Controlling midges

daska

My youngest is having a hard time already - bites all over whenever he goes out in the garden. It's only April...! Has anyone know of anything that I can grow in the garden that will either discourage them or attract a predator that will reduce the number of them. We have a lot of trees on the south side so it's pretty shady.

arkonite_babe

Something with a citrus scent might help, like the citronella oils and candles you get for gardens. Not sure specifically what though as I'm not good with things that I can't eat

Hopefully someone else will come along with a more sensible suggestion soon

choille

Hi Daska,
My sympathies. I live in the Highlands & we are plagued, but it seems early to be bothered just yet.

I am allergic & I bought a midge eater - expensive - £400.
I think eucalyptus deters them. I worked on an Estate that had a few of these large trees & I was never bothered by them there.

Midges don't like breeze over 5mph - so if you could rig up a fan? But that doesn't sound that feasible outdoors.

Bats eat millions of them as do swifts. Ducks eat the lavae, but I had them & it didn't seem to make a difference.

I'd put up some bat boxes & get him a midge hat.
Sorry not much help.

psso

Don`t know about growing something, but Avon`s Skin so soft dry oil spray (the blue one) works for me.

Rummer

The Avon skin so soft (green one) used to be fabulous for repelling midges and I used to use it on myself and my horse to great effect. Citronella is good too but apart from that avoid early mornings and evenings when they seem to be at their worst.

funfairprincess

Rummer wrote: »

The Avon skin so soft (green one) used to be fabulous for repelling midges and I used to use it on myself and my horse to great effect. Citronella is good too but apart from that avoid early mornings and evenings when they seem to be at their worst.

I would recommend Avon skin so soft too. I use it for me and the kids and they looooooooooooveeeee me! If you watch in the catalouge or on line you can get it half price quite often failing that you get some good deals on ebay.
Just remembered I have somewhere stored on this computer 100 uses for Avon Skin so Soft dry oil spray (green/blue bottle) PM me if you would like it. Haven't tried them all but I do use it on my dog to repell fleas!

Suzy_M

Another vote for Avon Skin So So Soft - and if it's good enough for the Royal Marines - you should be able to easily persuade a boy to use it!

http://heritage.scotsman.com/scotland/Avons-spray-finds-calling-as.2654251.jp

daska

Is it this one? I have a friend who is, or at least used to be an Avon lady, I'll give her a call...

Suzy_M

daska wrote: »

Is it this one? I have a friend who is, or at least used to be an Avon lady, I'll give her a call...

That's the one