[Closed] Good grief Scotland

they are particularly bad this year

Smidge for prevention

Anthisan for soothing

So I'm finally having to ask - can anyone suggest a remedy to ease the itching?

Naff off back to Wales? 😉

Antihistamines are great and will make life bearable, Cetirizine works to stop the itching. Take a couple of them at first, and then use as necessary! Should get them in lidl or asda, or a chemist(obv).

Don't scratch, you'll just make them worse.

midge nets and Smidge for prevention

Sink full of cold water and add a capfull of dettol, wash down bitten areas with a face cloth.

[quote=BoardinBob ][s]they are particularly bad this year[/s]
Smidge for prevention
Anthisan for soothing
+1

Naff off back to Wales?

I have! Didn't work!

ps wear long trousers and long sleeves next time! 😆

[url= http://www.boots.com/em-pharma-allergy-and-hayfever-relief-10-mg-tablets-cetirizine-hydrochloride-14-10229159 ]Cetirizine[/url] pills

If it makes you feel any better I was eaten alive by horse flies today. Big nasty bastards.

If it makes you feel any better I walked 32 miles on Wednesday through Scotland was bitten by horseflies and midges but just ignore the itch.

There are lots of midges in Wales too if you go to the Doethie valley/Llyn Brianne..

Come to the east coast.
I can't promise a significant improvement in the weather, but there's far fewer midges.

Lots of midges in the Lakes, Lancashire, Yorkshire, North York Moors, Peak as well.

Were you wearing your stars n stripes lycra?

Midges hate it,that's why you got bitten.

they are particularly bad this year

(can't believe I'm about to type this...) haven't seen a single one so far in this neck of the woods.

clarityn

or similar - else it will drive you mad(der)

Try anthisan cream but if it's a larger area then a lotion such a eurax along with antihistimines is my recommendation

they are particularly bad this year

True here (Lochaber). It's an unwritten rule on our group rides that if you get a mechanical you're on your own. No point everyone stopping and getting eaten.

Ah yes, had some great but long rides in Finland due to being unable to stop and look at the map...

They're bad in the Trossachs this year.
And the national park too.

Avon skin-so-soft as a repellent. Know a few who swear by it!

Keep you're minimum speed over 20 mph and you should be fine next time.

Avon skin-so-soft as a [s]repellent[/s] means to disguise yourself as a chip. Know [s]a few[/s] many who swear by smidge because it actually works.

Skin so soft does work, it kept Fort William midgies away for a whole 15 minutes when I worked the world cup.

I'm getting itchy just reading this thread!

P-Jay - Member
If it makes you feel any better I was eaten alive by horse flies today. Big nasty bastards.

POSTED 12 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST
Drac - Moderator
If it makes you feel any better I walked 32 miles on Wednesday through Scotland was bitten by horseflies and midges but just ignore the itch.

POSTED 12 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

For real? Horsefly bites make my limbs well up,and stiffen. Can hardly move a bitten arm or leg! You both have my sympathies...

matt_outandabout - Member
They're bad in the Trossachs this year.
And the national park too.

Scottish euphemisms? Sounds painful. 😉

Woke up thia morning camping at loch doon to assess how bad the rain was. Turns out it wasn't rain, just the black mist slapping the canvass trying to find the source of that yummy smelling CO2 and blood scent. Panic pack up and gtf outta there [img] [/img]

Its a bit late now and yo have learnt a painful lesson but you made a rookie error. Never go into midge areas without your smidge! I bet you won't do it again 🙂

nearly 20 days walking in the highlands so far this year without a single midge bite for me

The wind and rain are doing a good job at keeping them at bay over here in Aberdeenshire.

Loch Doon is to be avoided during midgey season, you'd have known that if you'd stayed in the shire instead of moving to weej-burbia! 😆

PS - gimme a shout next time, I'll show ye the tracks the boys have been building in the woods... 😉

peaty single malt is well known for reducing the degree of irritation experienced.

I had smidge. These things were voracious...in your eyes, collars and cuffs, nostrils. Got the net on but you can't enjoy a morning with that on, especially not with a 3 year old. Wee chap was a boss though.

smidge only stops them biting - not being a horrible pain if you get properly swarmed

My comment was aimed at molgrips tho not you

They're bad in the Trossachs this year.

two pairs of tight fitting undies.

If you have been bitten try Lanacaine - yellow tube in the chemist. It has a local anesthetic (sp?) which works really well. You don't itch if you can't feel it! If you are reacting badly then oral anti histimine is the way to go.

You have my sympathy!

Midges on our local woods were mental last night. Clegs up on the hill were hellish....

