How to stop midges biting (best midge repellent)

[@jazjac17]

Great tips. I have used vit B1 for years, works great for me and the family.

[@WalkWithWallace]

There's definitely something in it, they don't like. Just need something to stop them landing on you. 👀😂

[@jenmackenzie6753]

I love that this is made by someone from Scotland like out of all places in the world Scotland gets the worst of the midges

[@WalkWithWallace]

Thanks Jen, yes the midges can be really bad at times. 😬

[@greenfox9677]

In my back garden there is 100s of them

[@mister_cjw]

you haven't been to Scotland!!

[@mountain_del1863]

Brilliant info, midge net, long sleeves and silk runners gloves, job Done. Good tip with baseball hat and net........never thought of that

[@WalkWithWallace]

I had a shot of the new midge net with built in glasses. They're decent too, can see what you're doing now. 😁

[@christinafahad]

We have Midges in Oregon- this is helpful

[@WalkWithWallace]

Excellent. 😁 👍🏻

[@GazianoOutdoors]

Couldn't believe my luck yesterday, was camped in the woods , they were full of midge's and gnat's, clouds of them, got bit once. Other times I've been eaten alive, nice tips mate interesting about the vitamin , nothing worse than getting bit badly by midge's. All the best.

[@WalkWithWallace]

Gaziano Outdoors thanks Gaz, that's fortunate. Puts me off camping in woods to be honest. 😁

[@davids9549]

That's worrying news about Avon changing the Skin So Soft formula. I still have a few bottles of the 'old' stuff, which I'll make the most of because it works for me. Apparently it's the slippery film it leaves on your skin which forms a barrier to the midge's scissoring jaws, but it needs frequent reapplication. Interesting suggestion about the Vitamin B, which I'll give a try - thanks! It's perhaps worth noting that of the 50-or-so species of Scottish midge, only 4 bite humans, and it's only the female of those species which bites, and then only at a certain point in her reproductive cycle. Small comfort if you're being 'midged' by the wrong sort though... Just got back from the Western Isles (mid-May), where the midges were certainly in action when the wind dropped, which thankfully wasn't that often. For the sake of completeness, they can't abide smoke. I realise there aren't many smokers left these days, but my pipe seldom went unlit when the midges were out in the worst months.

[@WalkWithWallace]

I've hunted around for confirmation that Avon SSS formula has changed, but can't find anything. Bonkers if they have, because who else in their right mind would use that stuff otherwise. 😂

[@stethoscanomaly]

Thanks for the tips! What brand of mesh net do you use? The midges here in Oregon are so small they slip through most mesh I've found. Thanks

[@WalkWithWallace]

Hi there, it's a British brand called Highlander.

[@1976Horizon]

Hey matey, I watched your videos and it is always great advice, thanks. I’ve visited Stoeneigh Bothy recently and fallen in love with wild unspoiled Scottish mountains. I went on my own from Corrour station. Amazing experience. Do you go know any like minded people doing bothys and more adventurous hiking in Munros? I would like to go to visit again soon doing some serious walks on the summits with overnight stays in the bothys. Steven here from London.

[@WalkWithWallace]

Hi Steven, it's great when you step off the train and it pulls away. Gives you a feeling of isolation and commitment. 😁 Are you Facebook at all? If so there's lots of decent outdoor and bothy groups you can join and chat with like minded people. Good to build up a reppore with members and maybe organise something.

[@bushcraftandastronomer.3775]

I hear midges don't like the smell of Garlic and Avon skin so soft. I used Avon skin so soft and it worked great while camping in Glencoe.

[@WalkWithWallace]

Apparently they've changed the ingredients, so it's not as effective as it used to be. 😕

[@ursulab1973]

@@WalkWithWallace I AGREE! I've been using SSS on my son because he's getting torn up by midges. It's doing NOTHING. Even their new bug guard isn't helping. Going to try Bifen in the next couple of days.

[@WalkWithWallace]

@@ursulab1973 their sales will plummet! Nobody else buys that stuff.

[@fazzz]

With the Skin So Soft you have to buy the "Original" version

[@WalkWithWallace]

@@fazzz is it still the same formula though, lots of rumours it isn't. 😕

[@eulasimpson2745]

I took a mixture of these chemicals and put them in a mist spray bottle and it worked for me. At first it was just less of them and now the are almost gone. I had one separate spray bottle of f just bleach that I would spray in all my sinks before bed. I would use the bleach tabs to put in my tanks for my toilets. I got another bottle containing bleach, rubbing alcohol, deet, and picaridin. Now I’m pretty sure everyone knows where to get bleach and alcohol, I bought deep woods off spray with deet and off spray with picaridin. Combined them and it actually works. Those bugs were driving me crazy to the point where I was willing to do anything??? Try it and I promise you it will work!!

[@WalkWithWallace]

Sounds a bit too chemically for me.

