THE MIDGE

Perry’s Blog

THE MIDGE

There are many hazards associated with filming in the Highlands of Scotland. The weather is varied and extreme – cold, snow, wind, rain and blazing sun (and that’s all in the same day). But the scariest thing is the realisation – we are not alone.

There are all sorts of creatures that share our world, and sometimes the smallest amongst them are the worst.

After filming in Mull (a film which I cannot name as it has not yet been released), I returned home to find I had a tick in… close proximity to a place where you wouldn’t want a tick! It wasn’t something I could readily deal with myself, so I headed to A&E to have my parasite removed.

Of course, it was rather embarrassing turning up at Accident and Emergency with a tick, especially given its location – it’s not really an emergency. However, if I had contracted Lime’s disease it would have been a lot more serious than arachnidan mouthparts buried into my flesh.

It was removed by a nurse (who didn’t even blush), but it was an episode which confirmed my hatred of all things bitey. Which brings me to the MIDGE! Scotland’s best kept secret. Of all the hazards associated with making films in this country, the midge – not far off microscopic – is the most prolific, with jaws and “teeth” that a grizzly bear would be proud of.

The midge costs the tourism industry millions of pounds a year in lost revenue, as thousands of unsuspecting visitors head from the hills back to their coaches. Millions of pounds of (wasted) research money has gone into studying methods of eradication of this pest.

However, this lowly beast forms a major part of the ecosystem of the Highlands, and without it there would be no wildlife. So – can’t live with them, can’t live without them. How do we survive them?

When working in Scotland, there are really just two courses of action – avoid where the midges are (stagnant water, shaded areas), or try to not to go out at dawn or dusk. In terms of repellent, the jury is out on the “secret formulas” that some people swear by.

There is a myth that they don’t like smoke. Maybe I can test that theory next time I am creating an explosion on a shoot!