Midges
About midges
Midges are a name used for biting insects belonging to various insect families. Adult midges are often dark brown/black in colour and are around 1.2-1.5mm long.
They often breed in waterlogged soil particularly in peaty areas. Females of some species require a blood meal to provide the protein required to develop their eggs. They will seek out humans to provide this blood meal and lay their eggs in the damp soil or humus. In summer, the eggs will hatch within 7 days.
In some tropical countries these insects can carry diseases. In the UK they are a major pest due to their swarming habit and through biting humans. The bites are extremely itchy and secondary infections can arise from scratching.
What happens during our visit?
A biologist will attend to carry out a survey at the affected site. As the larvae develop in mud at the surface of ponds and ditches, there is not much that can be done to control the breeding habitat in terms of chemical pest control methods. There is a bacterial control organism that can be used. The most effective way to manage this pest is using mechanical methods to remove favourable breeding ground.
A biologist will attend and thoroughly investigate the site. They will isolate areas where they believe midges are breeding and identify areas that may cause problems with midges in the future. The biologist will advise how to manage the habitat and make it less favourable to the insects, creating simple guidance plans for your use. This might involve methods such as draining boggy areas and removing stagnant water.
Repellents can be effective against the adult midges and fly screening windows and doors can provide some alleviation where internal areas are affected. Again, a biologist will be able to advise further on this.