[@BASHADweller]

Never heard of the vitamin b1 thing as a way to stop midges bites before, thanks for sharing that tip. Atb Shaun

[@WalkWithWallace]

BASHA Dweller cheers Shaun.

[@alyssascott1601]

I just moved to Florida I'm right on the Gulf of Mexico and I'm currently fighting the issue with biting midges ....it doesn't matter what bug spray I use it does me no good!!! I'm hoping I'll get desensitized over time 😩

[@WalkWithWallace]

Here was me thinking it was exclusively a Scottish problem. 🥹

[@bushcraftandastronomer.3775]

Last year wen I was in Glencoe camping there wasn't many midges around due to all that good hot weather and I was in isle of Skye and midges were very few. Before I went to skye peaple said you'll see clouds of them but there was none. Midges hate the sun and the heat. This year they are back in huge numbers since early May.

[@WalkWithWallace]

Strong sunlight definitely helps, but wind is their biggest foe, if you get a breeze of 5mph or more and its enough to keep them at bay.

[@tonydarcy1606]

Plenty of clegs though ! They don't mind the sun .

[@WLK1965]

Thank you. I am hiking Ireland in a month. I need to be midge proof.

[@WalkWithWallace]

Hopefully the midge are not too bad.

[@analiensaturn]

A pair of tights 50p good net. And ive used a couple of Sainsbury veg bags 35p

[@WalkWithWallace]

I use those veg bags for organising kit in my pack. 😁

[@peacec47]

Thankyou great advice

[@WalkWithWallace]

😎 thank you.

[@manonamountain]

A Scottish squaddie told me years back, that he diluted Marmite, and rubbed it into exposed flesh to keep midgies off. I was a bit sceptical at the time, but it seems to have been a good idea, according to the B vitamin theory.

[@WalkWithWallace]

There's definitely something in the Vit B1 they don't like. Still annoy you though, just less bites. 😁

[@fjrxj1134]

Midge nets lol, used one of them last week with a hat, they got inside and bit my head off when they became trapped. Must have around 70 bites on my face and head

[@WalkWithWallace]

Eeek, not good mate. Awful things and they're out already.

[@BobbySacamano]

Please contact the Yankees front office today

[@wulliebandparades6604]

Robin I've found that burning dry seaweed on beach camps stops them biting 😕 I don't know if there's any kinda chemical reaction that causes this though ? T.Tree oil in any midge repellent also helps in that it stops me scratching and is a natural antiseptic

[@WalkWithWallace]

billyboy Shields cheers Billy, I'll keep the seaweed trick in mind. Always fancied a beach camp on Rum. Teatree is good stuff, plenty of uses.

[@gerardmmelody1]

@@WalkWithWallace Eigg is nice.

[@WalkWithWallace]

@@gerardmmelody1 Eigg is stunning. 👌🏼

[@gonfishing8865]

well done matey,,informative

[@WalkWithWallace]

John Norton cheers John. See you at the Raeburn in a couple of weeks. 😁

[@ontheadventuretrails-scotl9389]

Some good points sir! 😊👍

[@WalkWithWallace]

On the Adventure Trails - Scotland cheers David. 😁

[@donnaschoen1015]

@@WalkWithWallace I know its been 5 years since you put this video out , but does the vitamin b 1 really help keep the midges from biting you? I also heard that garlic pills are suppose to work? have you tried the garlic pills at all? Any info would be appreciated.

[@WalkWithWallace]

@@donnaschoen1015 its hard to say for sure as I haven’t tried with vit B and without it but I know a lot of gardeners swear by it. Never tried the garlic trick. Long sleeved t-shirt with a headnet is probably the best imho.

[@donnaschoen1015]

@@WalkWithWallace oh ok- but i thought in your video you said you take the vitamin b1 and it seemed to keep the midges from biting you. so you have not used vitamin b 1 then?

[@WalkWithWallace]

@@donnaschoen1015I take one every day and have done for years.

[@jessicashea3400]

HELP I live in Florida USA I think this is what is biting me in my house. What can I do? I watched another video showing them biting someone for research. I don't want to wear deep in my house. Is there anything I can do?

[@WalkWithWallace]

Hey Jessica, my video was aimed at dealing with Scottish midges when outdoors. Is it perhaps Mosquitoes in your house? You can get plug in deterants for the house.

[@jessicashea3400]

@@WalkWithWallace Thank you for replying. But they aren't mosquitoes. (They love me also) I managed to kill one and they look exactly the same. They hurt worse then mosquitoes. They leave welts on me and itch for at least a week. It is very hot and humid here. Can they nest inside my home? Or are they just getting in the house from opening the door or on my screened in patio.

[@WalkWithWallace]

@@jessicashea3400 midges can't deal with the wind, they're tiny. They thrive in damp windless conditions. I don't think they'd nest in your house as they're usually nest in bog.

[@jessicashea3400]

@@WalkWithWallace Thanks, I'm sitting in front of my fan. They must be getting in from the doors.

