Midges and ticks
hit the pages of
The
Herald today with an in-depth article giving the low down
on the little blighters' threat to domestic holidaymakers including
walkers and climbers.
Midges, it
transpires, come in 37 different Scottish varieties, but the real
nasties are the Highland midges, which are responsible for 90% of bites
with the culprits being female midges. Apparently they need to snack on
blood before fertislising their eggs.
Lots more info too - they're attracted to dark colours, rarely venture
above 1500 metres and dislike wind which compromises their ability to
fly. Oh, and some people really do taste nicer to midges than others...
Meanwhile
ticks
are a growing menace with tick-born Lyme disease on the increase in the
UK and reported cases rising from three per year in the UK to 300 per
year over the last ten years. Covering up is the best solution to tick
attack and it's a good idea to check carefully after a day in the hills
since the longer a tick is attached to you, the greater the chances of
it transmitting Lyme disease.
All these and a lot more slightly scary facts at
www.theherald.co.uk.
Matt C
