Midges
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Original Poster:

8,053 posts

268 months

Wednesday 13th July 2005
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As if the heat isn’t enough now there are some midges getting about, irritating little blighters. :irked:

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

284 months

Wednesday 13th July 2005
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That's a bit midge-ist, isn't it....?

gshughes

1,347 posts

284 months

Wednesday 13th July 2005
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Bet they are soft, southern, lager drinking midges in Norfolk though. You should try the Highlands and Islands for thr real hard ones. I was on Rum a few weeks ago, they are midges worth complianing about.

Bat21

658 posts

277 months

Wednesday 13th July 2005
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gshughes said:
Bet they are soft, southern, lager drinking midges in Norfolk though. You should try the Highlands and Islands for thr real hard ones. I was on Rum a few weeks ago, they are midges worth complianing about.


Kinloch Castle perchance? I was there in March fascinating and not a midge to be seen

gshughes

1,347 posts

284 months

Wednesday 13th July 2005
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Bat21 said:


Kinloch Castle perchance? I was there in March fascinating and not a midge to be seen



Yep we stayed in Kinloch Castle and walked the whole Rum Cuillin ridge. I've been to virtually all the inner islands now, and I reckon Rum is the best. Because it is more or less in the middle you get brilliant views of all the others.


Kinloch castle is very interesting, if not a little sad to see it in the state it is in now.

We saw about 4 basking sharks close up on the boat trip to Eigg which although very big are harmless plankton eaters, so much friendlier than the hordes of midges which ate a good chunk of me on Rum !


>> Edited by gshughes on Wednesday 13th July 17:01

bigtone

1,211 posts

313 months

Wednesday 13th July 2005
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Skye two years back was absolutely the worst place for midges I have ever seen...

They didn't cope too well in the wind, but we had a calm week, and they loved it! The locals make a good markup on head nets thats for sure. The worst we had of them was one late afternoon after one of our drivers clumsily ditched a minibus on a small road going across the island. While waiting for other vehicles to come and ferry passengers out, the woods came alive with the little buggers, and even though warm, we just had to shut ourselves in the dead bus until a tow arrived. The next day, when back at the camp site, the driver of the said ditched bus got back in it, started the engine, and put the interior fans on, only to be met with thousands of them swarming out of the vents!

I was told by a guy I know in Inverness you get different sorts of midges - the Scottish midge, of which there is a particularly vicious variety called the Highland midge, or which there is a particularly vicious variety call the Skye midge.... I can vouch for that.

But funnily enough I did find they don't like cigar smoke!

gshughes

1,347 posts

284 months

Wednesday 13th July 2005
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The trick is to get up onto the hills - not a hardship up there - they disappear after you reach a certain height.

Did you get the tour of Kinloch castle ? It was very interesting, and our guide told us a story of a local who was staked out a few hundred years ago as a punishment, to be eaten alive by midges - very nasty but slightly believable.

Little Red

1,188 posts

258 months

Wednesday 13th July 2005
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Near Kielder here oop north and I swear the little buggers wear napkins when they come out

Anyone tried those out door candle thingies to keep them away? Do they work?

lockstock2sb

2,855 posts

272 months

Wednesday 13th July 2005
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Or what about a dab of 'wild stallion' or 'Tabac' round the chops - thats bound to help !

rooster

2,241 posts

266 months

Wednesday 13th July 2005
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Little Red said:
Near Kielder here oop north and I swear the little buggers wear napkins when they come out

Anyone tried those out door candle thingies to keep them away? Do they work?



yup, that and a very large spray of citronella oil, just don't get it in your eyes!!

bmgm3

10,480 posts

272 months

Wednesday 13th July 2005
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Can't help thinking of One Foot in The Grave when Meldrew misunderstands the foreign students at the hotel he's at, when they say the bathroom is full of midgets( he thinks midges ) and goes in spraying insecticide

edc

9,642 posts

280 months

Wednesday 13th July 2005
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Get some citronella oil burners/candles

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

284 months

Wednesday 13th July 2005
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Same to you.....

cotty

42,226 posts

313 months

Wednesday 13th July 2005
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If sleeping is a problem then get a net for the bed. I got one from Ikea for about £5. One of my workmates said I was a wuss, this was after him complaining of getting bitten in the night

pdr479

444 posts

267 months

Wednesday 13th July 2005
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Forget midges what about thunder bugs my mate at work is complaining profusely about the one inside his lap top screen it didnt live long though but now its driving him insane looks like a small commer etc

up-the-dubs

4,282 posts

258 months

Thursday 14th July 2005
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The end of our garden is a forest type area with seats and benches in the middle. An incredible place to relax as there is no other noise than the trees blowing and a little water running in a corner (a ghastly fake water feature that we hid away, just enough to hear it). However, we suffered from alot of midges, midgets, flys etc, in the shaded area, so found an outdoor version of those blue electrified lights you see in butcher shops. Had it shipped from the states, but works fine here.

Got rid of the flies something incredible. A solution, if you wanted one.