Midges Make The News

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.