Midges.

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Seems the boffins have been busy when it comes to Scottish midges, but I guess it applies to all nationalities.

Midges are more likely to bite tall men and fat women. 15% of the people appear to produce a natural insect repellent and this has a hereditary aspect.  Oddly fat men are just as likely to be at higher risk to midge bites, but there were not enough male fatties signing up to the study for it to be provable.

Carbon di-oxide and lactic acid are midge attractors and it seems fat people are producing more of it.  If you want to suffer fewer bites then your body better start producing geranylacetone and methylheptenone.

Mixed in the right quantities this is a great repellent.  Already efforts to manufacture it are under way and should be on sale in Asia shortly.  Within a couple of years it is expected to be available in Europe.

The old standby of Deet has a few drawbacks, one of them being 60 percent of mosquitoes can become immune to it.

And just for a bit of cheer peak midge season in Scotland is June to Sept and a hectare of land can contain 25million biting midges.

 

I am not clear if standing next to a tall heavy breathing sweaty fatty  would mean less bites for me, or if the insects would be in such a frenzy anything near them would be dinner as well.

 

Full article here in the Guardian.

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