Midges

sorella · 31-05-2009 5:52am #1

Would welcome gratefully any deterrent ideas; we are being attacked by hordes of these up here already this year.

Thank you

Morganna · 31-05-2009 9:44am

I use grape seed oil citronella and lavender .use the grapeseed oil as a base and add a few drops of citronella and lavender it works.i hate Midges

sorella · 01-06-2009 9:13am

Thank you for this; I will try to find these out here in the boonies!

I used to use essential oils a lot but we have lived in less midgy places than this for a while.

They gather outside the door here like the hordes of Midian and when we let the dogs out at 4.30 am they attack en masse.... If you hear of a ghost, 'tis I , draped in netting ..

Morganna wrote: »

I use grape seed oil citronella and lavender .use the grapeseed oil as a base and add a few drops of citronella and lavender it works.i hate Midges

Jim Martin · 01-06-2009 11:31am

Try one of these:

http://www.wyrdology.com/edinburgh/midges/midgeeater.html

Jim Martin · 01-06-2009 11:34am

In Scotland, they even have a midge forecast:

http://www.midgeforecast.co.uk/2008/

kildara · 01-06-2009 11:40am

Try Avon Skin So Soft.

The british commandos use it.

Do a quick search for it and you will see its pretty widely recognised.

sorella · 01-06-2009 12:00pm

They need it; we were on a Scottish Island for some year and grown men could not go out on bad days.

But Ireland beats that hands down.

Jim Martin wrote: »

In Scotland, they even have a midge forecast:

http://www.midgeforecast.co.uk/2008/

sorella · 01-06-2009 12:01pm

Don't think the Avon lady would come out this far!!!

What is in it though that has this effect?

kildara wrote: »

Try Avon Skin So Soft.

The british commandos use it.

Do a quick search for it and you will see its pretty widely recognised.

kildara · 01-06-2009 12:07pm

sorella wrote: »

Don't think the Avon lady would come out this far!!!

What is in it though that has this effect?

I'm not sure, some websites claim that it prevents the midges biting through it.

So long as it stops them though eh.
It smells nice too!

123oclock · 01-06-2009 7:50pm

Climbed Croagh Patrick on Sat and there was about a 200 metre section which was infested with the feckers, there was no wind and no cover, it was my first time climbing and i nearly turned back, im glad i didnt, i got about 20 bites but my girlfriend was the one who really suffered...

Esel · 02-06-2009 2:45am

Interesting fact about midges (and some/all other insects too): the farther north you go, the bigger they get! Wicklow midges < Donegal midges < Scottish midges < Icelandic midges etc. The ambient light level is a factor in their getting close to you - wearing white clothing helps, apparently.

Is it true that only the females bite? Bloody typical!

sorella · 02-06-2009 4:23pm

esel wrote: »

Interesting fact about midges (and some/all other insects too): the farther north you go, the bigger they get! Wicklow midges < Donegal midges < Scottish midges < Icelandic midges etc. The ambient light level is a factor in their getting close to you - wearing white clothing helps, apparently.

Is it true that only the females bite? Bloody typical!

Cul a cnoic · 02-06-2009 4:40pm

sorella wrote: »

Hello Sorella, I have the same problem here in West Donegal, eaten out of it all the time.

A neighbour has a midge magnet (smaller version of those used in Glenveagh) but it will go through a gas cylinder in under 2 weeks. He bought it last year on Ebay (approx 500euro I think) and it was shipped from the US. It is costly to run and will have to be turned off if there is any breeze. There is a guy in Crolly, beside Leo's bar who also sells midge magnets but I don't know what price.

My solution is bats. We have a few bats fly around some nights during the summer but not every night so therefore they are "living further afield". A bat can eat up to a thousand midges a night and I made & put up a few bat boxes on the garage some weeks ago. Hopefully they will be tempted to use the bat houses before the end of the summer and fingers crossed, a family will move in.

This is a long term solution and a very eco-friendly one, it could take many years until they "see" the bat houses but hopefully the bats will take up residance soon.

Failing this, just coveryourself with midge repellant......

bohsboy · 09-06-2009 7:43pm

Took a trip to Glenveagh today in Donegal, my God what is going on there with the midges?

As soon as we opened the car door we were attacked, had to give up after half an hour and spent an hour driving home swatting all around the car. We are covered in spots and still itching hours later!

Unreal.

gerky · 10-06-2009 1:06am

Cul a cnoic wrote: »

My solution is bats. We have a few bats fly around some nights during the summer but not every night so therefore they are "living further afield". A bat can eat up to a thousand midges a night and I made & put up a few bat boxes on the garage some weeks ago. Hopefully they will be tempted to use the bat houses before the end of the summer and fingers crossed, a family will move in.

This is a long term solution and a very eco-friendly one, it could take many years until they "see" the bat houses but hopefully the bats will take up residance soon.

Failing this, just coveryourself with midge repellant......

Just to put them in an even better light:) the common Pipistrelle can actually eat up to 3500 midges a night.

10-06-2009 1:14am

I was eaten alive by these baxtards today. I look like Spotty from Superted.

Cul a cnoic · 10-06-2009 1:15am

gerky wrote: »

Just to put them in an even better light:) the common Pipistrelle can actually eat up to 3500 midges a night.

Bat houses are ready, the "common Pipistrelle" has first refusal.:D

Wantitnow · 10-06-2009 6:21pm

Apparently an acre of bog can have upto 40 million midges...
Both my neighbours have one of those texol midge-it machines. I cant believe how useless they are, they use a bottle of propane every 3 to 4 weeks, and for that you get a handfull of dead midges. :rolleyes:

dee_mc · 10-06-2009 6:25pm

Apparently if you take a vitamin B complex supplement, midges are no longer attracted to the smell of your blood... unfortunately i'm not so good at taking my own advice, got eaten alive by the little feckers last night, so so itchy! coincidentally, any tips on how to constantly scratch in public without people thinking you have fleas?!

