Midges

[rem284]

Not sure of the combined weight of all the midges in Scotland but there were tons of them out last night and this morning when I was out on the hill. Wee f**kers, you just know its going to be painful even before you get out the pickup. Roll on October

 

[bally]

Ha Ha i know how you feel i only have to cut my grass to come back in with less blood than i went out with.
I also get a very nice reaction to the bites and have on occasion looked like ive been cage fighting with the swelling of the after bite.
I have tried allsorts but some work most dont found the best thing is the full top body midge net jacket with the black net on the face piece so vision is ok.
I wonder if certain blood groups suffer more than others.
I dont know my blood group so i am only thinking out aloud.

Regards Bally.

 

[Coddy]

I suffer big time.
Often end up having to go to the doctor to be given a steroid injection.
Tried loads of sprays, garlic tablets, spraying neat gin onto clothing (just dont get stopped by the police when driving), rubbing tomatos onto bites, Tiger Balm.
I asked previously if blood group is anything to do with it (as im one of the rare ones) only for the doctor to laugh. *****, was only a simple question.

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Do they still bite in late Sept early Oct?

 

[Sellars]

Midges only require a consistent temperatures of +10C to bite. So the biting season and how early they start and how long they continue depends on temperature. The recent sunny weather has knocked them back but they are out in force here now it is dull and damp.
I've never found out why some people react much worse than others. If they are really bad I get small red dots, or bleed. Others in the family can come out in big lumps after one bite so same midges different reactions.

 

[hogey]

Was out stalking on my syndicate ground the other night and not many midges about as was very hot with a steady breeze.
I shot a buck about 2030 and recovered it from the fell and took it back to where I have caravan to graloch it.

I was wearing only trousers and long sleeve shirt and when bent down to work on deer my shirt came out of my trousers and this resulted in a massive midge attack around my waist line and top of my backside .
What a bloody mess and how uncomfortable .
I should have known better to wear so little as I had all the gear with me .
The plus side is that there is a nice young buck hanging in the larder ready for me to butcher next week

 

[Coddy]

Others in the family can come out in big lumps after one bite so same midges different reactions.

I've had a couple of bites on the arm, say 4 inches apart, merge together into large swelling.
I've ended up with the back of my hand so swollen its actually very painfull, and i could not even slip my watch over my hand to get it off.
Until i get a steroid injection i have seen myself basically scalding myself where the bites are, every 90 minutes to get releif. Once the steroid injection is done, then after a few hours all is well.

I always overdose on the Antihystamine tablets before i go. As a supermarket says "Every little helps".
I try to stay fully covered and will have a hat with an integrated mesh face shield. Not to much issue with a face bite, but arms, body or legs then i have issues.

 

[243 Stalker]

I am also a very good attractant for midges and generally get eaten alive, the strange thing is my wife can be with me and not get a single bite!
I currently use Smidge that midge and this seems to reduce the number of bites I receive when out stalking. If I know I've been bitten then I take an antihistamine which helps stop me from scratching the bites until they bleed, in a bid to get some relief.

ATB 243 Stalker.

 

[bewsher500]

I am a midge and mossy magnet!

As a consequence I take a five pronged attack

a) vitamin B (allegedly excess levels are secreted through the skin and they dont like it)
b) cover all known skin surfaces
c) cover all other skin surfaces with every potion known to man
d) Thermacell
e) cigars when allowed!

 

[countrryboy]

Must admit i generally resort to a midger jacket (a net hoody with face net) once u get used to them u hardly notice ur wearing it. Esp if u wear a cap under it to keep it off ur face and u don't even notice the midges buzzing round u

I bought quite a few for myself and nieghbours of Moray Outfitting on here, really decent and not dear.
I have them stashed in van, pick up and utbuilding so i'm never far rom a midge jacket.
Also eating garlic pills too, tried Vit B pills but didn't think they made a difference


Mibee should start a different thread Anyone any experience of Midge eaters? Was thinking about buying 1 (there the big gas powered things that suck/attract midges in) Have heard decent reports about the green ones (i think scottish made) but my nieghburs bought a yellow Mozzie buster from America and they don't rate it. Althou i'mconvinced they have it sited far too close to there house to work properly

 

[Ranger22]

Tuesday night was the worst I've seen in years. Nothing stopped them biting, not even my favourite lotion - smidge. Driving through the forest after dark it was like driving in the rain due to the number of midges.

