insect repellents

There are numerous options available to those looking to stop the ferocious midge from biting.

Since midges only have small mouths, they are unable to bite through clothing. So one option is to keep your skin covered at all times in areas frequented by midges. It’s possible to buy full face hoods to cover your head, such as the Pyramid Head Net.

However, not everyone is appreciative of this look as a fashion statement, so most people go down the route of using an insect repellent. There are several different products on the market, four of which I have tested personally.

India Tree Insect Repellent

India Tree Insect Repellent is an alcohol-based spray which uses extracts from the Neem tree as its active ingredient. Made by the A. Vogel company (previously known as NeemCo) it has a pleasant smell of Bergamot, Rosemary and Eucalyptus. We tested it on the West Highland Way and it certainly seemed to be effective at reducing the number of midge bites.

Mozzy Off

Mozzy Off cocktail uses 100% natural plant oils as its base, and while it also proved to be effective on our West Highland Way test, it has quite a pungent Eucalyptus smell and wasn’t popular because of that. Made in Scotland, it is very ethical as it is biodegradable, not tested on animals, and packaged in a recycled (and recyclable) bottle.

Mozzy Off is also available from Amazon.

Shoo!

Shoo! has the most artificial smell of the four repellents tested, which is unsurprising as its active ingredient is DMP. Effective at stopping bites, the smell was too much compared to the sweeter-smelling alternatives, and this one got the thumbs down from our intrepid testers.

edit: as of March 2012 the Shoo! link isn’t working.

Stop Bite

Made in Scotland by Totally Herby, Stop Bite is a 100% natural insect repellent made from Bog Myrtle, Rosemary, Lavender and Witch Hazel. As well as being natural it is also ethical as it is not tested on animals. The Bog Myrtle gives this repellent a sweet smell – too sweet for some of the testers – and also seems to provide it with excellent midge-repelling abilities. Totally Herby also now make ItchEase for soothing insect bites.

_____________________________________________________________

Of the four insect repellents tested, my personal favourite was Stop Bite.

Other repellents are also available (such as Eureka!), these are just the ones that I have personally tested.

Many people swear by Avon’s Skin So Soft range as the ultimate midge repellent, with the body spray being the most practical product in the range for midge-repelling use.