Wilmas Nordic Summer is a traditional insect repellent made in the forest region of Swedish Lapland, utilising the old knowledge and techniques that have been used for centuries by the forest people who have lived and worked there.

Let’s assume you want to set out for your hiking trip this season and venture right in the lion’s den in Lapland. I do agree with the Telegraph* article that what we eat might affect our attractiveness to insects. It's said that garlic puts them off. I supplement ginger oil capsules, just for health reasons, and ginger contains a fraction of eucalyptol. Don't usually bring them on hikes but now might.

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So that’s the painful bitey bit out of the way, but what happens afterwards? Well, that’s the worst part in my opinion because now we have to put up with the maddeningly itchy red bump that’s left behind. First off, if you’re choosing between staying in a tent or a hotel you might want to consider a hotel, even though it’ll be a lot more expensive. Midges hate air-conditioning and they’re reluctant to go inside buildings so a hotel will pretty much guarantee a good night’s sleep free from itchy, buzzy critters. EFFECTIVE BUG REPELLENT: Our natural wasp insect spray is a great alternative to wasp nest killers, working as an effective outdoor insect control and wasp deterrent spray. This natural insect repellent spray helps protect your home from both bees and wasps, also working as a fly deterrent indoor. Try our insect spray for home now! Nordic Summer has been used used in Scandinavia since the mid 1800’s for a variety of uses including insect repellent. It’s widely used by bushcraft instructors throughout the UK and Europe as insect repellent as it has a pleasant “woodland” smell about it being a distillate of natural birch tar.

Aside from knowing when midge numbers will be at their peak and in which environments, there’s another tool you should use to steer clear of the worst affected areas in Scotland. The company Smidge is at the front line of Highland midge defence, and their insect repellent is the number one go-to spray that’s used by locals to protect themselves. Simply warm the tin in your hands (which melts the top layer of tar oil enabling the lid to be twisted off), then rub it onto yourself using your finger tips. It does look like boot polish, but don’t be put off! They're attracted to the headtorch I wear to read. I've learned to live with those common small white moths that flutter about and often land on my book. But getting dive-bombed by large, frenzied moths is always chaotic. No. Individual mosquitos cannot survive winter conditions and all of the X trillion individuals die. Only the eggs survive and first species start to hatch usually when the snow is melting. Spring and early summer are the worst times. Some species have two reproduction cycles per year if the conditions are right or simply start hatching later in the season. So there is not something as a “save season” as long as it is not freezing. In our experience a temperature drop to below 8° C is enough to give you peace though. Do daytimes matter?

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Phase 2 of the ‘Out About Scotland anti-midge protection plan®’ is to use a quality insect repellent spray, and I’ve used quite a few in my time so I’ve got some good suggestions for you. We have 37 species of midge here in Scotland but the most prevalent is C. impunctatus which loves laying its eggs in wet soil, something we’re not exactly short of in this country.

The midge problem and its effect on the Scottish tourism industry have led to calls to have them completely eradicated from certain areas, and even from the entire country. It’s a nice thought, but aside from the difficulty in removing them from the ecosystem, there are unknown side effects that could wreak havoc on the food chain. When summer’s nearly over the eggs hatch and the larvae dig down into the soil a few centimetres for protection against the harsh winter climate. They then wriggle about in the soil looking for organic debris to eat which will keep them going until they’re ready to emerge again in May. As soon as May arrives the larvae pupate for 24 to 48 hours, after which the adult males emerge, followed shortly after by the females. So why are we getting bitten and they’re not? Well, the answer appears to be related to their smell. On the flip side of the coin, some scientists suggest that eradicating midges in Scotland will have a minimal effect on the animals that feed on them as these predators will simply find something else to eat, though a reduction in the ‘something else’ could lead to further unwanted changes in the ecosystem.

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No breeze, or at least any wind speed under 5 mph (8 km/h). Anything over that and the wee blighters struggle to take off. I'd add PMD to Saltidin (aka Picaridin or Icaridin) and Deet as a formula that works. Last summer on my long walk, I took Smidge and Incognito with me, and both worked. Incognito's formula, PMD, contains eucalyptol, so that chimes with this piece of research.