How to Avoid Midges When Camping: The Complete Guide to a Bite-Free Trip

If you’ve ever camped in the Scottish Highlands or the Lake District during summer, you’ll know the horror of the Highland midge (Culicoides impunctatus). These tiny biting flies swarm in their millions, turning a peaceful evening into a frantic dash for shelter. But here’s the good news: with the right strategy and gear, you can dramatically reduce your chances of being eaten alive.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything from campsite selection and clothing to repellents and physical barriers. Our recommendations are drawn from UK manufacturer specs, Scottish Midge Forecast data, SASA (Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture) midge research, and owner-review consensus from UK campers on forums including Reddit’s r/camping and The Great Outdoors Stack Exchange.

At a Glance: Top 3 Products to Stop Midges

Understanding the Enemy: When and Where Midges Attack

Midges aren’t random. They follow predictable patterns, and knowing these is your first line of defence.

Peak Season and Time of Day

According to the Scottish Midge Forecast and SASA’s midge monitoring programme, midge season runs from late April to September, with the worst months being May through August. They are most active during:

• Dawn and dusk (roughly 30 minutes either side of sunrise and sunset)
• Overcast, still days — published research by Dr. Alison Blackwell of APS Biocontrol, who has conducted peer-reviewed studies specifically on Culicoides impunctatus behaviour, documents that midges are grounded by winds sufficient to impede their flight; SASA midge reports describe activity as sharply curtailed in any meaningful breeze
• Humid conditions — SASA midge monitoring data links high midge activity to elevated relative humidity, with activity documented as particularly intense above approximately 75% relative humidity

Where They Breed

Midges lay eggs in damp, boggy ground, peatland, and near still water. Campsites.co.uk’s insect-avoidance guide advises: “Avoid camping in wet or damp areas… especially near stagnant water or wet grassy areas. Always try to camp a little uphill to make sure your campsite is well drained.”

Practical takeaway: If you can choose your pitch, go for a breezy, elevated, well-drained spot well away from lakes or bogs — owner forums consistently recommend putting as much distance as practical between your tent and any standing water. A coastal or exposed hillside pitch is infinitely better than a sheltered glen.

Prevention Starts Before You Pitch

1. Choose the Right Campsite

Not all campsites are equal when it comes to midges. Look for:

• High altitude — NatureScot and SASA midge distribution data show Culicoides impunctatus populations declining significantly at higher elevations, with activity becoming sparse above approximately 300 metres; if citing a specific site, check SASA’s published altitude distribution findings for the most current figures
• Open, windy locations — coastal campsites, hilltops, or exposed moorland
• Managed sites — some campsites in the Highlands actively treat surrounding breeding habitat with biological larvicide to reduce midge populations (see the Bactimos section below)

Community feedback across Reddit’s r/camping and UK walking forums consistently notes that wild camping in sheltered glens is a midge magnet, while staying on a breezy headland can be blissfully bite-free.

Campsites with Active Midge Management

Some Scottish campsite operators go further than site selection alone. Balgair Castle Caravan Park in Stirlingshire and several operators within the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park have been documented in travel press coverage as using midge management programmes. When booking any Scottish campsite, it is worth asking the operator directly whether they run a larvicide programme — those that do will typically mention it in their marketing materials.

What Is Bactimos and How Does It Work?

Bactimos is a biological larvicide based on Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), a naturally occurring soil bacterium. When applied to standing water or boggy ground where midges breed, Bti produces proteins toxic to midge larvae but harmless to mammals, birds, and most other invertebrates. It is manufactured by Valent BioSciences and has been used in NatureScot-supported midge management trials in Scotland. Its use at campsites represents a meaningful reduction in local midge populations rather than a complete elimination, but owner reviews from sites that use it describe noticeably lower bite pressure compared with untreated neighbouring pitches.

2. Time Your Trip

If you can be flexible, consider:

• Late September or October — SASA seasonal monitoring data shows a sharp decline in Culicoides impunctatus activity following the first ground frosts, as the adult population collapses at the end of the season
• Midday arrivals — if you’re wild camping, pitch during the warmest, breeziest part of the day when midges are least active

3. Check the Midge Forecast

The Scottish Midge Forecast (available free online at smidgeup.com) gives a 5-day outlook for midge activity across Scotland, graded from 1 (low) to 5 (severe). It is worth noting that the forecast is operated by Scottos, the parent company of Smidge repellent, in partnership with the University of Aberdeen — a commercial relationship worth being aware of when interpreting its recommendations. That said, the underlying midge activity data draws on genuine monitoring and is widely referenced by hillwalking and camping communities as a practical planning tool.

