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lack of midges in Scotland

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 Banned User 77 16 Jul 2013
Just back from a week on Luing and the week was midge free..

But ticks were awful, after one walk up a munro (Beinn Fionnlaidh?) we were covered in them..

But what was the main issue, were the horse flies.. clegs.. they were out in swarms and really biting.

Is this some wierd cycle in weather and more widespread around the west coast, or just a random freak occurance out there?

Langdale on the otherhand was brutal, I was in the NDG saturday night in the beer garden and was mobbed at sunset while most people were untouched...
In reply to IainRUK: Don't we just love our high places. All we need to finish this off is the introduction to our tarns and llyn of that parasitic fish which swims up the urethra when you go for a dip. Wouldnt that be a treat.

Speaking of horse flies. I was fishing on the trent yesterday and all of a sudden I looked at my arm and i saw this horse fly quite literally munching my flesh - I could actually see its mouthparts. This is the first time I have ever been bitten by one (to my knowledge). Ugly little feckers, aren't they?
 Needkraken 16 Jul 2013
In reply to IainRUK: After half a week in the Trossachs I was more bites that person, I've never know midges bit so brutally, I had 23 bites over 2 ankles from a 10min play on boulders close to where I was staying! The man in the little Tesco's in Callender said they were really bad this year, maybe they've all migrated there for this summer =p
Douglas Griffin 16 Jul 2013
In reply to IainRUK:

Spent 4 days on Harris last week, there was a breeze most of the time so hardly a midge to be seen.

Very localised variations though. The first night there I initially pitched my tent in a sheltered spot amid some dunes and the midges were quite bad. Moved the tent 10 yards, into the open, and it was fine.
 CurlyStevo 16 Jul 2013
In reply to IainRUK:
Was it breezy? Midgies don't fly in wind above 5mph.
In reply to CurlyStevo: That was what was strange.. no, my parents have a drascombe lugger and we took that out across to Melford Loch Hotel one night and it was pancake flat, barely a ripple on the water, so motored over.

 CurlyStevo 16 Jul 2013
In reply to IainRUK:
sometimes its best not question why and just enjoy

It has been drier than average for most of the last 18 months in NW scotland midgies need damp soil to breed.
 cfdouglas 16 Jul 2013
In reply to IainRUK:

It was the same is Reiff/summer isles all of last week. Not a midge in sight, but maddening swarms of clegs at times.
estivoautumnal 16 Jul 2013
In reply to IainRUK:

There are plenty of midges around but the combination of sunshine and a breeze kept them away for most of last week. I was cycling round Mull, Oban area and Morvern for the week and not a single bite.

Other weeks have been midge business as usual.

Clegs are always bad at this time of year and as ever it's the females who bite.
In reply to estivoautumnal: Strange I can't remember the clegs being so bad, but my parents place was in farm land on a small island off luing with cattle around so maybe that was the issue.. they were bad on the walk into the munro but fine with a few 100m elevation..

It was lovely sat almost every night having a BBQ barely a cloud in the sky... midge free...
 Andy Nisbet 16 Jul 2013
In reply to IainRUK:

Yes clegs are usually bad during a warm sunny July. A lot worse than I've seen this year.
 Andy Nisbet 16 Jul 2013
In reply to Andy Nisbet:

The lack of midges is more unusual. But since the spring arrived a month late, this is probably like a normal June. In other words, we may get them later.
 malky_c 16 Jul 2013
In reply to Andy Nisbet: I'd agree - the heat seems to bring them out. Last time I remember them to be this bad was 2006, which was the last hot summer.
 ScraggyGoat 16 Jul 2013
I'm hoping that the combination of a good winter, and a very dry spring and early summer will have done damage to thier population, however I suspect as soon as it rains buggers will be out in force.......
 Nathan Adam 16 Jul 2013
In reply to IainRUK: Midges on Skye have been so-so, ticks are lacking where i've been going (up high and away from long grass and heather) but aye, the Clegs were out in force this past week when i was out in the Cuillin.
 Simon Caldwell 16 Jul 2013
In reply to IainRUK:
> Langdale on the otherhand was brutal, I was in the NDG saturday night in the beer garden and was mobbed at sunset

Strange, we were in Wasdale and there were no midges at all.
 fmck 16 Jul 2013
In reply to Andy Nisbet: e

They are bad this summer and noticed how determined they are to. Hey it's a good summer and there will be a balance of sorts.

Met a guy today who had been camping with mates at loch doon believe me the midge bites on him were like a plague. Said he was outside the house at night after with his skin burning. Only took skin so soft but now skin so mountainous!
 Baron Weasel 17 Jul 2013
In reply to IainRUK: Was being eaten alive by midges in the lakes on Sunday, until my mate bought out a bottle of Smidge. After a few quick sprays there was not a midge to be seen! Only lasted 2 hours, not the 8 it says on the bottle - but small price to pay for when it was so effective!! Says it also repels ticks, mossies, horseflies etc...

BW
 AG 17 Jul 2013
In reply to Baron Weasel: yep smidge is good...used it last week around northern italy and it works great against mozzies . I don't have any problem with midge bites but I hate the clegs!...off to glencoe this weeknd , hopefully the sun will shine and the midges will bugger off!
In reply to IainRUK: Anyone been on Knoydart recently and care to offer a midge report?

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