Midges / insects in Wicklow?

unkel

Planning to go wild camping this summer (just a single overnight starting evening and finishing the next morning) and the one thing I am afraid of that can ruin the trip is insect bites

I plan to bring insect deterrent (deet) and sting relief with me, but I would prefer to camp somewhere where insects are not a problem if there is such a place

My initial plan is to camp over 700m high (but probably near a lake). Is that higher than any midges / insects are likely to be?

Is there any weather that brings them out? Any other tips much appreciated!

Tabnabs

This is what Uncle Ray recommends and sells. http://www.raymears.com/Bushcraft_Product/314-3M-Ultrathon-Insect-Repellent-60ml-Lotion/

I have the M&S variety (http://www.marksandspencer.com/formula-insect-repellant-travel-pack-150ml/p/p22152807) but haven't had cause to use it since I bought it.

Have you bought one of these BTW? (http://store.irishdogs.ie/products/O%27Tom-Tick-Twister-Tick-Remover-for-Dogs%2C-Cats%2C-Horses-%26-Humans-%28Pack-of-2%29.html) Tiny and well worth the money.

Pat Mustard

You can also plan your activities around the environment and prevailing conditions, to minimise your contact with midges, as follows:

Link

Midges
Midges are tiny biting flies that are active from mid-May to September particularly when it is calm and overcast. Thriving in the acidic boggy conditions, they can be a significant annoyance to people walking Connemara. Tending to be most active at dawn and dusk they can be prevalent at other times during the day if the conditions are right. If it is a midge day then activities such as picnics should be avoided. Staying in one place will quickly result in midges congregating around you.
“Forewarned is forearmed” and that by telling you about midges you will know how best to avoid midge attacks and by taking a few simple precautions; your safari or stay in Connemara will not be disrupted by them. The first time you encounter them you will probably just feel itchy as the bites are not painful just irritating, and they are so small you can hardly see them. Everyone has different reaction to midge bites; some hardly notice they have been bitten with not even so much as a red spot, whilst others have a reaction rather like a rash. However, they will provoke a strong immune reaction in some individuals. This may lead to swelling and intense itching around the site of the bite. The severity and intensity of biting accentuates people’s discomfort. Scratching of the bites may lead to infected sores. There is no known disease transmission from midges to people in Ireland.
Midges love:

• Tourist’s especially unprepared ones!! Apply repellent before the time; it’s already too late when you start to itch
• cool, shady, calm conditions and are most active arly morning and evenings
• wet summers help their breeding cycle, with a resulting increase in numbers
• sitting ducks – as far as possible, try to avoid sitting out early morning and late evening. Realising this is just the time when you do want to sit out, and most times you will not be bothered by them, but once they find you, you will need to move to get rid of them.

Armed with a little knowledge, you minimize the inconvenience to yourself and family in Connemara and enjoy the great outdoors relatively free of them. Below are a few tips and precautions you can take to avoid them altogether, or at least to minimize their nuisance factor.
Midges hate:

• sun – midges tend to avoid direct strong sunlight, so sit in the sun not shade whenever conditions allow
• wind – try to find a seat or occupy a place in a breeze, and it is surprising how little breeze is required to keep them away
• walking – midges cannot keep up with you at normal walking pace, so you will be able to take long midge free walks or participate in any active pastime at any time of day
• white or light clothing - avoid dark clothing at high activity times, although this alone will not deter them
• inside – escape by sitting indoors with the doors and windows open with lights turned off. Like every other insect they are attracted to lights
• wear anti midge hats which have mesh rather like bee-keepers nets but with smaller holes to keep out midges
• machines available now which attract and kill the midges
• some makes of repellent – Skin so Soft from Avon is not actually a repellent but seems to be very effective in keeping them away. Jungle Formula is another favourite. In any event please test them to see what works best for you.

Also

Midges tend to proliferate around stagnant water and bog pools and are therefore a feature of life in the hills. They can also be a pest in the valleys such as Glendalough. Midges are most active on calm, cloudy and moist days. They don't like strong sunlight, dry air or wind. They tend to be most active at dawn and dusk but can be prevalent at other times during the day if the conditions are right. If it is a 'midgy' day then activities such as picnics should be avoided. Staying in one place will quickly result in midges congregating around you.



There are repellents available in supermarkets and chemists, which help deter them. Most of these will contain a chemical component called "DEET". Herbal repellents contain extracts such as bog-myrtle and citronella. In general, to protect against midges whilst walking wear full arm and leg cover and a hat preferably of a light colour - midges are attracted to dark colours to rest on. Midges can also be kept off by using a head-net which has been designed for midges - mosquito nets are not good enough. Nets are unaffected by perspiration and do not require a chemical repellent, but they can cause a headache through eyestrain. Dark nets are best for viewing through.


