Midges in Scotland ?
- Thread starter pragmatist
- Start date
pmagowan
Well-Known Member
It looked like a Viking longship but I was busy escaping so didn't get a good look!
jimi
Well-Known Member
Another place with monstrous midges is Arran, they seem to breed them big in Glen Sannox.
aquaplane
Well-Known Member
The ones with longships have horned helmets, some have red beards, it's best to concentrate on escape rather than identifying the exact genus.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
OK I want to go and am acquiring the necessary sailing kit...
Midgies: Challenge accepted.
ionbard
Active Member
>Dieter?
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heartlander
Member
We moved to the north west coast from Devon two years ago and it's been a very good move. The midges can be a serious pain, particularly if you're camping, but they're also manageable with hoods and sprays. I spend a lot of my time outside - working croft, sailing, walking etc - I've only used a midge spray twice this year and a hood once so whilst there may be other reasons not to make the move I wouldn't let the midges put you off..
The compensations to me beat the midges any day - mooring in sight of house, very friendly place, little traffic, lots of space and the scenery's not bad.
The compensations to me beat the midges any day - mooring in sight of house, very friendly place, little traffic, lots of space and the scenery's not bad.
AngusMcDoon
Well-Known Member
...where the climbing guidebook gives each route a midgie grade as well as a climbing grade.
westhinder
Well-Known Member
Would the shovel someone mentioned help in this case?The ones with longships have horned helmets, some have red beards, it's best to concentrate on escape rather than identifying the exact genus.
oldbilbo
...
Cunningham, MacInnes, Nimlin....
Sybarite
Well-Known Member
You have to be careful with them. SWMBO got Lyme disease from a horsefly bite. It's not only the ticks.
Robert Wilson
Well-Known Member
I hope your SWMBO is recovered? Really nasty symptoms.
.
Do you mean horsefly, or cleg? Clegs really do BITE but other than a -sometimes- colourful reaction, I wasn't aware they carry Lyme's Disease.
Anyone with definite advice on this one?
As above, don't let the midgies, "the wee beasties", put you off coming up NW. There are bad days, but many, many more good days and they don't fly when the wind exceeds 4mph - which happens rather regularly!!!
Kelpie
Well-Known Member
I thought the only difference between a horse-fly and a cleg was the spelling.
Robert Wilson
Well-Known Member
You may be right.
But when I lived in NE Englandshire the horse flies were brown, whereas our clegs are a grey colour. Could be that they have had the brown washed out of them
NormanS
Well-Known Member
I wasn't aware that cleggs carried Lyme disease. Ticks do, and are a serious and increasing problem. Sheep used to act as "tick magnets", and with regular dipping, kept tick numbers under control. Now with far fewer sheep on the hill, and hardly any dipping being done, the tick population is soaring.
Regarding midges, not midgies, we live in hope that visitors will act as "midge magnets".
Regarding midges, not midgies, we live in hope that visitors will act as "midge magnets".
Robert Wilson
Well-Known Member
I wasn't aware that cleggs carried Lyme disease. Ticks do, and are a serious and increasing problem. Sheep used to act as "tick magnets", and with regular dipping, kept tick numbers under control. Now with far fewer sheep on the hill, and hardly any dipping being done, the tick population is soaring.
Regarding midges, not midgies, we live in hope that visitors will act as "midge magnets".
I stand partly corrected - I see both written, but perhaps through unfamiliarity, or ignorance.
Humbled I am, 'umbled.
daviddb
Well-Known Member
Norway can also be problematic - little grey no-see-ums. Best reliable fix is never to go unless there is snow on the ground. Can make the sailing a little draughty I grant you...
No mozzies on the Cleddau today. It's so breezy a gentleman of the parish has just had his flubber blown over soaking the outboard and casting the oars off into a swift flowing ebb...
No mozzies on the Cleddau today. It's so breezy a gentleman of the parish has just had his flubber blown over soaking the outboard and casting the oars off into a swift flowing ebb...
Robert Wilson
Well-Known Member
I hope that wasn't Rob Mason (Hook) on his way out to the beautiful Myfanwy?
I hope to be sailing on her with him in two weeks:encouragement:
(I used to own her, when Adam were a lad.)
Sybarite
Well-Known Member
She's the expert...!! She says that any biting creature eg mosquitos which bites an infected animal, can also pass on Lyme disease.
She saw the horsefly biting her and didn't think too much of it at the time. However at the time the disease was not well known and they had to bring a special antibiotic from the States where it had been developed at the town of Lyme.
It took several weeks of daily intravenous injections to cure her and she had quarterly check-ups for several years thereafter. Apparently the normal rate of antibody is 500 units (of something) and she has over 7000. The doctor says that any beastie biting her now will be done for..!!
On the other hand she is great for bringing on holidays. The mosquitos are especially attracted to her...!!
Quandary
Well-Known Member
I wasn't aware that cleggs carried Lyme disease. Ticks do, and are a serious and increasing problem. Sheep used to act as "tick magnets", and with regular dipping, kept tick numbers under control. Now with far fewer sheep on the hill, and hardly any dipping being done, the tick population is soaring.
Regarding midges, not midgies, we live in hope that visitors will act as "midge magnets".
Are you sure, I understood that without a host they would not survive, though I was also told that deer ticks are more dangerous than those on sheep. We have to treat our dog every month in summer with a poison administered to the back of his neck which enters his bloodstream, it seem to work, they drop off almost as soon as they start to gorge on his blood. Time something similar was developed for humans especially if it could be extended to midges but I suppose if there was a cure the solitude of the hills would be lost for ever. The poor old midge does not do any permanent damage so we could have worse problems though the wee Scots ones seem to be much more aggressive than those of the same species in Ireland. Clegs seem to have been declining for quite a few years now?