[@WalkWithWallace]

@@jessicashea3400 good luck 🤞🏻

[@AlanMETALMAN]

Great information, I use Smidge, which I think is good but going to get a net to use with my baseball cap, great idea, I have seen the hats with nets before but look like my bloody mother with one of them on, so would rather get bite lol. Thanks for the tips, cheers Alan

[@WalkWithWallace]

Alan METALMAN - Hiking & Outdoors cheers Alan, glad you found it useful.

[@WalksWithOlly]

A great suggestion on the Vitamin B1 supplement. That's something I've not come across before and may be worth considering. Thank you and all the best.

[@WalkWithWallace]

Olly Outdoors - OP-J it seems to keep the bites down for me and lots of gardeners in the Highlands recommend it too.

[@WalksWithOlly]

Good stuff. I'm hoping to spend a week in Scotland next summer and tick off Ben Nevis among other things. I've no been north of the Peak District so far and the midges are bad enough in Wales! ;-)

[@WalkWithWallace]

Olly Outdoors - OP-J midges are at their worst July/Aug. But if you're camping high they can usually be avoided. Hope you enjoy your holiday trip.

[@sorrelmagpie3403]

so far no luck. trying to find a good essential oil. tried citronella... nope. bog myrtle nope. neem oil nope. lavender, hyssop, eucalyptus...nope. a repellant called incognito that the girl at health shop SWORE would work and so i spent 12euros on it and it does nothing to keep midge off me. looked into that machine that sucks them in but they want 500 pounds for it! Didnt try avon skin so soft yet.

[@WalkWithWallace]

A lot of people are saying Avon Skin So Soft isn't as effective as they've changed the formula. Have you tried Smidge? Nothing will stop them annoying you, it's more about reducing the bites. They're awful! 😩

[@bethroberts3351]

Have you tried the Smokin’ Midge ?

[@WalkWithWallace]

Can't say I have Beth. 🤔

[@MrBlackbamboo]

Avon skin so soft is great they land on you but don't bite The best tip is stay at home ha! ha! or move to the east coast

[@WalkWithWallace]

I'm hearing mixed reviews that Avon SSS isn't as effective now as they've changed the formula. Not sure how true that is though. 🤔

[@stuartpeskett1514]

MARMITE! They hate the Yeast. Eat Marmite sanwhiches for a couple of days before going on the hills. Job done! Lol. :)

[@WalkWithWallace]

Aye that's essentially the same as vitimin B1 (thiamine). I'm not a fan of Marmite. 😅

[@gregkosinski2303]

@@WalkWithWallace you must be one of those separatists

[@WalkWithWallace]

@@gregkosinski2303 ⁉️

[@SausageSideways]

The captions on this are unbelievably bad

[@WalkWithWallace]

I think KZbin struggles with Scottish accents. I'll need to take a look as I can edit them.

[@tonydarcy1606]

If they're out, I'm in. Or at least keep bloody moving !

[@WalkWithWallace]

They'll be dying out soon. 🤞🏼

[@igitahimsa5871]

Hi Wallace, thank you for going to the trouble to film and post this video :-). I am wondering if, *in addition to* taking the B-100 Complex orally, if you could empty a couple of capsules and dissolve them into Aloe Vera Gel or Witch Hazel and rub it on the skin. Maybe that would immediately stop them biting, instead of having to wait-and-see for weeks. Just a thought. We do not have midges where I live so I cannot test it, but you or someone else may wish to. ATB

[@WalkWithWallace]

I may be wrong, but I think for the Vit B to work it has to sweat through your pores. It could work, but would it be pleasant? 🤔

[@igitahimsa5871]

@@WalkWithWallace I don't know Wallace, that's a good question :-). *That* part I may try, and if I do, I'll post back here and tell you. If your B-Complex is old, it could certainly smell awful :-). ATB

[@WalkWithWallace]

@@igitahimsa5871 haha. I'll wait patiently for your report. 😁

[@Kev_Russ]

Just got this recommended to me. How did I miss it first time arooned 🤔 Moan the midges.

[@WalkWithWallace]

KZbin algorithms work in mysterious ways. 😁

[@brianjohnman2131]

Avon skin so soft

[@WalkWithWallace]

Rumour has it they've changed the formula and it's not as effective as it used to be. Smidge so far is the best non DEET based stuff.

[@OUTDOORALLY]

Thermacell is the answer

[@WalkWithWallace]

I wouldn't take one hiking, but for campsites etc then definitely worth it.

[@OUTDOORALLY]

@@WalkWithWallace have you tried the portable backpacking ones ? Curious to see if theyre as good .

[@WalkWithWallace]

@@OUTDOORALLY I haven't, I usually just roll with the head net to be honest and long sleeved baselayers.

[@ianbartlett9266]

whos itching! lol.

[@WalkWithWallace]

Midges will be back rather soonish. 😂