It is almost invisible to the naked eye, one millimetre in length with a wingspan of less than two millimetres and yet there may be no greater threat to human happiness in the Scottish Highlands during the summer months than the midge.
The poet Edwin Morgan called them "little Draculas" in his poem Midge but maybe this summer a new solution to combat their vampiric taste for human blood is on its way.
An insect repellent that has been hugely successful in the United States is being brought to this side of the Atlantic for its ultimate test.
Bug Soother, created by an Iowan soap and candle store owner Freda Sojka, has already sold more than one million bottles in the US, with projected sales expected to top 2.5million in 2015.
This has prompted Inverness entrepreneur Willie Petrie to sign a UK distribution deal for the spray in a bid to see if it can work here.
Petrie - who until 2012 ran his own Highland Timber Buildings business - discovered the spray online. It contains only natural ingredients, including lemongrass oil, vanilla and lemons.
Bug Soother will be the latest in a long line of attempts to tackle Scotland's midge problem. Over the years it's been suggested that to escape being bitten one should smoke a pipe, wear light clothing, stay as far away from lochs and ponds as possible or even - as the Highlanders were meant to do in the olden days - tie bog myrtle around your ankles.
And if you're a tall man or a woman with a large body index maybe you should just consider staying away all together. Scientific research carried out by Aberdeen University in 2010 found that tall men and overweight women were the most likely to be bitten.
Midges tend to fly well above head height so, they are more likely to land on tall men first, while overweight women produce more carbon dioxide and lactic acid, both of which are particularly tasty to passing midge swarms.
As yet there is no scientific evidence to suggest crucifixes, garlic or holy water are effective midge deterrents.
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