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

Product Information

The worst places for midges in Scotland are the areas where you’ll find their preferred habitats such as wet, boggy, sheltered areas. While I rate it above Smidge as a repellent it’s not waterproof, so if you go for a dip you’ll have to re-apply it. Calm, windless days and dull days are likely to be more midgey– midges stop flying in wind speeds greater than about 6mph. Smidge keeps midges, mosquitoes, horseflies and other biting critters at bay for up to 8 hours with just one application and it’s also water-resistant, so if you feel the need to go wild swimming you won’t have to re-apply it.

It’s actually only the females that bite as they need lots of protein to form their clutches of eggs, but while they mostly feed on cattle and wild animals they’re also quite happy to chow down on any passing human that comes within range whether young, old, male or female. We sometimes use Incognito insect repellent which we also spray onto our clothes to help protect against ticks. Wearing light-coloured clothing may attract fewer midges as, like goths, midges seem to prefer dark colours. 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. Fieldsports Press Limited, Epsilon House, Enterprise Road, Southampton Science Park, Southampton, SO16 7NS, United Kingdom.

Avon’s Skin So Soft This moisturiser was not created as a midge fighter but for some reason, someone realised it works against the beasties. Bruce Potts, deer stalker and Shooting Times contributor comments: “I use Skin so Soft in Scotland stalking because I stalk with a woolly knitted hat. These machines work by emitting high-frequency sound waves or electromagnetic fields that are designed to be unpleasant to midges, but not harmful to humans or other animals. Though it’s unclear if the 40-minute study used Avon’s Bug Guard repellent brand, despite mentioning it in the paper .

Midge bites are initially quite painful and they quickly develop into itchy red skin blotches that can easily break and become infected if scratched hard. The best way to avoid being bitten by midges is to cover up your bare skin at times when they are most likely to be around.

If you're looking for long-lasting protection from mosquitoes and deer ticks, which may carry and transmit Lyme disease, choose AVON Bug Guard's green Expedition line, which repels insects for eight hours and deer ticks for ten hours.

There are nearly 40 species of biting midge in Scotland but only five of these are thought to regularly feed on people. Finally, it’s not water-resistant so you’ll have to re-apply it after taking a dip, but apart from those points Avon Skin So Soft is highly recommended. As they are so sensitive to weather conditions, you may not even see any at all (but you'll be ready if you do)! While it is not officially mentioned by Avon that this product, infused with natural oils and citronella aroma offers the best midge protection, it comes highly recommended by the Marines and the SAS. Smidge That Midge: One of the most highly acclaimed midge repellents, it comes as a pump spray and claims to be water and sweat resisting formula with “immediate protection for up to eight hours without re-application”.Dermatologist-tested, hypoallergenic and Vitamin E-rich are just some of the benefits of this collection, which is completely free of DEET (a chemical component with a negative reputation shown to induce neurological abnormalities in high quantities). Moreover, if you find yourself out in the field on a cloudy, warm day, wading through long damp undergrowth, it can be virtually impossible. Each week, we'll feature a collection that will help you and your family avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas this summer.