{"id":10352,"date":"2020-10-07T17:29:01","date_gmt":"2020-10-07T15:29:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fernwehmotive.de\/?p=10352"},"modified":"2025-05-27T19:34:00","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T17:34:00","slug":"midges-schottland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fernwehmotive.de\/en\/midges-schottland\/","title":{"rendered":"Midges in Scotland - When? Where? What helps?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Scotland. <\/strong>The Highlands in Scotland are notorious for their mosquitoes - the midges. In summer they attack hikers in droves - in their thousands. A relaxed picnic break? Better not - otherwise you will quickly become a snack for the midges yourself. What helps against these pests? Which places, times and weather is better avoided for a relaxed stay outdoors? <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Unassigned, unpaid advertising. The article contains affiliate links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Help! Midge Attack!!!<\/a>
Who are these Pests? A few Facts<\/a>
When is the Season for Mosquitoes in Scotland?<\/a>
Where are the most Midges in Scotland?<\/a>
When are Midges most active?<\/a>
What Weather do Midges like?<\/a>
The Scottish midges Forecast<\/a>
What helps against Midges?<\/a>
Tips for Camping in Midge Land<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Help! Midge Attack!!!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I pull my mosquito net over my head and take a last deep breath. Then I open the zipper and force myself through the tent flap into the swarm. After only 10 seconds I am covered from top to bottom by midges. There must be thousands. Some of them have found a way into my mosquito net. I curse and pull the stakes out of the ground. We have never taken down our tent as fast as this morning. We gather everything up. Bad that our car is standing so far away. Heavily loaded we run off. I gasp for air and breathe in midges... That day we became heroes before our morning coffee - driven by the worst midge attack we have experienced during our road trip in Scotland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Midges<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Who are these Pests? A few Facts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are about 37 species of mosquitoes in Scotland. Five of them have also taken a liking to human blood. The species Culicoides Impunctatus - the so-called Highland Midge - is the most notorious of all. It usually feeds on the blood of cattle, sheep and deer. Where many animals live, mosquitoes are also to be expected. They can locate their prey at a distance of up to 200 m. Carbon dioxide serves the exact localization. If the midge remains undisturbed, it sucks about 2 \u00b5l of blood in 3-4 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Midges
They are tiny. But if they appear in a swarm, they could become a big problem. Image by Emphyrio<\/a> from Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When is the Season for Mosquitoes in Scotland?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The mosquito season in Scotland usually starts in May and ends in September. From the beginning of June, the season really starts,<\/strong>because that's when the biting females are there. July and August are generally considered the worst time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The midges start to hatch around May. First the males, about a week later the females. The males have only a short life, because they die after mating. Each female lays on average 30 to 100 eggs. The larvae hatch after 24 hours. Before they pupate into mosquitoes they go through four different larval stages. They survive the winter in the fourth larval stage a few centimeters below the ground surface, where they feed on rotting substance. The remaining midges die as soon as the autumn weather<\/strong> begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where are the most Midges in Scotland?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Midges are the most commonly found in Scotland in the Western Highlands,<\/strong> especially near water bodies, peat bogs, bushes and shrubs<\/strong>. They need the damp, swampy ground for the egg-laying. Where many sheep, cattle or wild animals<\/strong> live, there are especially many midges. At altitudes above 500 m, midges are far less common.<\/strong> anzutreffen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When are Midges most active?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Midges are most active in the early morning hours from 5 am<\/strong> with a peak between 7 and 9 am<\/strong>, just before dusk<\/strong>, and in the evening until around 11 pm<\/strong>. As soon as the irradiance of the sun is lower than 260 W\/m2, the midges come out of their hiding places. Below 130 W\/m2 all hell breaks loose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Midges
In the morning in Scotland. They are already lurking outside the tent entrance.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What Weather do Midges like?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Midges love:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n