Midges

ledgebag1

Howdy gardeners

We seem to have a mass of midges in our front garden. We dont have any trees, i dug all the bushes and trees out last year. The sun sets right facing our sitting room window in the evening an it looks like attack of the blighters out there.

Why are there so many?

Can i get rid of them as we cant open our window or else we spend the evening whacking the feckers with newspapers and slippers?

Any help greatly appreciated

TheChizler

I'm the same. We live next to a small stream so there's always been a couple of clouds of them but there have never been this many before.

ledgebag1

The neighbours cat is cross eyed looking at them.

My neighbours garden is slightly overgrown and the clay in our flower bed doesn't look to healthy so that probably doesn't help.

short_of_cash

I read an article recently about these little feckers and it seems they are getting more resilient to our weather. They seem to be an infestation in my area and people I work with are complaining about bites....

Citronella o the shopping list

ledgebag1

Yeah if we leave any windows open then it's game over, bites galore, the auld citronella is great now if I could a candle that's eight foot by eight foot we would be laughing:)

magicbastarder

i was bitten six times by mosquitos on april 14th, i think - about two or three weeks ago.

ledgebag1

I hope you bit them back, with the amount if birds around here I thought they would have kept a low profile

ando

We're having the same problem. A bit of sun yesterday evening and they're everywhere. I really don't want this to be our summer evenings, have to find a way to control these pests??

ledgebag1

yep that looks familiar but its usually a clouded frenzy of movement and then nip, one of them gets ye.

Has to be something to move them on, an Iguanna maybe

monkeynuz

Citronella doesn't work here in the south west, the only insect repellent that works is jungle formula or similar, Avon skin so soft is ok but not as effective and the midges tend to die on you by getting stuck in the oil, it doesnt actually repel them.

We are going to invest in a midge machine either this year or next as the midges are worse than ever.

THe exceptionally wet weather last year and the warm winter have meant that they have been able to breed completely unchecked.

Summer 2011 after the two harsh winters was not so bad for midges, because lots of them got killed in the cold.

If you don't like the midges around, either get a midge eater or move house.....to somewhere very windy and with no trees and as dry as possible.

Hope this helps,

M.

monkeynuz

Oh yeah, they don't have any natural predator as far as I can remember.

Although bats might eat em.

They also transmit blue tongue in cattle and sheep.

M.

amandstu

there seem to be a few products I might like to try.

One is called Smidge, another is called Autan (supposedly cheaper but not as waterproof) and there is another called Jungle Formula .

Does anyone know where I could get these apart from online?

Is it just down to individual outdoor shops that might or might not have them?

I have a mask which is tolerable for short lengths of time and certainly keeps them off the face.

If I was a smoker I think there would be fewer problems...

monkeynuz

Like I have already said jungle forrmula does work.

Just go to your chemist.

amandstu

thanks.
Is that the one which is thick and oily?

I read that one preparation (can't remember what it was ) but they said it was effective but so unpleasant to wear that it was almost worse than the cure.
What about the others - Smidge and Autan ? Have you seen them for sale anywhere?

monkeynuz

Jungle formula is fine to wear not thick at all they do a pump or aerosol both are great autan too in chemist, smudge not so sure saw it on a uk midge eater website.

Jungle should do fine just make sure you get the tropical strength.

Where in the country are you?

periodictable

They stay out of bright sunshine, so have you any shady areas? Also make sure there's no standing water in buckets or containers as they will breed rapidly in them. I've been using DEET spray and it works well.

monkeynuz

periodictable wrote: »

They stay out of bright sunshine, so have you any shady areas? Also make sure there's no standing water in buckets or containers as they will breed rapidly in them. I've been using DEET spray and it works well.

Bright sunshine generally yes although this years midges are in the sun too blooming great swarms of the until about 10.30am and then from 4pm ish

Deet is merely an ingredient in insect repellents, so look on the bottle for deet.

ledgebag1

Well let me tell yeah, two things have happened, firstly I planted a lavender and told the neighbour to sort out the garden or I would feed him to the midges and I think it worked. We have far less of the kamikaze nippers flying around.

Secondly we now have a local bat who comes out every evening and mops up any straggling insects.

Now if I could stop the local cat dumping in my garden the circle would be complete. Thanks for all the tips guys keep fighting the fight