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Posted: Fri 15 Aug, 2014 1:26 pm
by WiggyDiggy
Fantastic!Midges - A fire can help yes but apparently moisturizer/after sun works wonders also.

Posted: Fri 15 Aug, 2014 8:47 pm
by raveydavey
WiggyDiggy wrote: Fantastic!Midges - A fire can help yes but apparently moisturizer/after sun works wonders also. Apparently the Royal Marines swear by Avon Skin So Soft moisturiser (you need the green one it seems). They say there's nothing like it for keeping the "wee beasties" away when on guard duty at Faslane....http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland/t ... 1-1403152I find eating Marmite also works - something to do with the high content of B vitamins that they don't like.

Posted: Fri 15 Aug, 2014 9:22 pm
by Leodian
raveydavey wrote: WiggyDiggy wrote: Fantastic!Midges - A fire can help yes but apparently moisturizer/after sun works wonders also. Apparently the Royal Marines swear by Avon Skin So Soft moisturiser (you need the green one it seems). They say there's nothing like it for keeping the "wee beasties" away when on guard duty at Faslane....http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland/t ... 1-1403152I find eating Marmite also works - something to do with the high content of B vitamins that they don't like. That's fascinating raveydavey. I wonder if using marmite on the skin would work even better! As to midges I recall once reading that they are said to be preferentially attracted to females rather than males. Something to do with body scents.

Posted: Fri 15 Aug, 2014 10:43 pm
by Tasa
Leodian wrote: raveydavey wrote: WiggyDiggy wrote: Fantastic!Midges - A fire can help yes but apparently moisturizer/after sun works wonders also. Apparently the Royal Marines swear by Avon Skin So Soft moisturiser (you need the green one it seems). They say there's nothing like it for keeping the "wee beasties" away when on guard duty at Faslane....http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland/t ... 1-1403152I find eating Marmite also works - something to do with the high content of B vitamins that they don't like. That's fascinating raveydavey. I wonder if using marmite on the skin would work even better! As to midges I recall once reading that they are said to be preferentially attracted to females rather than males. Something to do with body scents. I can vouch for the recommendation for Skin So Soft. I visit the Isle of Man every year and have had very nasty bites from horseflies while over there. Two colleagues where I used to work, both of whom own horses, recommended this as a solution, and I haven't had a horsefly bite since then! I call it my "armour-plating" and spray it on liberally before going for a walk in the countryside!

Posted: Fri 15 Aug, 2014 11:04 pm
by Leodian
Hi Tasa. Are horseflies those large very black flies that have a long narrow black appendage that seems to hang down when they are flying around? I have not yet this year had a walk in the Eccup Reservoir area but I know those flies are a real pest when they are for example around there.

Posted: Sat 16 Aug, 2014 12:58 pm
by Tasa
Leodian wrote: Hi Tasa. Are horseflies those large very black flies that have a long narrow black appendage that seems to hang down when they are flying around? I have not yet this year had a walk in the Eccup Reservoir area but I know those flies are a real pest when they are for example around there. Yes, I think they are the ones you mean. They can be black but the ones which used to attack me were dark brown (I assume they are just the type which happen to inhabit the Isle of Man) and once they bit you, they were hard to remove as they latched on to you firmly. I've never been bitten by one in the UK but if I'm up near Eccup Reservoir I'll be sure to apply my armour-plating first!

Posted: Sat 16 Aug, 2014 3:19 pm
by Leodian
Cheers Tasa. Talking of flies (the flying type ) there does seem to be more around this year, including some larger ones, after their numbers seemed to have fallen a lot in recent years. Presumably the weather has been good for them (no doubt the spiders are also quite happy!).