The Scottish Biting Midge
The infamous Scottish midge isn't technically "strange" however it might prove a nasty shock to the unprepared. A cloud of ferocious, biting midges can certainly feel like a visitation from some hellish otherworldy power!What Are Midges?
Midges are tiny insects. Individually they're almost too small to be seen with the naked eye, however they usually appear in massive swarms that are all too visible. There are many species of midge around the world of which only a small number bite - one of the worst biters being the Highland Midge (Culicoides impunctatus). It's actually only the female midge that bites, she needs to suck blood before laying her eggs. Nice.Midges prefer warm, humid areas and are thus more common in the countryside rather than towns. They can be a particular problem anywhere near water, especially still water.
It's unfortunate for the Scottish tourist industry that the peak midge season tends to coincide with the peak summer vacation.
What Can I Do?
There's nothing that can be done to totally avoid midges and midge bites. You really need to look at them as a part of the authentic Scottish atmosphere in the same way that smog is part of the Los Angeles experience! Fortunately there are some things you can do to mitigate the problem.One of the surprising things about midges is that - unlike many other insects - they prefer dark colours. Wearing light colours might make you less attractive to the midges than your fellow tourists in darker clothing.
There are also a number of creams and sprays on the market that you can buy. These vary from natural products such as neem and citronella to man-made chemicals such as DEET. Many of the insect repellents on the market contain a combination of these ingredients - always read the labels and follow manufacturer's instructions.
Some people also believe Avon So-Soft skin cream to be effective in keeping midges at bay, however this seems to have a limited short term benefit.
An alternative to creams is midge netting, for instance a hat with netting in front of the face or tent entrance netting. Because midges are so small the netting needs to have very fine mesh - ordinary mosquito netting is unlikely to work so well.
For longer term midge control some people and organisations have installed the Midgeater (or "Midge Eater") that attracts midges then kills them. This can effectively reduce the midge presence in a limited area such as a garden.
Midges are a real nuisance, but hopefully you won't let them put you off vsiting Scotland.
External Links:
Midge Control
