We are currently at the height of the midge season and the world’s first midge forecast has been launched in Scotland in an attempt to combat the estimated £286 million per year lost to the tourist industry due to these parasites. The ferocity of the Scottish Highland Midge is legendary but, with reports that midges are now surviving winters in Pembrokeshire and Cornwall, it seems no-one is safe. So how do midges locate their prey, are some people really more attractive to midges than others and what is the best way to combat these insects?
Dr Alison Blackwell has devoted the last 16 years to battling midges and has been involved in the development of the midge forecaster. She joins Jenni to discuss her ongoing battle with these bloodsucking pests. |
