Highland midges

[rlchew]

Is anyone intending to visit the Scottish Highlands this spring and summer?

Has anyone visited in the past and experienced the menace that is the tiny Highland midge?

Well, there is some good news. The extended freezing weather is thought to have killed off billions of the hibernating beasties.

Billions of midges freeze to death

At last a visit to the Scottish Highlands without returning with lots of red bites!

Richard

[earthdragon64]

Billions may freeze, but there will still be billions left to bite.

[Dulcebella]

You mention that the recent freezing weather has done for a large population of these beasties. Why is it then that after three months of frozen ground, a large portion of which it has been covered with freezing snow, not more than 15 minutes after the long forgotten sun makes an appearance there is a huge cloud of these things hovering over the lawn, admittedly in the sunshine. All the facts point to the larvae making an appearance after spending the winter in the soil but that is not until about May time. Any suggestions.

[Rossco]

I'm not sure about the reports of insects being hammered by the cold weather.

I think the opposite may be true. Temperate terrestrial invertebrates are all cold adapted. They all have at least one stage of the life cycle that can tolerate extremely cold weather by entering diapause.

During extreme winters it is the vertebrates, particularly the small birds and mammals that are hit the hardest. These animals also happen to be the major predators of diapausing invertebrates, so predation pressure on invertebrates may be much less during cold snaps. If this is right we can all look forward to lots of midges and a good year for other insects.

A few years ago I looked at some population data for some rare insect species and there was anecdotal evidence of bumper summers following cold winters.

Let's hope this is case for the coming summer.

[Gerel]

Surely the part of Britain which is the most notorious for midges (may their little black souls burn in Hades) is also subjected to the coldest winter weather. Seems unlikely that they are that much effected by by the cold.

Wouldn't a long dry summer have more effect on their numbers by reducing the available breeding sites.

I'd still pack the repellant and midge nets if I were you.

Steve

(ETA Is this story being put out by the Scottish Tourism Board by any chance )

[Dave66]

"Billions of midges freeze to death" I have more than that in my garden!!

I live in Argyll and I will be very surprised if the Midge numbers are affected by the cold winter. We seem to have a cycle where midges get worse each year and then every 4 or 5 years we have a good year with hardly any midge but its back to normal after that.

[ladyhawk]

Well one got away it was in my kitchen earlier on

[Tracey.A]

Originally Posted by Dave66

"Billions of midges freeze to death" I have more than that in my garden!!

I live in Argyll and I will be very surprised if the Midge numbers are affected by the cold winter. We seem to have a cycle where midges get worse each year and then every 4 or 5 years we have a good year with hardly any midge but its back to normal after that.

I have been to Argyll so many times and I agree with Dave66, I don't believe for a minute that they will be any less of a problem than they have been in previous years. Yes, they drive you to diistraction, but the scenery and wildlife is so fantastic it's worth the visit

Tracey

[Tracey.A]

Sorry, just wanted to add that a friend of mine visited one of the islands that had eliminated the midge and she said the silence was deafening! No bird sound! For that reason I think we need to put up with the midges. They are a pest, but boy do the birds love 'em

Tracey

[Jason Green]

Evening Richard,

Originally Posted by Dave66

I live in Argyll and I will be very surprised if the Midge numbers are affected by the cold winter.

I agree - midges are tiny and don't require the same amount of heat to warm-through, so in my experience are plentiful in January. I doubt more Midges died than numbers of other inverts hibernating - Highlands or not.

As resurring as it may have been for people going up to Scotland, if 'Billions' had died it would have been one less vital foodsource for Wagtails/Wrens, etc. who would have needed the feed. On my second field-trip in January I saw good numbers of Chironomids, and as interesting as they are I always think that besides the issues they may cause they at least provide food for the birds!

Take care,

Jason