# Midges in Scotland



## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

There are quite a few recommendations in earlier posts about the best products to treat/repel midges.
What I'm looking for are some details of when and where midges are likely to be around. I just couldn't be having all this spraying malarky - I'd rather not be there at all though I know there are some wonderful areas of Midgeland and I want to see them.

I know they are around more when the air is still but are they seasonal, East coast or West coast, when there's an R in the month??

Now's your chance to pass on your knowledge on this fascinating subject 8)


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## bill (May 10, 2005)

Hi tonyt

I had the same questions and got all the answers I needed from the net after searching "midges". There were a number of sites devoted to this smallest of all pests.

Basically, from what I remember, you risk being affected from mid June to mid September, you are right about the breeze, I think the Highlands are the worst as is the West Coast. Like you I don't like these sprays/repellents they make my skin crawl.

There are a number of stories about them like "they don't bother me" but according to my sister ( who had a croft up in Bettyhill for lots of years) these people are few and far between, if any. 

I've been up in May a couple of time and had wonderful weather and no midges. I've also been up in the midge season an won't ever do it again it's not worth it.

Try a search you'll get your answers. 

All the best

bill


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## monkeyman (May 1, 2005)

Hi 

Bills advice is right = West coast is worse than east coast, Highlands are worst, midge season roughly late lasts from may / early June though the end of September, the stiller the weather the worse they are. One bit of missed info - you are also worse off near bodies of still water (ponds, lakes, lochans, lochs etc).

I should know I lived on the Isle of Skye for 7 years.

My advice???? (a) buy a Dustbuster (small 12v rechargeable hoover) to suck the little buggers up, its the only way to have a midge-free motorhome without making splats on the walls / ceiling (b) move away from the Highlands to France, like I did.

Seriously though, the little beasts are VERY annoying and some people react worse to their bites than others (my wife always looked bas after a midge attack bit they did not seem to bother me too much). However they are attracted to the carbon dioxide / CO2 we exhale - they certainly are small enough for flyscreens fitted to vans not to stop them and even sometimes we found them [passing UNDER the rubber window seals in great quantity, even with all the windows securely closed.


Shame really, other than that the Highlands were lovely (well, maybe there was also the wind, the rain, the inability to find a decent shop for hundreds of miles ... ....)


MM


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## bill (May 10, 2005)

Yo monkeyman

Thanks for that upate.

tonyt - have remembered the name of one of the sites I was referring to, try "midge mayhem".

bill


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## Malc (May 9, 2005)

Hi,
I am led to believe that they disappear when the first frosts arrive. I theink its a matter of luck, we travelled throught the Grampians and Trossocks in mid June this year for a couple of weeks and never saw a midge, plus the weather was fine throughout.
Conversly in 2004 we stayed at Kielder water site in Northumbria and out of a weeks stay were infested with the blighters for the duration. Even got into the striplight covers. Good advice from Monkeyman, we used to spray with flyspray then suck the buggers up with a 12 volt hoover each day.
Malc


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

Malc
Love your signature - I'm doing my best to live up to it.  

Try as I might however, I can't work out your heiroglyphics at the end of your posts - please spell it out for me.
:?


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