1x 150ml SKIN so SOFT ® AVON Dry Oil Body Spray ORIGINAL® +jojoba insect repellent

Product Information

Midges have been around for thousands of years but with climate change, they are increasing their range and extending their season.

Calm, windless days and dull days are likely to be more midgey– midges stop flying in wind speeds greater than about 6mph. Still, if you want to give midges the elbow this is one of the best products to buy and the fact it doesn’t use DEET or indeed any nasty chemicals is a massive bonus. Wearing light-coloured clothing may attract fewer midges as, like goths, midges seem to prefer dark colours.It’s also the cheapest of the bunch, has a manual pump dispenser, and it’s infused with natural oils so it’s virtually free of chemicals. I have to start this review by saying I’ve used Mosi-Guard natural repellent before and while it works, in my opinion it’s not quite as good as Smidge or any product that uses DEET. All you need to do is spray your exposed areas. The spray should last long enough to ward off any potential mosquitoes. If you’re using a non-spray Avon product, you can rub the product over the exposed areas.

We’ve been using Smidge insect repellent for about 6 years and find it to be very effective against the wee beasties.

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Don’t worry too much about the midges in Scotland and don’t let them put you off visiting this beautiful country. Midge bites don’t irritate me as much as mosquito or cleg (horse fly) bites and as midges don’t transmit disease to humans, I’m more relaxed about midges. We generally find it’s too windy for midgies most of the time anyway! When you go out and it isn’t that windy, carry a couple of different natural insect repellents and a midge hood and hopefully, you should be fine. The recommended product to achieve that goal is Smidge which uses a proven formulation that deters midges while also being safe to use, non-greasy, well-priced, and comes in a tough, easy-to-use container. What are your best products for repelling midges in Scotland? What’s your advice for avoiding midge bites? Please post in the comments below. Don’t use products with strong perfumes as these can attract midges (eg. deodorant, shampoo, soap, perfume, shower gel, etc.)

Smidge comes in a pump spray and is like a moisturising milk or lotion which you apply to your skin. Midges tend to come out in Scotland around the end of May and will hang around annoying us until the middle of September. Midges love warm and damp conditions the best. This makes dawn and dusk particularly popular for them. If you have to go outside during their key weather conditions, make sure you’ve liberally applied the aforementioned insecticide, and wear long-sleeved/legged clothing to cover as much exposed skin as possible.Using Avon’s “Bug Guard” is a good solution for a (relatively) cheap repellent that also aids your skin. Regular Avon Skin-So-Soft will work too, but only for a fraction of the time, it seems. Though, it’s better than using other items around your house, such as Listerine.

Buzz Off Spray Although it says this repellent is for mosquitoes I have found it to be useful against Scottish midge. It has a very pungent repellent smell on your skin but it's good at midge protection. This is DEET based and you should be aware it can ruin some plastics, such as watchstraps, but it does see off a wide range of insects including midges. It works by deterring insects from landing on the skin. Buy from outdoor stores including Tiso. Midges (also called gnats) are tiny flying insects and the Highland midge (Culicoides Impunctatus) is the one that causes issues, particularly in Western Scotland and the Highlands. Nature’s way There are said to be some natural midge such as essential oils like Eucalyptus, lavender and lemon. The results vary between people although these oils can make you smell rather nice! A brand called Incognito make hair and body wash infused with citronella and tee tree for "natural anti-insect camouflage". Eating Marmite before and during your time near midges is also meant to repel them. We’re not sure about this one. Make friends with bats! A single bat can eat 3,000 midges and other insects in one night. These are really effective and suit outdoor eating scenarios, picnics and BBQs, although BBQ smoke does a good job of keeping the midges away too. Midges dislike the smell of the candles, so burn a couple at a time to double your chances of keeping them away. What time of year do midges come out in Scotland?

Choosing the right insecticide to repel midges

Cover exposed skin– midges have short mouth parts so can’t bite through material although they will crawl under clothes. Midges are insects with a wingspan of just 1-2mm. They need blood to survive and enjoy feasting on animals and humans. While Avon Skin-So-Soft is not as effective as DEET-based repellents, it still does a decent job of repelling mosquitoes. This is possibly due to one of its ingredients, icaridin. 1 2