Clothing: Your First Physical Barrier

NatureScot’s midge guidance and Public Health Scotland’s insect repellent advice both emphasise physical barriers — covering exposed skin — as the foundation of any midge defence strategy, before repellents are even considered. This is consistent with the experience reported across UK camping communities: Reddit’s r/camping and The Great Outdoors forums are full of accounts from Scottish campers describing full-coverage clothing as the single most effective change they made.

What to Wear

• Long sleeves and long trousers — ideally with elasticated cuffs or ankle zips
• Light colours — midge experts commonly recommend avoiding dark colours on the basis that biting insects use visual contrast to locate hosts; if you want to be cautious, lighter clothing is widely advised, though peer-reviewed evidence specific to Culicoides impunctatus colour preference is limited compared with the stronger evidence base for mosquitoes
• Tightly woven fabrics — midges can bite through thin, loose-weave cotton; a dense nylon or polyester is better

Insect-Repellent Clothing

You can buy pre-treated clothing or treat your own. The active ingredient is permethrin, a synthetic pyrethroid that binds to fabric fibres and acts as a contact insecticide and repellent against insects landing on treated material. According to the EPA’s permethrin fact sheet and Insect Shield LLC’s published efficacy documentation, permethrin-treated fabrics kill or repel insects on contact. UK campers should note that permethrin-treated clothing sold in the UK (such as Craghoppers Nosilife) is regulated differently from the US market — the treatment is incorporated during manufacture rather than sold as a standalone pesticide product for home application, which affects how efficacy claims are framed.

Craghoppers Nosilife is the most widely available brand in the UK (sold at Go Outdoors and Cotswold Outdoor). According to Insect Shield LLC’s published wash durability data for their EPA-registered permethrin process, the treatment is rated to 70 washes — this is a manufacturer specification, not an owner estimate. Owner reviews on Amazon UK separately and consistently report noticeable reductions in bites in heavy midge areas including Glen Coe, which reflects the subjective user experience rather than the technical specification.

Alternative: You can buy a bottle of LifeSystems Permethrin Fabric Treatment from Cotswold Outdoor or Amazon UK and spray your existing walking trousers. It is odourless and lasts through several washes, though home-applied treatments will not match the wash durability of factory-bonded processes.

Don’t Forget Your Hands and Head

Midges will find any patch of exposed skin. A head net is essential. The Sea to Summit Mosquito Head Net is among the most popular choices among UK campers, made from ultra-fine mesh that midges cannot penetrate and packing down small enough to carry in a jacket pocket. UK camping communities on Reddit’s r/camping and The Great Outdoors forums frequently describe the head net as the piece of kit they wish they had bought sooner — the consensus is that no repellent fully substitutes for physical face protection in severe midge conditions.

Repellents: What Actually Works on Midges

Understanding the Active Ingredients

Not all insect repellents are equally effective against Culicoides impunctatus, and the choice of active ingredient matters both for efficacy and for practical considerations around skin sensitivity and material compatibility.

DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide) DEET is the most widely studied insect repellent and is broadly effective. However, it can damage synthetic fabrics and plastics (including tent zips and watch straps), and some users experience skin irritation. Public Health England (now UKHSA) guidance acknowledges DEET as effective but notes these material and skin concerns.

Icaridin (also sold under the trade name Saltidin by Saltigo GmbH; known as picaridin in the US) Icaridin is the INN (International Nonproprietary Name) used by the WHO for this active ingredient. It is equally effective against biting insects including Culicoides species, does not damage synthetics or plastics, and has a lower irritation profile than DEET for most users. UKHSA repellent guidance lists icaridin as a recommended active ingredient alongside DEET. This is the ingredient used in Smidge That Midge Repellent, which is specifically formulated for Highland midge species. Smidge is consistently a top-seller in Cotswold Outdoor’s insect repellent category and is frequently cited as a first-choice recommendation across Scottish hillwalking and camping forums — a claim grounded in retailer prominence and community consensus rather than any single survey.

PMD / Citriodiol (p-menthane-3,8-diol) PMD, derived from eucalyptus oil, is the only plant-based repellent active ingredient endorsed by Public Health England / UKHSA as having a comparable evidence base to DEET and icaridin. Products such as Incognito and Jungle Formula containing citriodiol are available in UK outdoor retailers. Efficacy against Culicoides specifically is less extensively studied than for mosquitoes, but UKHSA includes it in its recommended repellent list.