[img] [/img]
[url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/nobeerinthefridge/34942048883/ ]20170705_205509[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/59995395@N03/ ][/url] - [url= https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dariogf.flickr2BBcode_lite ]Flickr2BBcode LITE[/url]

[img] [/img]
[url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/nobeerinthefridge/34942046183/ ]20170705_183756[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/59995395@N03/ ][/url] - [url= https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dariogf.flickr2BBcode_lite ]Flickr2BBcode LITE[/url]

Books have been written about the effect of the midge on Scotland's economy. I reckon that without the midge, Scotland would have at least double the population and levels of tourism and there would be far fewer Scots working away in other parts of the world.

Aye, economic deprivation and ethnic cleansing in the Highlands had nowt to do with it.

People left here to go abroad because of midges?..

It's a bit early to be on the sherry dear boy.

People left here to go abroad because of midges?..

Didn't leave.
Went to Arrochar on their holidays and the midges ate them.

I'm currently suffering from 10+ horsefly bites gained on Sunday, including a couple on the achilles part of my heel, which has caused my whole ankle to swell up! Little ****ers.

Books have been written about the effect of the midge on Scotland's economy. I reckon that without the midge, Scotland would have at least double the population and levels of tourism and there would be far fewer Scots working away in other parts of the world.

Shite

Would be interesting to know if any studies have been done on if its possible to do some sort of mass midge cull, and what any possible consequences of them all being culled might be?

I still love the midge hoovers at the Red Squirrel in Glencoe, makes it bearable !

Lol @ fifeandy, you've been watching too much reruns of tomorrow's world! Almost as good as your big heated fan to dry out the woods on FW DH !

Lol @ fifeandy, you've been watching too much reruns of tomorrow's world! Almost as good as your big heated fan to dry out the woods on FW DH !

I'm sure most of the best ideas seemed mad to begin with 😆

Anyway, I was prompted to do a bit of googling, and came across an estimate that the midge costs the Scottish economy £286mil/yr

And then I came across this:
[img] [/img]
Which is supposedly the output of 1 weeks 'work' for a midge trap.

So what if the government spent £1mil per year installing 1000 traps like that. So in 10 years time we'd have 10k traps? Maybe even include some sort of subsidy for homes/businesses in heavy midge areas?

Probably ravings of a madman, but seems like a decent idea to me at least!

Midges are perfect for tourist natural selection, keeps out the infirm, week and the needy.

What about the bats. Bats love midge.

Shame all that protein goes to waste. There should surely be a wee of recycling it. Deep fried midgeburger anyone?

Shame all that protein goes to waste. There should surely be a wee of recycling it. Deep fried midgeburger anyone?

Slap one of [url= http://www.scotsman.com/news/revenge-is-tweet-midges-are-recycled-into-bird-food-1-764857 ]these[/url] on the BBQ

"The Original Highland Midge Bites each contain about 1,000 of the biting insects – along with beef dripping and flour."

I'm curious as to whether Queen Vic was badly bitten. She didn't seem put off if she was.

Not curious enough to read her Journal, mind.

She was, she bought Balmoral instead of Ardverikie because of the midges.

A friend of mine had a wee caravan site near Fort William. He got midge eaters which worked well enough to keep the midges to a tolerable level for 2 years. He sold the dead midges to these folk I think [url= http://www.midgefactory.co.uk/index.asp ]midge factory[/url]
In the third year the midge eaters didn't work so well and the price of propane shot up so he got rid of the midge eaters.

He sold the dead midges

Disk wheels made out of compressed midge?

When my in-laws came over we considered going to Scotland but they declined when they read about the midges, and we went to Wales instead.

I reckon it's a factor.

When I was up there I got mostly bitten standing outside the Co-op in Aberfoyle eating cakes. Places like this should install a big fan outside to blow the buggers away.

DP

Midges are perfect for tourist natural selection, keeps out the infirm, week and the needy.

I was looking at buying a house up in Strathconon once. The owner had previously run it as a little guest house.

He was telling me that for some people the notoriety of midges is a challenge to be accepted rather than a deterrent. He had a Austrian family come to stay who'd seemingly come on a Midge Safari - they'd come to pit themselves agains the notorious scottish midge. They'd also come to go hiking in the scottish hills in full bravarian costume- short sleeve shirts, lederhosen, braces, neckerchiefs, hat with a feather - the whole works.

So he watched them hike off into the hills.... and then he watched them come running back again - slapping their thighs.

[img] [/img]

[quote=molgrips ]
When I was up there I got mostly bitten standing outside the Co-op in Aberfoyle eating cakes. Places like this should install a big fan outside to blow the buggers away.

Aye - bloody cake-eaters, cluttering up the pavements!

When I was up there I got mostly bitten standing outside the Co-op in Aberfoyle eating cakes. Places like this should install a big fan outside to blow the buggers away.

Again, natural selection, to weed out the sort that eat outside a co-op.

Where should've I eaten then?

Round here, Spar and Co-Op stops half way round are a tradition.