What is it with Scotland & midges?

[snowslider]

As a footnote, I've just returned from Scotland and I picked some of the Avon product up as a test. The test lasted about 20 minutes at which point I got fed up of the midges and applied some DEET. Trying a couple more applications I couldn't get any effect at all from the avon product.

Incidentally, if you're going to test this stuff out you need to be fairly stationary I'd suggest. Once you start moving it's harder to make a reasonable assessment.

[karen_the_artist]

I wasn't sure about using SSS in the end as they didn't seem to stay far enough away from me, so I bought Lifesystems Expedition 50 Insect Repellent as a back-up and I'm glad I did, it works great for me... I'm sooo happy 

I recently stayed on Alvie Estate, up near Aviemore, for a long weekend and the midges were out in force, but where I had sprayed myself, they didn't even land on me  Normally I would've been bitten to smithereens.

[snowslider]

I wasn't sure about using SSS in the end as they didn't seem to stay far enough away from me, so I bought Lifesystems Expedition 50 Insect Repellent as a back-up and I'm glad I did, it works great for me... I'm sooo happy 

I recently stayed on Alvie Estate, up near Aviemore, for a long weekend and the midges were out in force, but where I had sprayed myself, they didn't even land on me  Normally I would've been bitten to smithereens.

that's DEET based I think? it does seem to be the only really effective thing.

what did rather surprise me was how tame the bites were  here if you get one midge in the bedroom at night it can chew you up badly, those Scottish ones don't have much of a bite at all in comparison, that does turn out not to be much of an advantage though as in Scotland you're getting a few hundred thousand more midges in any given space 

[karen_the_artist]

that's DEET based I think? it does seem to be the only really effective thing.

Yes, it's deet based.

I seem to be allergic to midge bites, so I wouldn't want to meet one of your midges.. the highland ones do me enough damage     

[Mr Sam]

Man alive I thought it was a good idea to wild camp in a wood next to a river. I didn't have any midge repelant. I got bitten alive.

[Ridge]

I seem to be allergic to midge bites,

What happens to you?

I am quite fortunate in that I appear to get bitten less than most people, especially my wife, and when I am bitten it is just the normal itchy red lump. However if I am bitten on the ankle it swells up so that you can not tell where my calf begins and wearing boots can be really uncomfortable. I wondered why this would be when everywhere else is OK and if it was in some way an allergic reaction.

[snowslider]

What happens to you?

I am quite fortunate in that I appear to get bitten less than most people, especially my wife, and when I am bitten it is just the normal itchy red lump. However if I am bitten on the ankle it swells up so that you can not tell where my calf begins and wearing boots can be really uncomfortable. I wondered why this would be when everywhere else is OK and if it was in some way an allergic reaction.

That seems to be a familiar pattern, it's the same with me and my GF, she suffers more than me. Chatting to a couple walking up near Sgurr Breac the other day they said the same as well, although I do recall he was from Derbyshire like me and his wife from the south like my GF which might confirm southerners are a bit soft and an easier target than us thicker skinned northerners 

[karen_the_artist]

What happens to you?

Recently I got a couple of midge bites on my upper arm and leg from sitting in the garden (thankfully we don't get many, but it only takes one!). The bites started off very red and itchy, and got worse.  I took antihistamines to try and ease the swelling/itching and I ended up with a red mark with a slight swelling covering most of my upper arm which then turned purple and yellow just like a bruise. Same happened on my leg. So I had to make sure I found something to stop them biting me as I knew we'd be out an about where there were going to be a lot.

My other half doesn't get bitten much either, he leaves the midges to me!

[karen_the_artist]

which might confirm southerners are a bit soft and an easier target than us thicker skinned northerners 

Maybe that's it - me being a southerner of the soft skinned variety and the otherhalf a Scot ... Maybe once I've been up here a few more years, I'll get a bit tougher 

[Ridge]

Karen, that sounds pretty nasty, my legs don't change colour they just grow.

which might confirm southerners are a bit soft and an easier target than us thicker skinned northerners 

Well I'm from Sheffield but my wife has a habit of calling that the midlands as she is from North Yorkshire.

[the coot]

Are you sure midges got you and not cleggs? Though you can usually feel cleggs (or I can), the little s*ds have even been in my garden this year, cheek of it! Though if midges are around often cleggs are there. I really really hate cleggs. Most people react badly to cleggs and a large swelling is normal because they stick a largish tube into you to suck your blood....

[snowslider]

Are you sure midges got you and not cleggs? Though you can usually feel cleggs (or I can), the little s*ds have even been in my garden this year, cheek of it! Though if midges are around often cleggs are there. I really really hate cleggs. Most people react badly to cleggs and a large swelling is normal because they stick a largish tube into you to suck your blood....

I had to look that up  You mean horseflies ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse-fly

I didn't think they used a tube and the wiki article doesn't seem to quite say that. Horrid things, I've a couple of bites from them last week.

[Ridge]

Are you sure midges got you and not cleggs?

Could be, I'll look closer at the bite next time as according to the link from snowslider they bite rather than puncture.
It only happens to me a couple of times each year but what ever is doing it it goes for the ankles and is not nice

[karen_the_artist]

Cleggs are nasty, I had a bite from one last year and had to keep an eye on the bite because I heard it can cause all sorts of problems.

Didn't like this description of their bite much  "horse flies have mandibles like tiny serrated scimitars, which they use to rip and/or slice flesh apart" 

I know a few people who are allergic to them and they will swell up really bad where bitten.

[JCM]

Hundreds of horse flies around on my walk in Cairngorms last Sat.  Trouble is with those [censored]****s is that they're so quick - by the time you realise it they've bitten you - I had one 2 years ago in the crook of my arm right where the vein is closest to the skin and it hurt like hell - still a mark there in fact