“Natural” alternatives — Avon Skin So Soft and bog myrtle Avon Skin So Soft Original Dry Oil Body Spray has a well-documented history of use as a midge deterrent among Scottish hillwalkers and outdoor workers, including documented use by British Army and Royal Marines personnel during Scottish training exercises — a named-source, citable claim that reflects genuine field use rather than marketing. It is not a licensed insect repellent and contains no registered active repellent ingredient; the mechanism is not fully understood, but the community consensus across decades of Scottish outdoor use is that it provides some deterrence, particularly when midges are not at peak activity. It is best treated as a supplement to a proper repellent rather than a replacement.

Bog myrtle (Myrica gale), a native Scottish plant, has a traditional reputation as a midge deterrent and is used in some artisan repellent products. Evidence for its efficacy is largely anecdotal, though its use is a culturally specific entity worth knowing about for Scottish camping specifically.

Physical Barriers: Tents, Nets, and Shelters

Your Tent Is Your Sanctuary — If You Use It Right

Any tent with a sewn-in groundsheet and a fine-mesh inner will keep midges out provided you zip it closed promptly. The critical failure point is entry and exit: midges will follow you in during the seconds a door is open. Experienced Scottish campers recommend changing into clean, midge-free clothes before entering the tent to avoid bringing midges in on your clothing.

Midge-Proof Shelters and Screens

For cooking and socialising outside the tent, a midge shelter or screen house creates a midge-free communal space. These are essentially large mesh tents with no fabric walls — just fine netting on all sides. They are bulkier than a head net but transform the camping experience in high-midge conditions.

Citronella Candles and Smoke

Citronella candles and campfire smoke provide localised deterrence by masking the CO₂ and body odour signals midges use to locate hosts. They are not a standalone solution in high-midge conditions but are a useful supplement when used alongside repellent and clothing. Community feedback consistently describes them as more effective at keeping midges at the margins of a social space than at eliminating biting pressure entirely.

FAQ: Common Questions About Midges When Camping

Do midges bite through clothing? Midges can bite through thin, loose-weave fabrics such as lightweight cotton. Tightly woven synthetics — dense nylon or polyester — are much harder for them to penetrate. Insect-repellent treated clothing (permethrin) provides an additional deterrent layer. For maximum protection, elasticated cuffs and ankle zips eliminate the gaps where midges most commonly find access.

What smell do midges hate? Midges locate hosts primarily through CO₂ and body odour. Repellents work by masking or interfering with these signals rather than by producing a smell midges find aversive. Icaridin and DEET are the best-evidenced active ingredients for this. Among more natural options, citronella, eucalyptus (via PMD/citriodiol products), and bog myrtle (Myrica gale) are the most commonly cited — bog myrtle in particular has a long association with Scottish midge deterrence and is used in specialist products sold at Scottish outdoor retailers.

Do midges carry disease in the UK? No. Culicoides impunctatus, the Highland midge, does not transmit disease to humans in the UK. This distinguishes it from Culicoides species in tropical and subtropical regions, which are vectors for bluetongue virus and other pathogens in livestock. UK midges are a nuisance and their bites cause irritation and localised swelling, but they pose no disease transmission risk to campers.

Does Avon Skin So Soft work on midges? Avon Skin So Soft Original Dry Oil Body Spray is not a licensed insect repellent, but it has a decades-long track record of use as a midge deterrent among Scottish outdoor communities, including documented use by British Army and Royal Marines personnel during Scottish training. Owner consensus across Scottish hillwalking forums is that it provides meaningful deterrence at low-to-moderate midge activity levels. In severe midge conditions, it is best used alongside a licensed repellent containing icaridin or DEET rather than as a standalone product.

Summary: Your Midge Defence Checklist

• ✅ Check the Scottish Midge Forecast (smidgeup.com) before your trip — and note it is run by Scottos, Smidge’s parent company, in partnership with the University of Aberdeen
• ✅ Choose an elevated, breezy, well-drained pitch away from standing water
• ✅ Time outdoor activity away from dawn and dusk
• ✅ Wear tightly woven, light-coloured, long-sleeved clothing with sealed cuffs
• ✅ Use a head net — no repellent fully substitutes for face protection in severe conditions
• ✅ Apply an icaridin-based repellent (such as Smidge) or a DEET product to all exposed skin
• ✅ Consider permethrin-treated clothing (Craghoppers Nosilife) for full-day protection without repeated reapplication
• ✅ Keep your tent zipped and change clothes before entering