Ane treatise o' Glen Lyon

Be warned...the Scottish midge, also known as a midgie, is looking for new tourist blood. Unfortunately they like to congregate in Western Scotland - MacGregor territory!

What is a Midge?

A midge is a tiny two-winged fly related to the mosquito. There are thousands of midge species, however those of most interest to us are members of the Ceratopogonidae family - the "Biting Midges."

Many people believe that all midges bite but most species of midges are actually harmless. These "friendly" midges belong to the Chironomidae family, and have no piercing mouthparts. Unfortunately for us, there are plenty of biting midges about, ready to cause mayhem!

Biting midges tend to be especially small and typically have a wingspan of less than 2mm across. They can be identified by characteristic dark spots or blotches on their wings.

Only a few of the biting midges actually feed off humans. Many of them feed off other warm-blooded creatures - such as mammals and birds. Some even feed off other insects. The midge's breed in a wide variety of moist habitats, usually amongst decaying vegetation. They find their victims primarily by smell. Scottish scientists have confirmed that midges find some people a more attractive bite than others. A study which tested the response of midges to human perspiration suggests that the type of chemicals found in the sweat influences the targets chosen by the insect.

After a bite, the body's repair mechanism will eventually heal the wound, and it is this healing process that produces most of the itching and swelling.

Read more about the infamous Scottish pest here: http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/usfeatures/midges/

Be Prepared! Repellants and Itch Soothers

Since the midge is related to the mosquito you can arrive in Scotland prepared for battle! Some of the more popular bug repellants sold by camping and sporting goods shops should work fairly well. Many popular insect repellants are rated and compared here: http://www.deet.com/insect_repellents.htm.

Recreational Equipment, Inc. sells the ever popular Jungle Juice with 100% DEET as well as other more natural products.

If you are staying outdoors for a lengthy time - camping or picnicking - you may want to invest in a solar powered or battery operated bug zapper.

Good Midgies?

Yes, there is a good Midgie...in fact a couple of them...in the rock band The Midgies!

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Updated 29 January, 2008