke to someone who was bitten during that warm spell in March. It used to be that you were safe from September through till end of June but someone must have given the little blighters woolly jackets 8O 

Chris


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## mandyandandy (Oct 1, 2006)

Have to say it is the one reason I don't really want to visit Scotland. 
Stayed in a cottage a number of years ago on Harris, fantastic time and not a midge, coming back stopped for cup of tea in layby around dusk (yes I know!) but it was like a black cloud over us. Totally put me off along with comment on here. 

Avons Skin so Soft dry body oil spray works all over the world, best thing they ever made   

Mandy


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## dovtrams (Aug 18, 2009)

We are just back from Poolewe and my blind friend is practising his braille on my head. Had a great time though and even the A9 being closed for 17 hours did not dampen spirits, there was a real Dunkirk spirit around in Dalwhinnie where we waited from 4 to 8pm.

Dave


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## grizzlyj (Oct 14, 2008)

Hiya

We've only been to Scotland in the colder months, and almost had no problems 

But since midges walk straight through the Seitz mossie nets, and wasps walk around the edges, we bought some "no see um" mossie net from here

http://www.pennineoutdoor.co.uk/fabrics/insect-netting-and-lining-mesh/p1h-insect-netting

and the OH made up some velcro'd on window nets, a bigger chunk draping over the door, and then another layer hanging in front of the fixed bed. Self adhesive velcro got stuck on the window frames, and the other piece of non adhesive velcro sewed onto the net with some bias binding and a strip of ripstop material just for appearances. Just trying to sew velcro to the net doesn't work, and self adhesive velcro just gums up the sewing machine, so you need to buy each velcro type as seperate halves, easily available on Ebay etc.

A bug free camper even with windows wide open!


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## ardgour (Mar 22, 2008)

The easiest way to keep the mossies out of the van is to treat all your insect screens with permethrin spray (available from outdoor shops like Blacks and sold for treating tents) in the spring each year. The spray is clear and odourless once it dries on, will not damage plastics or anything and is harmless to humans and dogs. It is the stuff that is used on mosquito nets and works for about 6 months after the one application. It doesn't matter if the mesh in your screens is too wide to stop them flying through because it acts as a repellent as well as killing any that come into contact. The beasties will fly off and bite something else  
Make sure it is permethrin though as DEET type repellents will melt plastic and damage your screens.

Because I am paranoid I also spray the curtain round our A class bed just in case one sneeks in somewhere
Chris


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## grizzlyj (Oct 14, 2008)

ardgour said:


> The easiest way to keep the mossies out of the van is to treat all your insect screens with permethrin spray (available from outdoor shops like Blacks and sold for treating tents) in the spring each year. The spray is clear and odourless once it dries on, will not damage plastics or anything and is harmless to humans and dogs. It is the stuff that is used on mosquito nets and works for about 6 months after the one application. It doesn't matter if the mesh in your screens is too wide to stop them flying through because it acts as a repellent as well as killing any that come into contact. The beasties will fly off and bite something else
> Make sure it is permethrin though as DEET type repellents will melt plastic and damage your screens.
> 
> Because I am paranoid I also spray the curtain round our A class bed just in case one sneeks in somewhere
> Chris


Hiya

We did that too, but most little critters (midges rather than mossies) didn't seem bothered and came through anyway from what we saw. As far as I've read permethrin will kill any bugs that touch (or come close?) within 20 minutes or so. So is it the fact that a mossie will most likely be dying that means you don't get bitten, rather than keeping them off in the first place? It is nasty stuff so needs care when applying, and must help!

Jason


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## ardgour (Mar 22, 2008)

grizzlyj said:


> ardgour said:
> 
> 
> > The easiest way to keep the mossies out of the van is to treat all your insect screens with permethrin spray (available from outdoor shops like Blacks and sold for treating tents) in the spring each year. The spray is clear and odourless once it dries on, will not damage plastics or anything and is harmless to humans and dogs. It is the stuff that is used on mosquito nets and works for about 6 months after the one application. It doesn't matter if the mesh in your screens is too wide to stop them flying through because it acts as a repellent as well as killing any that come into contact. The beasties will fly off and bite something else
> ...


Insects will actively avoid Permethrin (tests have shown that even sleeping in the same room as a treated mosquito net will give some protection) so if they were coming through it suggests that your screens weren't coated effectively or the solution you used wasn't active. I have soaked clothing in it for a trip to Borneo and again when my son was working with a wildlife conservation charity in Africa a couple of years ago and in both cases the insect life kept away.
It is harmless to humans so long as you don't ingest the stuff but will not work as a repellent on your skin because something in our skin chemistry breaks it down within about 20 minutes. It was originally extracted from Chrysanthemums or something but a synthetic version is now used.
For best results take the screens down and soak them if possible - otherwise put a sheet of cardboard behind them and thoroughly wet the mesh then let it dry naturally.
Chris


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## Pard (May 1, 2005)

One of our earliest motorcarvan holidays - about 40 years ago now - was to Scotland in a Bedford CF hire van, an Inca, if memory serves me right. It was our first introduction to the Scottish midge, and, as it happened we suffered our first attack overnighting at Inverary - on the *Battlefield* Campsite. Could there be a more fitting name? Does it still exist?

It was a great holiday, but although we've ventured across the border a couple of time since, it is a deterrent, especially to my wife who suffers the bites badly.

Pard


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## Bengal (Aug 13, 2010)

We were caught out as the day we arrived at Luss it was a hot day & no sign of the midges, nor the next day. We were pitched next to some damp, mossy ground & the day we left was cloudy & cooler. That's when we were hit. I think they must have emerged from the damp ground around us. It was a real surprise..but won't be again!

Bengal


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