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quarryman · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 417 Location: Sligo

Ok, so apart from Napalm are there any other ways to deal with these little feckers.
We were doing very well, so far this year, they would only come out late in the evening, so I could work away in the garden all day. Then, two days ago I was working on the polyshed and clouds of the little ba*$"%*s decended. I was eaten alive and even my wife, who never gets bitten, was covered in red dots within minutes.
So now we can only work in some parts of the garden when it is breezy or raining.

We use Autan spray,[ works for a while,] Feverfew leaves, the local population of Pipestrelle bats [very effective].

So any other ideas or methods apart from "Nuke the Feckers".

Still scratching in South Sligo...................

blowin · Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 4:09 am Post subject:

Yeah , really bad these past 2 days .
I still swear by Nivea "Soft" ( intensive moisturising cream ) . Not only is it very good as a barrier against bites , you can smear it over your eyelids and in your ears and any other sensitive place the little buggers get to ! Trouble is that when they are that thick they tickle you to death anyway . I tried a liberal coating of Tea Tree oil beneath the Nivea -- seemed to help but still no fun .
As you know , I bought one of those expensive " Midge-eater" machines . The bag they get sucked into holds about 1/2 litre and it was stuffed full to overflowing in one night . That must be tens of thousands of the beasts .
That has just reminded me that I put them into the deep freezer to kill them quickly because I need the bag back . Better get them out before MOH goes there !
I once had a spare bag . When it was full I put it on a shelf in the barn and something ran off with it in the night . Must have been a lot of protein in there I guess Laughing

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quarryman · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 417 Location: Sligo

Was reading in "Exploring Irish Mammals" by Hayden and Harrington, that Pipistrelles eat approx 3500 insects each, per night, most of which will be midges.

We have a couple of colonies here so I must encourage them to breed and multiply.

We love Pipistrelles !!!!!!

lofty · Joined: 07 May 2008 Posts: 65 Location: north mayo

you should visit the gardens at the castle at glenveagh national park. I spent some time working there, never seen anything like it, 24/7 midgies. We had to wear nets over our heads to work. They have some sort of system thats attracts them that clears them for two hundred yards around.

quarryman · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 417 Location: Sligo

Blowin has one of those up at his place. It certainly works but I think he needs another ten to do the job !

blowin · Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:59 am Post subject:

As you say !
Here is a pic of the bag of midge I mentioned earlier --- removed from the freezer and displayed on a dinner plate . That is 2 nights' catch . They weigh about 11 oz / 300 g . According to the manual the m/c only catches the females so every one of those little feckers is a biter Twisted Evil

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The m/c was expensive to buy and costs about 40 euro a month to run but you can see that it would sometimes be impossible to work outside without it .

lofty · Joined: 07 May 2008 Posts: 65 Location: north mayo

that is amazing. there is nothing worse than the midge. they have ruined lives . 40 euro a month is a small price to pay for having all your blood

tringle · Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:15 pm Post subject:

Does smock get rid of them. OH uses that as a excuse to light a cigar on Sunday evenings in the garden
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quarryman · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 417 Location: Sligo

Won't get rid of them but will keep them away while the smoke is about. At the barbi the other evening, when we sat to ea,t I put Sage, Rosemary and Oregano leaves on the coals and the smoke kept the midges away and smelled quite nice.

GB · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 317 Location: Ireland

Try rubbing yourself down with a drier bounce sheet, it works for gnats where I grew up and they are just a sand midge.

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