Midges - advice

[JumbleDuck]

I gave Smidge its first proper try today - sitting around in a riverbank garden at dusk. The wee sods were everywhere, but Smidge seemed to deter them almost completely and within a few minutes of a few of us applying it the whole group was more or less midge free, I went for the scientific approach and treated just my right arm and left leg (shorts) - no bites at all on the treated limbs, one arm bite and three leg bites on the untreated bits before we were left alone.

Conclusion: It's bloody good stuff and I am going to stock up with it.

 

[agurney]

I wondered about strategies for dealing with midges on our scottish trip

can I just buy some mesh to put over the main and fore-hatch

are there any repellents that work

I want to avoid the trauma

all suggestions gratefully considered

D

They are normally not a problem unless you're on a pontoon; anchoring is the easiest way to avoid the nuisance.
In the unfortunate circumstance that some have hitched a ride then cintronella candles usually do the trick (I think Ikea sell bags of citronella tealights for peanuts).

Just avoid the gloaming if going ashore.

Just one caveat, if you end up in Tighnabruich there's no escape.

 

[agurney]

If you want an old bat you can have my mothering law. She can wipe out 10000 midges with just one sweep of her tongue

An electric tennis racket is very satisfying - the little dears explode!

[http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/electric-fly-swatter-1-in-store-poundland-35510 .. but I haven't seen them in stock for a couple of years]

 

[Rhyddid]

There's nothing better than DEET to ward off those pesky mosquito's! Boots do a range with 50% DEET in it's product like Smidge . It's a tad cheaper too.
Having lived in the Canadian "outback" for a couple of decades I would "smuggle" a few cans in from Blighty, as the the Canadian Govt. in the wisdom considered 50% far too strong for Canuks.... Had something to do with people having seizures and the odd death. Wel,l I know it stays in the blood stream for at least two weeks after one application, but it never did me any harm after the first year or so. Here's a linky if anyone wants to read up on it : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DEET