Summer Is Wonderful — and So Is the Wildlife That Bites

Long evenings, dry rock, heather in bloom and a rucksack full of sandwiches: there is nothing quite like a British summer on the hill. But the same warm, damp, still conditions that make July and August so pleasant also suit two of our least welcome trail companions — midges and ticks. Neither should keep you indoors. A little planning, a couple of small items in your pack and a routine when you get home will keep bites to a minimum and let you enjoy the day properly.

The good news is that both are manageable with simple habits rather than expensive gadgets. Think of it as part of your countryside skills, no different from reading a weather forecast or packing a spare layer.

Midges: Small, Persistent and Predictable

Scottish midges are legendary, but they turn up across the Lake District, Snowdonia, the Pennines and much of upland Ireland too. They are at their worst from late May through September, with peaks in July and August, and they are astonishingly predictable once you know what they like.

Midges thrive in still, humid air. They are weakest in bright sun, a stiff breeze and dry conditions. They are strongest at dawn and dusk, on calm overcast days, after rain, and anywhere sheltered and damp — beside lochs and tarns, in boggy hollows, under trees and in the lee of a wall or crag. An exposed ridge with a 15 mph wind will have almost none. A campsite beside a sheltered loch on a still evening will have thousands.

• Time your day: walk in the middle of the day and on breezier ridges when you can.
• Choose your pitch: camp high, exposed and away from standing water and boggy ground rather than in a sheltered hollow beside a loch.
• Watch the forecast: a wind of 10 mph or more usually clears them from open ground.
• Pitch before dusk, and eat inside a tent or behind a midge net rather than sitting out in the still evening air.

Clothing and Kit That Genuinely Helps

Long trousers and long sleeves are the simplest defence, and loose, closely woven fabric is far better than anything mesh-like or tight. Midges bite through thin, tight clothing, especially on shoulders and knees, so a lightweight windproof layer over a base layer works better than a single thin shirt.

A head net is the single most effective piece of midge kit you can carry — it weighs almost nothing, costs very little and transforms a bad evening into a tolerable one. Add thin gloves if your hands are being targeted. A small fan or a smoky fire helps around camp, but nothing beats a net and a breeze.

If you wear a midge net, a wide-brimmed hat keeps the mesh off your face, which makes eating and map reading much easier. Treat your net gently and store it in a stuff sack so it does not snag on heather or rock.

Repellents: What to Use and How

For skin, look for a repellent containing around 20 per cent picaridin, or 30 to 50 per cent DEET for serious midge country. Apply to exposed skin — face, ears, neck, wrists and ankles — and reapply every few hours, more often if you are sweating heavily. Sunscreen first, repellent second.

For clothing, footwear and the outside of your pack, a permethrin-based treatment is very effective against both midges and ticks, and it survives a few washes. Treat gaiters, trouser cuffs and socks in particular, since these are the places ticks latch on to. Never apply permethrin to skin, and let treated clothing dry fully before you wear it.

Repellent alone is not a plan. Combine it with long clothing and a net, and you will spend far more of the evening looking at the view than swatting at your ears.

Ticks: The Quieter Hazard

Ticks are less irritating than midges, which is exactly what makes them a bigger concern. They sit on vegetation — often bracken, long grass and the edges of deer paths — and wait to attach as you brush past. They are active from spring through autumn, with peaks in late spring and early summer.

Some ticks carry Lyme disease, so removing them promptly matters. Walk in the middle of paths where you can, tuck trousers into socks in bracken, and treat your clothing as above. Check yourself carefully after every walk, especially in areas with deer, sheep or bracken.

• Check thoroughly: behind knees, groin, waistband, armpits, navel, neck, hairline and ears — tick nymphs are poppy-seed small.
• Remove properly: use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick removal tool, grip close to the skin and pull steadily upwards. Do not squeeze, burn or cover the tick.
• Clean the bite, note the date, and keep an eye on it for the next few weeks.
• See your GP if you develop a spreading circular rash, fever, headache, joint aches or unusual fatigue — mention the bite and where you were walking.

After the Walk: A Five-Minute Routine

Build checks into the end of the day rather than hoping you will remember later. Shake out gaiters and boots outside the tent. Put walking clothes straight into a bag rather than onto the sleeping mat, and shower or wash exposed skin when you can. Then do a proper tick check in good light with a mirror or a friend — it takes minutes and is by far the most useful habit in this whole article.

None of this needs to make summer feel like a military operation. Wear long trousers, carry a head net, use repellent sensibly and check yourself at the end of the day. Do those four things and the midges become background noise, ticks become a manageable risk, and the long light evenings on the hill stay exactly what they should be — the best reason to be out there.