Insect menace that costs tourism £286m targeted by new wave of companies
By Karen Hussein

IT costs the Scottish tourist industry £286 million each  year in lost revenue, accounts for 20% of man hours lost by the Forestry Commission and hits farmers for a £20m bill for damage to livestock. The midge, according to Edinburgh University researchers, finds many ways to take a sizeable bite out of the Scottish economy.

But with the publication tomorrow of the VisitScotland-approved "midge forecast" by Scotland's leading midge expert Dr Alison Blackwell, marking the start of Scotland's midge season, entrepreneurial Scots firms are finding that technological advances mean that even a midge cloud has a silver lining.

Texol Ltd, the Dundee-based manufacturer that spun off from NCR in 1998, is one company that has invested heavily in combating the pest. In 2003, Texol developed the Midgeater, a machine that sucks up the insects after mimicking the CO2-generating effects of animal breath, which attracts the insects. The machines have proved effective at festivals and events around Scotland, and have generated £2.6m in sales. Now the company, which narrowly escaped bankruptcy after the loss of a contract with its parent company, is hoping that its new products the Midg-it and Midg-e will become "as regular a sight as stove heaters in Scottish gardens", according to general manager Brian Frame.

Texol, which recently received a financial lifeline from the Glasgow investment fund Symphony Corporate, launched the Midg-e last month. Powered by propane gas and electricity, the new devices will be smaller and cheaper to produce and, with a retail price under £500, more accessible to the domestic market.

Texol has adapted the technology to combat mosquitoes in around 15 overseas markets from Norway to China, where it sees huge growth opportunities. Frame expects the insect-busters to account for £1m of projected £6m turnover next year.

Glasgow-based Innovent (Scotland) Ltd, founded by entrepreneur Bobby Motherwell, is also hoping to cash in on the scourge of Scotland.

A former ventilation engineer, Motherwell invented the Barrfly - a light, fabric-based ducting which creates an air curtain that cannot be penetrated by flying insects and can be fitted around outdoor structures, such as gazebos and covered patios. The device has been successfully installed at Carrick Golf Club and Leisure Spa on the banks of Loch Lomond.

Helen Clarke, manager of the Claret Jug Restaurant at the club, where the Barrfly has been installed, says: "Our guests can enjoy a glass of wine and the lovely views without being bothered."

Motherwell extols the bottom-line benefits that this protection affords: "If this system allows pubs and hotels to keep serving outdoors for an extra four hours a day, the maths is very easy."

Midges may be a nuisance to humans, but for livestock they can deadly. There are hopes that the Midgeater and Barrfly technology that has proven effective in the tourism sector can be adapted to help to protect livestock across Scotland. Midges carry bluetongue disease which kills sheep and occasionally cows. Texol and Innovent have already adapted their inventions to help relieve the threat to cattle. Nigel Miller, vice-president of NFU Scotland, said: "Combating bluetongue is our number one priority in light of the epidemic in Europe last year. This technology is an essential building block in ensuring we can control the disease."

Miller explained that the Barrfly is being installed around farm buildings and midge-catching traps are help to identify different kinds of midges, helping farmers to vaccinate efficiently and effectively The Midgeater, the Barrfly and the midge forecast were developed in partnership with Advanced Pest Solutions an "insect management consultancy", spun out from the Institute of Cel Biology at Edinburgh University, headed by Blackwell."

"Midges used to be seen as a quaint Scottish problem and control was considered out of the question," says Blackwell, "but through our understanding of how they interact with the environment, a number of new technologies has evolved.

"We are now able to incorporate these into a business model to tackle biting insects."

For the tourism sector, any solution that can make an impact on Scotland's midge problem is cause for celebration.

Iain Herbert, chief executive of the Scottish Tourism Forum agrees that any company tackling the midge problem in Scotland can only be good news: "Scotland has so much to offer and encouraging visitors to stay longer and enjoy more of the countryside is essential for growth.

"The midge machine is a great example of Scottish innovation, and although we don't see many people put off travelling to parts of Scotland because of the midge problem this can certainly make the outdoor experience a lot more pleasant."