Midge Eaters

[Gerbil0154]

Having just returned to Ireland from a Loch Arcaig Ferox trip at the weekend, I am still scratching from the Midge attacks. Weather conditions were perfect for the little B@$*"^ds, no wind and light rain.

 

We have our boat moored permanently on the Loch and have a caravan sited on the lochside during the fishing season. The blank weekend left plenty of time for socalising with various neighbours, and the subject got around to the machines commonly called midge eaters. These run on Calor gas and give off CO2, attracting the little pests to the vicinity of the machine where they are sucked into a netting bag for later disposal.

 

We looked at them a couple of years ago when they were around £1,000-00 and decided they were too expensive, despite the salesman waxing lyrical about how good they were.

 

They are now around £500-00 and this is manageable between us and our neighbours.

 

Heres the question though. If the thing is on, do the midges go towards it rather than us?

 

We remeber the sales pitch hinted that it needed to be run pretty continuously to depress the local population.

(A bit like the local population depress us )

 

Has anyone any experience of these machines. Are they suitable for use on a weekend trip when all we require is to get the little buggers to leave us alone.

 

Any help from someone with experience of these would be most appreciated.

[nick]

They do work to an extent.

 

I've yet to see any real population decrease at my outlaws house despite them having now run one for three years

 

If you hope to buy one and then have a midge free experience keep your money in your pocket, if you would be happy with a marked decrease in attacks from the wee blighters whilst the machine is running, then you will probably be pleased to buy one.

 

Would I buy one - no!

 

Why do they tell you they need to run constantly...

 

How much is a gas bottle...

[Clifftop]

We have mozzie zappers,i know they work on moths great but not sure about the mozzies (lol ) cos there's no way to tell.

To answer your question we place the zapper away from where we sit and all the flying insects then go to it and not us.

Edited August 13, 2007 by Clifftop

[Sportsman]

They can have an effect if used more or less continuously over a period of time. Because they target the females which are the only ones that feed they will have an effect on a local population over a period. However, to set on up and hope for instant relief just isn't going to work. Trying to eradicate the midge population of Arkaig is like trying to stop a blizzard by catching a snowflake.

Drench yourself in the strongest solution of DEET you can find, then cover yourself with nets and hoods so that not a single piece of bare flesh is exposed.

Once you have done all of that, give up and go home

You could have a look here

 

http://www.midgeforecast.co.uk/2007/default_map.asp

[Gerbil0154]

Thanks to all who replied. As I suspected, a midge eater looks like another piece of kit which would be useless in our particular situation.

 

The midge map posted tells the story. The Arkaig bis rated the highest for the pests. Thank goodness they dont seem to trouble us when we get out on the water. Just have to wear the net on the way out and in.

 

Thanks again for your advice, it is appreciated

[Lid]

D-allethrin mosquito mats are very effective and very cheap. We've used them for years both at home and on holiday because my wife is very prone to mosquito and midge bites. I'm was not aware of any health risks to humans from this chemical and it even works if the windows are open. However a quick search today suggests that there may be a slight risk, see here.

[garylee]

Eat marmite it stops midges biting.

A friend told me it works on her horse.

[captain cojones]

Eat marmite it stops midges biting.

A friend told me it works on her horse.

 

what.she gives it to her horse? or he/she eats it and they dont bite if sat on a horse?

have to try that i love marmite!

[garylee]

Some horses suffer from a complaint during the summer called sweet itch caused by midge bites

The horse has marmite in hot water which is the used to soak its feed or carrots aredipped in it .

 

Read this http://www.stevecarter.com/ansh/midge.htm

[RobStubbs]

D-allethrin mosquito mats are very effective and very cheap. We've used them for years both at home and on holiday because my wife is very prone to mosquito and midge bites. I'm was not aware of any health risks to humans from this chemical and it even works if the windows are open. However a quick search today suggests that there may be a slight risk, see here.

 

See also here Allethrin Pesticide Info. Nothing however is risk free and this doesn't appear to be banned in any country so I'd be quite happy using it still. Certainly preferable to getting eaten alive by the little flying vampires.

 

Rob.