After a winter's respite, armies of midges arrive as the frost disappears, hatching from May onwards and making it their mission to ruin camping trips, picnics and barbecues throughout what resembles the Scottish summer.
In an attempt to help potential victims prepare, her company, Advanced Pest Solutions, has developed a Midge Forecast , which is available online and as an app. It uses weather forecast information and data collected from traps to predict which areas will be worst affected.
Fact file
Culicoides impunctatus , is the most bloodthirsty. It is particularly prevalent around dawn and dusk and in the Highlands and north-western Scotland, where damp conditions provide perfect breeding grounds.
An individual midge is almost invisible to the human eye, at about a millimetre long. Only the bloodthirsty female causes us torment. The male feeds on plants and nectar, while his mate requires blood to form her eggs. Midges are alerted to human prey by the carbon dioxide on our breath. A swarm can inflict about 3000 bites per hour using a distinctive feeding technique: while mosquitos pierce the skin and suck up blood through a syringe-like mouthpiece, midges cut the skin, and then lick up the pool of blood that forms.
It may feel that we are the chosen victims, but midges don't just prey on humans – and there is no evidence that they favour us. Studies have found blood in midge guts from cattle, deer, sheep, cats, dogs, rabbits and mice. Bluetongue, a debilitating disease that affects sheep and cattle, is transmitted by a type of midge.
If prevention fails, there are chemical solutions available, including insect repellents that contain DEET, or the natural alternative, citronella, which is made from lemongrass extract and can be bought as a spray or infused in candles. These work by blocking the insect’s odour receptors on the antennae and mouthparts, confusing the midge and effectively camouflaging the person. Homespun repellents include bog myrtle (the main ingredient in Bog Myrtle Ale) found growing wild across the Highlands, and thyme. Midges are also repelled by smoke, the stronger the better, so keep those Churchill cigars handy and you may find mutters of disapproval replaced by desperate requests.
More than just an inconvenience, midges cause economic hardship too, costing Scotland's tourist industry an estimated £286m per year - damage to some extent offset by the knowledge that they may be in the process of becoming our least popular export. Though common in Scotland for centuries, with climate change their range is increasing, and midges are now commonly found in the Lake District and North Wales, with reports of them enjoying human snacks as far south as Cornwall. Midges clearly enjoy blue blood as much as any other kind. In 1872 Queen Victoria was forced to abandon a picnic in Sutherland after complaining of being 'half-devoured' by the beasties.