Zzippy · 11-06-2009 5:18pm

kildara wrote: »

Try Avon Skin So Soft.

The british commandos use it.

Do a quick search for it and you will see its pretty widely recognised.

A lot of fisheries officers here use this, these guys could be out all night on a riverbank in Connemara or Mayo staking out a poacher's net so are plagues with midges, but this stuff works better than any jungle formula or repellent...

Jim Martin · 13-06-2009 10:21am

Zzippy wrote: »

A lot of fisheries officers here use this, these guys could be out all night on a riverbank in Connemara or Mayo staking out a poacher's net so are plagues with midges, but this stuff works better than any jungle formula or repellent...

Which Avon Skin So Soft is it, presumably the insect repellant one? Looked on their website which seems to be American as their prices are quoted in $, $14, quite expensive - but if it works!

kildara · 13-06-2009 7:23pm

Jim Martin wrote: »

Which Avon Skin So Soft is it, presumably the insect repellant one? Looked on their website which seems to be American as their prices are quoted in $, $14, quite expensive - but if it works!

I use the normal one (not the insect repellent). Was up Ben Nevis today and not one bite! Heard one couple saying they were being eaten alive...

netwhizkid · 14-06-2009 9:30pm

I had to run for cover to my car this evening from the blighters and got an attack of asthma and some sort of Midge fever. I often think that our winters are more progressive if you want to any outdoor work anything after 6pm in Ireland is nightmare territory for midges.

stevoman · 15-06-2009 10:16am

got eaten alive by them last night while fishing. damn you midges.... damn you all to hell!!!!!

paddyenglishman · 22-06-2009 1:44pm

i used to get eaten by the little buggers in Kerry .I bought a midge magnet and i was very pleased with the results ,it used to eat them. If you run it long enough you can break the breeding cycle and then they thin out . I was impressed with it but i only had a small area to clear. It sure as hell was a lot safer than incinerating the buggers with a roofing torch

samson09 · 24-06-2009 6:46pm

I know a few people who swear by the Skin So Soft, seems to do the trick. Another little trick is to take garlic capsules everyday, they will buzz around you but dont feel the need to suck every drop of blood out of you. Lavender oil and lemon oil are good too.

Jim Martin · 25-06-2009 11:45am

samson09 wrote: »

I know a few people who swear by the Skin So Soft, seems to do the trick. Another little trick is to take garlic capsules everyday, they will buzz around you but dont feel the need to suck every drop of blood out of you. Lavender oil and lemon oil are good too.

Do you know how or where to get it?

samson09 · 25-06-2009 1:34pm

Jim Martin wrote: »

Do you know how or where to get it?

http://cgi.ebay.ie/2-X-AVON-SKIN-SO-SOFT-DRY-SPRAY-INSECT-REPELLENT-MOSI_W0QQitemZ390056804829QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_HeathBeauty_BathShowCons_RL?hash=item5ad13281dd&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1298%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 26-06-2009 1:11pm

I don't know why but I spend 80% of my working day and almost all my spare time outdoors and even when there are clouds of midges I never get bitten. Bad blood I suppose. :P

kildara · 26-06-2009 1:58pm

Stephen Early Villager wrote: »

Bad blood I suppose.

You should bottle this bad bood and sell it!

stick-dan · 28-06-2009 7:00am

Oh my god was home a few weekends ago and decided to walk across the field to my nans and i got covered in bites..they weren't itchy or so i just looked like i got a case of the measles i was so covered in spots:(

Jim Martin · 29-06-2009 11:36pm

Have just received my Avon Skin So Soft in the post today so will see how we get on with it!

Jim Martin · 01-07-2009 10:46pm

Jim Martin wrote: »

Have just received my Avon Skin So Soft in the post today so will see how we get on with it!

Have tried it for a couple of days now and seems to be partially effective, just got one or two nips - it seems to be about the most effective thing I've tried so far!

coolwings · 09-08-2009 9:13pm

The Avon Skin Cream does work, but in my experience it is only as effective as midge repellent with 10% DEET. Repellents with 50% to 75% DEET are effective for a full day, whereas with the Avon cream you need to reapply more every hour in midgy areas.

Here are two links that give practical midge advice:

Living with Biting Midges, Mossies and Clegs:
http://www.greenhobbymodel.com/floattubeireland/biting_midges_mossies_clegs.html

Clinical test results on Midge Repellents:
http://www.buckeyeflyfishers.com/articles/insect_repellents.htm

Run_to_da_hills · 10-08-2009 4:40am

A good old bonfire in the garden will get rid of them :P

samson09 · 10-08-2009 11:20am

coolwings wrote: »

The Avon Skin Cream does work, but in my experience it is only as effective as midge repellent with 10% DEET. Repellents with 50% to 75% DEET are effective for a full day, whereas with the Avon cream you need to reapply more every hour in midgy areas.

Here are two links that give practical midge advice:

Living with Biting Midges, Mossies and Clegs:
http://www.greenhobbymodel.com/floattubeireland/biting_midges_mossies_clegs.html

Clinical test results on Midge Repellents:
http://www.buckeyeflyfishers.com/articles/insect_repellents.htm

DEET is very effective alright, but its also very toxic.

http://www.naturalnews.com/001586.html

Dusty87 · 15-08-2009 8:51pm

Got fleeced on the bog the other evening. Covered in lumps and seriously itchy. 3 days on and im stil covered in lumps!

Midges

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