Ticks and midges are part of stalking and keepering in Scotland from spring to autumn. This page carries BushWear NO Tick wash-in clothing repellent (single 50ml sachet or 5 x 50ml), Hagopur Tick-Frey repellent spray, midge and mosquito head nets from Lifesystems and Mil-Com, and the Viper MOLLE first aid pouch.
Ticks: what works
- Treat your clothing as well as your skin. A wash-in treatment such as NO Tick protects the clothes rather than you, so tuck trousers into socks or gaiters to make it count.
- Check yourself after every outing, including behind the knees, waistband, armpits and hairline. Remove ticks promptly with a proper tick tool, gripping close to the skin.
- See your GP if a spreading rash or flu-like symptoms appear in the weeks after a bite. Lyme disease is treatable, and treated best early.
Midges
A head net is the only thing that fully works on a still, damp evening in a west-coast glen. It weighs nothing, so keep one in the jacket from May.
First aid
A basic kit in a MOLLE pouch lives on a belt or a rucksack, where it is to hand when you are a long walk from the truck.
For treated clothing and insect-shield neckwear see Midge, Tick & Insect Clothing; for keeping ticks off your legs see Gaiters. More from these makers is under Hagopur and Viper Tactical.
