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Midges, ticks and other bitey things - 2015 season

Re: Midges, ticks and other bitey things - 2015 season

Postby tentpeg » Wed Sep 23, 2015 4:55 pm

Midges still alive and well at the White Corries bus stop on Sunday night.
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Re: Midges, ticks and other bitey things - 2015 season

Postby Ossian22 » Wed Sep 23, 2015 6:50 pm

Midges seem to be even worse that usual this year. Last September in the same area of the Cairngorms I had no problems, this year *"#*.

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Re: Midges, ticks and other bitey things - 2015 season

Postby rgf101 » Fri Sep 25, 2015 10:18 am

No midge problems to speak of on two high camps in the Cairngorms last weekend, but plenty of tales of woe from folk who'd camped lower down. Corrour bothy was reportedly a swarm of people inside and a swarm of midges outside.
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Re: Midges, ticks and other bitey things - 2015 season

Postby Mal Grey » Fri Sep 25, 2015 10:44 am

Not too bad on the Spey last weekend, except a brief co-ordinated ambush when the sun hit the trees on Saturday morning which had us running for the canoes quickly.

Not even any ticks, despite camping in a woodland with lots of signs of recent deer.
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Re: Midges, ticks and other bitey things - 2015 season

Postby denfinella » Sat Sep 26, 2015 7:07 pm

Just a few midges down around Loch Doon today - light wind damp and overcast, so perfect conditions. Nothing serious, but usually I'd hope them to be gone for the season by now!
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Re: Midges, ticks and other bitey things - 2015 season

Postby AlisonFox66 » Sat Sep 26, 2015 10:08 pm

Midges still enjoying the catering on offer in Glen Lyon today...... Several thousand enjoyed a starter of plodding hillwalker,, followed by a main course of sitting -down -for-a-rest hillwalker
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Re: Midges, ticks and other bitey things - 2015 season

Postby Caberfeidh » Sun Sep 27, 2015 11:04 am

I reckon it is the increase in long grass and forest; a few years ago before the deer were killed off, Mar Lodge Eastate was remarkable for having very few midgies. The grass was bitten down to a smooth bowling green shortness, with no dampness to harbour the vampires. Hillsides and moors were burned yearly to get rid of the tussock-grass and this meant squillions of creepy-crawlies were sacrificed to save our skins. All this p.c. not-burning-the-natural-world has repercussions. Burn them! Burn some sense into them! Burn it all! Ahem.... sorry, I got a bit carried away there.... Anyhoo, some years frosts come early and kill off the midgies and cleggs by the first week in September, some years it takes till October. If Global Warming really happens, imagine: they might not die off until Decembuary ...
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Re: Midges, ticks and other bitey things - 2015 season

Postby Backpacker » Sun Sep 27, 2015 11:10 am

They're still live and well in Glen Nevis as I found out yesterday :lol: :lol:
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Re: Midges, ticks and other bitey things - 2015 season

Postby Susan J » Mon Sep 28, 2015 9:38 am

I was royally feasted upon by a cloud of midges in Ben Lawers car park at weekend. I have an exciting series of lumps on ankles and neck, like a plague victim. I'm currently wondering if I can get a bell and wander round saying unclean as a way of getting out of work.... My boyfriend spent the way back to our campsite hitting the windscreen to try and eliminate the sizeable number of the little blighters that had got in the car with us. This was mildly disconcerting.
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Re: Midges, ticks and other bitey things - 2015 season

Postby Caberfeidh » Mon Sep 28, 2015 6:37 pm

I reckon it is about time to sacrifice a chicken to the Frost God, Findus. A frozen one, out of Iceland. Just knock it against a standing stone somewhere, that should wake up old Findus. And thus usher in the night frosts, which kill off the creepie-crawlies and let us get on with it! Everyone together, Invoke Findus!
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Sacrifice a frozen chicken to Findus, God of Frosts !
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Re: Midges, ticks and other bitey things - 2015 season

Postby tentpeg » Tue Sep 29, 2015 6:24 pm

MWIS made mention of "ground frost" for this week so the end maybe in sight.
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Re: Midges, ticks and other bitey things - 2015 season

Postby BlackPanther » Wed Sep 30, 2015 3:26 pm

Midges still vicious near Ardgay last weekend. Also the dreaded keds - we were attacked by a whole swarm of them :shock:

Hopefully it will be over soon...
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Re: Midges, ticks and other bitey things - 2015 season

Postby Roeboe » Thu Oct 15, 2015 8:00 am

Eaten alive while having a wash in the river, 3 days ago, near bob scotts bothy.
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Re: Midges, ticks and other bitey things - 2015 season

Postby Senja » Thu Oct 15, 2015 10:18 am

Still a few yesterday on Langholm Muir. Last weekend in Sutherland was murder. Hopefully the frosts are cleaning the air.
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Re: Midges, ticks and other bitey things - 2015 season

Postby jupe1407 » Thu Oct 15, 2015 11:54 am

A nice couple of cold mornings should finish the wee ****ers off. Quite frosty in the east today.

We were in Torridon a couple of weeks ago and they were pretty bad around Loch Maree. Also a ridiculous number of Keds on the way up Slioch and back.
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