 

[Sellars]

Must admit i generally resort to a midger jacket (a net hoody with face net) once u get used to them u hardly notice ur wearing it. Esp if u wear a cap under it to keep it off ur face and u don't even notice the midges buzzing round u

I bought quite a few for myself and nieghbours of Moray Outfitting on here, really decent and not dear.
I have them stashed in van, pick up and utbuilding so i'm never far rom a midge jacket.
Also eating garlic pills too, tried Vit B pills but didn't think they made a difference


Mibee should start a different thread Anyone any experience of Midge eaters? Was thinking about buying 1 (there the big gas powered things that suck/attract midges in) Have heard decent reports about the green ones (i think scottish made) but my nieghburs bought a yellow Mozzie buster from America and they don't rate it. Althou i'mconvinced they have it sited far too close to there house to work properly

I have a midge machine. I'm presently needing to change the bag every day or 2nd day which probably equals 500,000 midges a day. It does make a difference in that I can sit outside whereas before unless it was bright sunshine or a strong wind (or raining!) sitting on the patio was out. The machines are dear to buy and run but then building a patio was a lot of hard work and expense which would have been a bit pointless unless I can use it. The machines work best if you move them around to suit the breeze and where the bushes are. The females fly into the wind to find and bite mammals and drift downwind to breed thousands more from a drop of blood. So the trick is to intercept them on their way to biting you.

 

[countrryboy]

Cheers sellars. Wot type of machine have u got?

My neighbours tried to save a bit of cash and got a cheaper americain version plus i think they were scrimping on the phermonne? thing u put in too.

 

[Sellars]

Countrryboy

I have the mosquito magnet, also American, you get them from Stirling Stoves (http://www.midgetech.co.uk/) & others. I've tried it without the Octenol you put in to give of the smell and I'd say the midge catching went down by 75% so it really is worth buying and using it.

 

[TH4]

Allways thought that blood type made a difference as I have a rare blood type and never get bitten by anything. They land on me but will not bite.

 

[Cyres]

My mate was stalking up on the West Coast last week and he commented that the midges were terrible.

D

 

[Geordiehillbilly]

I've had a couple of bites on the arm, say 4 inches apart, merge together into large swelling.
I've ended up with the back of my hand so swollen its actually very painfull, and i could not even slip my watch over my hand to get it off.
Until i get a steroid injection i have seen myself basically scalding myself where the bites are, every 90 minutes to get releif. Once the steroid injection is done, then after a few hours all is well.

I always overdose on the Antihystamine tablets before i go. As a supermarket says "Every little helps".
I try to stay fully covered and will have a hat with an integrated mesh face shield. Not to much issue with a face bite, but arms, body or legs then i have issues.

I must look like a T-bone steak to a midge as I get swarmed and react quite badly. The best advice I've been give, which works for me, is to put something as hot as you can stand over the bite to take the itching away (which I think is what you do). The best thing for this I have found is a tea bag just after you've made your brew.

 

[countrryboy]

Countrryboy

I have the mosquito magnet, also American, you get them from Stirling Stoves (http://www.midgetech.co.uk/) & others. I've tried it without the Octenol you put in to give of the smell and I'd say the midge catching went down by 75% so it really is worth buying and using it.

Cheers sellars i think that wil be the 1 they have, is it a yellow 1?
They were offering it to me for sale, i have heard good reports from the green scottish made 1, so wasnae sure if worth paying for a cheaper model that hasnae worked for my neighbours

 

[Heym SR20]

There is quite a bit of useful information here - https://www.smidgeup.com/midges/midge-management/ - one of the key things as regards habitat is that midges need alkali soil to breed. That's why they are so prevalent in acidic west coast forestry etc, but less prevalent on more neutral and alkali type farmland. Then it also comes down to your own smell and appearance - sweet smelling and bright / light clothing keeps them away.

If stalking in midge country - bear in mind deer don't like midges either - keep to open and windy places in bright sunshine.

Or only venture out when there is snow on the ground - also much less of an issue with ticks.

NBC suits are also useful although a bit sweaty.

Or go to the African bush - Tetse flies are much less troublesome than highland midges and cleggs.

On the matter of ticks and midges there can be very good case made for changing the stag season from 1st July to 20th October purely on the grounds of health and safety. With Roe and Fallow you can continue shooting the males long after the Rut, so why not Red. For Red stags we have to do the cull during the height of the tick / midge season and then they are rutting so the meat quality is pretty poor - just a thought.

 

[Sellars]

Photos 4oz of midges from a trap. Fortunately they can't get through a plastic bag before they die.