The midges of most interest to us are those of the genus Culicoides . There are 29 species in Ireland, including six that will bite people. The most significant nipper is Cuculiodes impunctatus. It is only the female midge that bites, doing so to extract protein from our blood, which will help develop their eggs. While most midge species are intolerant to direct sunlight there is one Culicoides heliophilus which will emerge on sunny days.

Remember that midges hate smoke so if you are allowed to get a fire going, they can be driven away.

If you are camping by a lake in warm weather, you would have to expect midges. However, it should be cooler at 700m than at sea level, so maybe you will get lucky.

You might want to consider camping somewhat away from the lake.

Tabnabs

Are you camping up by Cleevaun? A lot of boggy wet land up that way. But you might get a breeze to keep them away.

Take a small branch from a birch tree (or similar) to swish them away in case they do plague you in camp.

unkel

Tabnabs wrote: »

Are you camping up by Cleevaun?

I gave it away by mentioning the lake is 700m high and in my thread in Outdoor Pursuits about camping 10km away from any road, didn't I?

Have you experience camping there? Be great if you could share it here!

Tabnabs

Ha, just an educated guess. It's the highest lake in Ireland apparently. It's years since I've been up that way but I do remember it being boggy and remote. So it will certainly be a significant challenge.

I've camped much lower with Mullaghcleevaun as a backdrop, but I'm a forest and riverside kind of camper

It'll be a great trip if you stay clear of any wet weather.

b_mac2

Keep an eye out for any ticks on your body as well.

unkel

Was up the mountains today and it was as warm / humid as it gets. The flies / midges were driving me crazy (I hadn't used any deterrent on purpose), especially when I stopped for a minute or so.

The good news is that above the tree line, above about 550-600m there were no insects at all. Not even around very boggy areas with stagnant water. There was a light breeze up there though, but I suppose there nearly always is up that high. Hopefully there will be no midges at Lough Cleevaun...

Losty Dublin

unkel wrote: »

Was up the mountains today and it was as warm / humid as it gets. The flies / midges were driving me crazy (I hadn't used any deterrent on purpose), especially when I stopped for a minute or so.
..

I went up 3 Rock at the weekend and they were a nuisance as well. Oddly enough they were AWOL once I got beyond the transmitter masts, which is where the wooded area finishes.

unkel

Happy to report that there were no insects at all bothering me yesterday evening going up to Lough Cleevaun. There was a fierce wind up the mountains though all evening and all night. Early this morning on the way back was a completely different story with the flies driving me mental (even though I did spray myself). Didn't really get stung though so I suppose no midges.

Had a lovely micro adventure / holiday though

Tabnabs

Looks like a great trip, glad it all went well.

silverharp

the midges are biting like mofos at the moment even though I was using a repellent, was camping near aughavannagh, was hoping to get higher but it looked like the weather was closing in a bit

aaakev

Does anyone use garlic tablets? I take then every year and never get bitten, forgot to start this year and got a real bad bite 2 weeks ago, started taking the a couple of days after it and haven't been bitten since.

Was up biking in the mountains on Wednesday and the rest of the lads were eaten alive but they just avoided me completely

duckysauce

Avon skin so soft works extremely well and contains no deet, and doesn't stink like the chemical repellents

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Avon-Original-Spray-Jojoba-Citronellol/dp/B002MDAOSQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1436734274&sr=8-1&keywords=avon+skin+so+soft+mosquito

unkel

Brilliant! I'll definitely bring a clove of garlic on my next hike. Midges, like mosquitoes, are attracted by the CO2 from your breath, so I wouldn't mind at all spoiling their fun by taking a bite of it

Will also buy some of that Avon stuff, when I googled garlic and midges earlier, I too came upon a link saying the Avon spray worked very well.

aaakev

I use oderless garlic tablets you get in the chemist, dont fancy walking around stinking of garlic!

Pat Mustard

What's this about garlic? It keeps the midges away?

You learn something new every day!

Losty Dublin

Pat Mustard wrote: »

What's this about garlic? It keeps the midges away?

You learn something new every day!

Garlic is long known as a natural remedy for repelling bugs and fleas and midges.

To work best you need to be taking garlic capsules or tablets over time; it's not as simple as munching on a clove as you park the car at the bottom of Crone Wood

aaakev

After my bad bite I decided to get 1,000mg capsules, they worked within a couple of days! Usually take 500mg capsules. A pack lasts me the whole summer. Pain in the face if you head out and forget to bring your spray

silverharp

I was using the Avon stuff but might have put it on too late. This time of the year generally prefer to camp higher , more wind and less bugs

Carawaystick

Cleevaun Lough's class, walked across it before one winter many moons ago, and camped there too a different and warmer time.

Gin and Tonic works - I think its the gin, but not sure if the quinine makes yer blood unpalatable to the little midges
and eucalyptus branches as a switch work too


I'm itching just typing this though

saccades

The avon works more by drowning them in it's oily residues than anything chemical - and you smell like a tarts handbag.