Bloody midges

[Onthedrops]

Me and the boy had a bit of a father/ son bonding session yesterday.
We loaded the MTBs on the back of the car and made the relatively short journey to a popular trail for a steady ride.
The weather was cool but pleasant and dry.
To fend off any cold I wore a long sleeve jersey but opted for MTB baggy shorts.

We had a great ride out, spending quality time together and both enjoyed ourselves. The trail ran through patches of trees and a few times I told my lad to keep his mouth shut so as not to swallow the myriad of midges flying around the trees!

No big deal, but this morning I got up, with itchy legs, neck and face from the multitude of midge bites. Think Singing Detective and that was me. (If you're too young to remember, try Google)
Work colleagues instantly avoided me thinking I had summat contagious until I informed them differently.

In brief, the weather may well be getting colder, but on a mild afternoon out on the trails, don't discount the appearance of those tiny biting blighters.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

I was just thinking tonight as I went through a swarm that we need a real cold spell to kill the buggers off, not had any bites for a while but fed up of swallowing the things.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I was just thinking tonight as I went through a swarm that we need a real cold spell to kill the buggers off, not had any bites for a while but fed up of swallowing the things.

Tabasco helps ..,,

 

[Shut Up Legs]

They're out of control on parts of my commute home, thanks to a much warmer than usual winter (in fact, winter was a non-event here in Australia). Perhaps I should just save money on dinner, and eat dinner while I ride home...

 

[Turdus philomelos]

Saliva is the best antihistamine.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Try a (tobacco) ciggie, it keeps them away ... allegedly

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Try a (tobacco) ciggie, it keeps them away ... allegedly

That's what I was told when I lived on Skye, didn't seem to work though so many of the blighter's.

 

[pawl]

Tabasco helps ..,,

I prefer salt and vinegar on mine.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I prefer salt and vinegar on mine.

Are you Northen by chance?

 

[pawl]

Are you Northen by chance?

North West Leicestershire.Does that make me northern

 

[Fab Foodie]

North West Leicestershire.Does that make me northern

Enough! It's only the metropolitan elites darn sarf that use Tabasco

I'm from Exeter ... Almost everything is northern from there!

 

[Globalti]

When I was a kid every family holiday was camping and climbing somewhere in Scotland and almost every holiday got cut short when we were overwhelmed by midges and headed for the sanctuary of home. In those days there was no DEET and we didn't know about mozzie coils.

Books have been written about the effect of the midge on the Scottish economy. They deter tourists and make outdoor work almost impossible during the summer. When we retire there we will have a midge magnet in the garden to try to reduce the local population.

 

[Jody]

Are you Northen by chance?

Gravy would be the prefered choice.

 

[Jody]

In brief, the weather may well be getting colder, but on a mild afternoon out on the trails, don't discount the appearance of those tiny biting blighters.

Never seen as many midges as when we went to Llandegla last week. You wait all winter for warmer weather and dry trails but then hate it when the midges appear.

 

[tyred]

Try a (tobacco) ciggie, it keeps them away ... allegedly

I carried out an experiment by smoking 20 - 30 cigarettes a day for most of my adult life but I still got bitten by the little blackguards.