My sister and brother in law in Ayreshire wear mesh nets over their heads in the season - I've never seen them but I guess if everyone wears them it wouldn't seem so funny!

If all else fails I will go for the beekeeper look then ;) cheers Sue

Thick skins!
A recommended repelent is the product 'Skin so Soft' from Avon cosmetics. I have not used it so can't recommend.

Midge is more of a problem on the west coast than the east. Though even there unless you walk through a cloud of them they are not usually a problem. I seem to remember from serious mountaineering days (rather than the amble days we have now) that not washing helped! There are innumerable products that claim to deter the beastie - none or all work depending on your point of view. Where are you in the UK Magna?

I'm in Glasgow, I've tried the skin so soft but they changed the formula and it doesn't smell the same and no longer effective :( I want to avoid the mega strong stuff like jungle formula, particularly as its not suitable for children and my 4 year old catching the gardening bug from me.....

I know there is an 'organic' product but damned if I can remember its name! Will come back to you if it springs to mind - though little 'springs' to mind these days!

I know I'm not in scotland, but have similar conditions. And having lots of water on the plot. Have no end of midges. I steep bruised lavender, mint and ground elder leaves in water for a couple of days, filter and spray around the skin areas that are afected, usually anything visible. And I keep the spray close at hand for when the smell evaporates.

I heartily agree with bulba - skin so soft by Avon - works very well and it smells nice too. Its a soft oil so I imagine they don't like to bite/sting through it. Its very cheap too.

Sadly the new version of skin so soft apparently doesn't deter the midge. Friends of ours stayed on west coast last weekend and warned me this morning that the formula has been changed resulting in lovely soft skin but lots of midge bites!

Oh no - I shall get on to my niece immediately, she is a rep for the company - and complain on all midge sufferers behalf.

Avon will be losing a huge percentage of their Skin So Soft sales now then! I must tell you a little story though. I used to get really bad reactions to midge bites, every year. Then, one year on holiday in St Lucia in the Caribbean I was bitten by mosuitoes...54 horrid big lumps all over my body on day 1! Since then....no reaction to the midge bites.......I don't recommend as a 'cure' but isn't that weird?

Apparently, quite a few years ago, scientists were trying to develop a spray, using oils from Myrica gale, {bog myrtle}, wether they ever succeded I have not heard, if they did they have kept it very quiet, apparently where it grows wild, the area is free from midges, Derek.

There must be whole squads of scientists trying to solve the West of Scotland Midgy problem Derek......let's hope they get there soon!

I get eaten alive everywhere I go, think Amsterdam and Hamburg only 2 places abroad I have visited and not came back like a dot to dot..... The woodland fresh skin so soft did use to work but now :( have bought some Citronella torch candles to stick in the grass, will see how I get on with them x really want to avoid the Ppt stuff

No it isn't Derek!!! (the area where it grows is free from midges). The best use for Bog Mirtle is to break off a branch and use it as a swatter.

lol BA..sounds like you are speaking from bitter experience. I to have used an organic product for repelling, and it worked a treat. I remember using Jungle Formula...that works...but there is a natural one....let me think....oh, now I've just remembered this too...if you go to your local homeopathic store, you can get vitamin B tabs that you start taking a week before you go and it builds up a smell in your skin. They apparently think you are a plant and don't bother with you! It seems to work, but it really makes me smell horrid, so i'm not over keen to try that one again!