OMG - I'm in NE Scotland too and they've been absolutely mental of late, really annoying me and my 2 dogs, biting their faces hopefully with the sun out today, it'll dry the ground a bit, and keep them at bay a little.
I think we should do a midge meter 1 to 10. 10 being shear hell when they are in your face,eyes up your trousers Screaming point. I remember being well out a hill once in a summers evening after a shower of rain we got out of the landrover and lasted ten minutes. They could use midges as a form of torture!!
We used to live in Argyll (Tighnabruaich) and I'm sure the mother of all midges lives there. The only thing which gave us some relief when we wanted to be outside was Avon's Skin-so-Soft oil. The midges still landed but they didn't bite. All the men who worked outside used it.
After several years of the dreaded things we'd had enough and left. I really do miss Scotland, but the thought of the midges keeps me focused. Where we live now has mountains, lakes and bracken - but no midges. Heaven....
The people who bought our house use midge machines - one at the front and one at the back. They attract the midges and leave the house and its occupants alone. I believe they paid quite a bit for the machines but they work.
I was the avon lady for a brief time and sold gallons of skin so soft and although it worked Id say when they are really bad nothing works!! Its really bad if you have a dog especially a damp one they cling to them and then they come in the house..We have one of those machines at work, Im indoors at that time so I dont know about them.
I Live in west Wales and no it's not just scotland. I noticed clouds of them in January buzzing above the grass. We have several springs popping up here and there, and with the chicken manure I have dotted about on the plottie, They are everywhere. When I go to put the hens away at night, I have to cover up as much as poss. During the day when I am gardening the blighters attack me, so I bruise and rub ground elder leaves or mint and rub that everywhere exposed. Less of a problem then.
We are in south yorkshire and get our share when it is warm and damp also in the evenings when it has even been dry and sunny, but in the damp it is definatley worse.Though I do think there is something in some suncreams that attract them. The last very hot day we were blessed with my husband put on suncream and he was pestered none stop was covered in bites after out walking. Whilst I forgot to put it on -they left me alone.So I see it that I either keep away from suncreams and risk skin cancer ( but have no lumpy bites) or have a bit of colour and the bites. Has anyone else found this happening? I also find that some repelents attract the midges too .
i agree with you lucky.................. On dr's orders i have to use sun lotion factor 50 on the back of my hands and forearms. Why can't some companies make a sun lotion that has insect repellant in it. Like tea tree oil. or sommat similar.
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I get them in my garden here in North Yorks because it's quite shady, so I get clouds of the little horrors.
This is perfect weather for them - warm and damp.
OMG - I'm in NE Scotland too and they've been absolutely mental of late, really annoying me and my 2 dogs, biting their faces hopefully with the sun out today, it'll dry the ground a bit, and keep them at bay a little.
I think we should do a midge meter 1 to 10. 10 being shear hell when they are in your face,eyes up your trousers Screaming point. I remember being well out a hill once in a summers evening after a shower of rain we got out of the landrover and lasted ten minutes. They could use midges as a form of torture!!
Is this a peculiarity for the the northern part of the UK?-I vaguely remember something in the Three Men in a Boat tv show-sounds awful.
We do have the notorious Blandford Fly not far away-which is nothing to boast about
http://www.rentokil.com/blog/the-blandford-fly-is-back/
We used to live in Argyll (Tighnabruaich) and I'm sure the mother of all midges lives there. The only thing which gave us some relief when we wanted to be outside was Avon's Skin-so-Soft oil. The midges still landed but they didn't bite. All the men who worked outside used it.
After several years of the dreaded things we'd had enough and left. I really do miss Scotland, but the thought of the midges keeps me focused. Where we live now has mountains, lakes and bracken - but no midges. Heaven....
The people who bought our house use midge machines - one at the front and one at the back. They attract the midges and leave the house and its occupants alone. I believe they paid quite a bit for the machines but they work.
I was the avon lady for a brief time and sold gallons of skin so soft and although it worked Id say when they are really bad nothing works!! Its really bad if you have a dog especially a damp one they cling to them and then they come in the house..We have one of those machines at work, Im indoors at that time so I dont know about them.
I Live in west Wales and no it's not just scotland. I noticed clouds of them in January buzzing above the grass. We have several springs popping up here and there, and with the chicken manure I have dotted about on the plottie, They are everywhere. When I go to put the hens away at night, I have to cover up as much as poss. During the day when I am gardening the blighters attack me, so I bruise and rub ground elder leaves or mint and rub that everywhere exposed. Less of a problem then.
We are in south yorkshire and get our share when it is warm and damp also in the evenings when it has even been dry and sunny, but in the damp it is definatley worse.Though I do think there is something in some suncreams that attract them. The last very hot day we were blessed with my husband put on suncream and he was pestered none stop was covered in bites after out walking. Whilst I forgot to put it on -they left me alone.So I see it that I either keep away from suncreams and risk skin cancer ( but have no lumpy bites) or have a bit of colour and the bites. Has anyone else found this happening? I also find that some repelents attract the midges too .
Just read the other replies - me thinks I will try the Avon idea , wheres my nearest Avon Lady ?
i agree with you lucky.................. On dr's orders i have to use sun lotion factor 50 on the back of my hands and forearms. Why can't some companies make a sun lotion that has insect repellant in it. Like tea tree oil. or sommat similar.