Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 56 total)
  • Midges, what really works?
  • Mounty_73
    Full Member

    I have used Avon So Soft for a few years, but what else works well?

    Looking for body stuff and also whats good for putting around the tent?

    Cheers 🙂

    BoardinBob
    Full Member

    Smidge

    gonefishin
    Free Member

    DEET.

    bigjim
    Full Member

    Nets and smoking.

    phatstanley
    Free Member

    a not-particularly-stiff-breeze.

    BoardinBob
    Full Member

    Not visiting Scotland between April and October

    tomkerton
    Free Member

    Careful wth DEETn- it’s an excellent solvent, wrecks clothes and paint, and stings like #%#% when you start sweating or it goes in your eyes.

    Buts it’s very effective…

    fasthaggis
    Full Member

    Smidge

    khani
    Free Member

    Running round in circles screaming and waving your arms about wildly..

    MrWoppit
    Free Member

    Wasabi

    flyingmonkeycorps
    Full Member

    Eat a lot of Marmite and garlic.

    martinhutch
    Full Member

    Nothing.

    peterfile
    Free Member

    Smidge is about as effective as 50% Deet IME, but no where near as nasty. It’s all I used and I’m out and about in midges all summer without too much drama.

    If you’re static for any length of time (camping, belaying etc), then a head net is essential.

    iolo
    Free Member

    DEET works but is pure evil stuff that eats clothes.
    Avon skin so soft works for me.

    seosamh77
    Free Member

    smidge is good, when that fails, 100% clothing coverage of your skin including face.

    They are going to be fierce this year, i go bitten a wee bit camping out south of Loch awe last week.

    johndoh
    Free Member

    I’ve always found that Jungle Formula works and (the standard stuff) is natural. You can also get 50% DEET extra strength stuff.

    bazookajoe
    Free Member

    Winter

    AdamW
    Free Member

    andymc06
    Free Member

    .

    T1000
    Free Member

    try Products with picaridin as the Active ingredient

    nedrapier
    Full Member

    Walls, windows, doors and a roof.

    NB – the doors and windows will need to be closed.

    mudshark
    Free Member

    spiders

    seosamh77
    Free Member

    mudshark – Member
    spiders

    apparently bats eat the most midges.

    twicewithchips
    Free Member

    another smidge vote.
    have they changed the skin so soft recipe – or are they getting used to it?

    peterfile
    Free Member

    have they changed the skin so soft recipe – or are they getting used to it?

    It never worked (well, maybe back in the 50’s it did).

    If midges were not biting you while wearing SSS, it’s not because of the SSS.

    kayak23
    Full Member

    Tennis Racquets.

    daleftw
    Free Member

    Skin So Soft is hippy bollocks.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    Skin so soft works by virtue of the midges drowning in the oily film left behind….. Presuming you didnt rub it in .it in no way repells them

    I find the same things that stop me getting attacked by mozzies in africa work on the midge.

    That is non scented soap , no deoderant and garlic tabs

    T1000
    Free Member

    have they changed the skin so soft recipe – or are they getting used to it?

    There are several different versions of skin so soft most of them don’t have any Active ingredients for bugs….

    picaridin was the Active ingredient in some versions and is a v effective alternative to DEET without some of the nasty side effects.

    It doesn’t last as long as deet but other than that I’ve founnd it to be effective with midges etc

    crankboy
    Free Member

    spray on factor 2 sun tan oil with a few drops of tea tree oil and a cap full of dettol repels biting insects and members of the opposite sex.

    grum
    Free Member

    SSS worked a bit for me – as above it’s not a repellant though. Smidge is by far the best thing I’ve tried.

    jp-t853
    Full Member

    Skin so soft as said only seems to work to the extent that it drowns the buggers.

    Smidge really does work. Last year we were waiting outside for a tour of Kinloch castle on the Isle of Rum. We were wearing Smidge and the grey mist was all around us but we were not bothered at all. Other people waiting were being bitten to pieces.

    Smidge is also a lot more pleasant to wear than most credible alternatives

    franciscobegbie
    Free Member

    Smidge.
    Which reminds me, need to buy some more. Whatever it was that bit me on the knee on Tuesday night has left me with a swollen calf and ankle, as well as a course of antibiotics to get through.

    teamhurtmore
    Free Member

    Dog urine

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    Smidge has made bivvying in Scotland in summer possible.

    richmtb
    Full Member

    Smidge is very good.

    I’d still want a head net for any sitting about in areas with lots of midges though.

    peterfile
    Free Member

    Smidge really does work. Last year we were waiting outside for a tour of Kinloch castle on the Isle of Rum. We were wearing Smidge and the grey mist was all around us but we were not bothered at all. Other people waiting were being bitten to pieces.

    One of the odd things I’ve noticed about smidge, is that the midges still hang around and even land on you, but don’t bite (especially in bad areas). It’s odd at first because you tingle, expecting the bites, but they never come.

    Best test for me was at glen nevis a couple of years ago. long sleeve/trousers, hood up and smidge on my face and hands.

    Tried to pitch the tent in quite possibly the worst midge swarm I have ever seen. I had scores of midges hanging from my eyelids, where I couldn’t put smidge. Then, once in the tent, I had a huge red ring around the bottom of my back where my top had ridden up whilst pitching. Not a single bite on my hands or face though (well, other than my eyelids!).

    mudshark
    Free Member

    Get a midge catching machine then make burgers out of them. No idea what they’d taste like but seen a tribe on telly doing this with swarming insects.

    enfht
    Free Member

    A good thick layer of goose fat solves most of life’s problems I’ve found.

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