UKH

HI

Off to southern Snowdonia with a couple of mates this weekend. Aiming to camp in the Rhinogs. Does anyone have any up to date midge reports they could share? Not sure whether to take my tarp (no fly net), my tent (fly net) or just go bivi bag.

Prepare to be eaten alive

Tent for sure, midges seem to be super bad this year.

Carry some mozzie coils and burn them around the camp, they are very effective in keeping the Caledonian Luftwaffe away. Or would that be the Cambrian Luftwaffe?

Also carry something for the skin with DEET in it and a can of insecticide for sanitising the inside of the tent before going to sleep.

And pray for bright, sunny, breezy weather. 

I was there very recently and the midges are quite bad, they seem to be so in epic proportions this year over most of snowdonia. If you camp higher up hopefully with a breeze you'll get some peace from them.

L

Maybe all the Scottish midges have moved south, we;'ve just had 10 days north of the border and hardly been bothered at all

Scotland seems to be enjoying a long spell of sunny dry weather, exactly the conditions midgies don't like. 

Guess you're not in Argyll then?!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-44389775/midges-swar...

:-o

As a very regular Rhinogydd visitor over many years now, this year I too think that the midges are the worst I've ever experienced.  Despite the current dry sunny weather, the ground is still wet, harbouring swarms of them. If there's a breeze it's fine, but if it's windless...........

I find expedition strength deet to be very effective.

Shudder!

Hmmm. Thinking about camping as high as possible, summit maybe, but guess there will be swarms to get through before we reach the top...

Pretty horrendous midges in the Lakes too, this year: about 6pm, as it starts to cool down, the little badgers start swarming. By 7pm they're intolerable. Currently nursing/cursing about 20 bites, from the Napes and Raven Walthwaite... :/

We had our worst ever midge experience camping in the rhinogs some years ago. Llyn Morwynion.

Can't comment on 2018, but evidence points to if you only take tarp or bivvy bag you may be certifiably insane by daybreak.

Live at the foot of the Rhinogydd, have done so all my life and have never seen such a bad midge season. Even at the very tops they are inescapable unless there is a decent breeze. Have fun!

With a name like that, l can believe it

I remember once seeing a wonderful 'scale' for midge conditions...it was something like:

1) No midges.  Lovely.
2) Midges, minor irritant.
3) Lots of midges, ensure you take an use insect repellent and head nets.
4) Swarms.  Avoid area if possible.
5) Midgeageddon.  You will spend your time weeping uncontrollably in the bottom of your sleeping bag.

That's the gist of it but it was better, wish I could remember where it was...

One evening last week we were somewhere between a 4 and a 5, when a midge swarm started coming down through the velux window into the bathroom when my husband was in the shower.  We had a rapid run around the house closing all windows, and then had to get out the fly spray.  We didn't need to obliterate the midges with chemicals at all last summer, so this year is definitely shaping up to be a bad one (we are in North West Snowdonia).

Blimey, Mrs RR and I are now committed to buying that building plot in Scotland....

So, in light of the above we switched plans at pretty much the last possible minute and went south instead. We ended up camping on top of High Willhays in Dartmoor and apart from one horse fly (rapidly terminated with OL28) we were bug free! It was pleasantly breezy and the sun was out which probably helped.

Thanks to all who added their advice and experience!

On the topic of horseflies (an equally odious species); I think they're pretty bad too this year. On my annual pilgrimage to a local wildflower meadow a despicable horde of the things made a serious attempt to murder me. Today I have a hand like a boxing glove and  the curious sensation of being able to see my own face as It's so swollen from a bite above my eye.

Have a sypathetic "dislike" for that!

6) Get the flamethrower out, my partner's antiperspirant came in handy for this.

One of my partners in crime discovered a tick on his leg today, we think from Dartmoor. Popped to see his doctor and looks like all is good, but he'll be keeping an eye on it for a while...