Midge and Tick Prevention for UK Outdoors
Midges and ticks are both common hazards of camping and walking in the UK, but they're different problems that need different responses. Midges are a misery that can ruin an evening; ticks are a genuine, if manageable, health risk. Treating them as the same thing — "insect prevention" — misses what actually matters about each one, so this guide covers them separately.
Midges: a seasonal nuisance, mostly in the west and north
The Highland midge is notorious for good reason. Midges are worst in Scotland, particularly the west coast and the Highlands, though they're found in damp, boggy, still conditions across the UK. They're most active at dawn and dusk, and on overcast, still, humid days — a breeze of even a few miles an hour is often enough to ground them, which is why exposed, breezy pitches are noticeably more comfortable than sheltered ones in midge country. Peak season runs roughly from late May through September, worst in June and July.
Practical defences, in rough order of usefulness:
- Pitch and time your evenings around them. Choose an exposed, breezy spot over a sheltered, still one where possible, and expect the worst activity around dawn and dusk.
- Cover up. Long sleeves, long trousers tucked into socks, and a buff or collar reduce the exposed skin midges can reach — simple and effective before you even reach for repellent.
- Use a DEET-based or specialist midge repellent. Standard travel insect repellents work to varying degrees; several UK-specific midge repellents are formulated particularly for Highland conditions.
- A midge head net. When repellent and clothing aren't enough — cooking dinner in a swarm, for instance — a head net is often the difference between an evening you can tolerate and one you can't.
Midges are a quality-of-life problem rather than a health one for the overwhelming majority of people — bites are itchy and can be numerous, but they don't carry the disease risk that ticks do.
Ticks: a real health consideration
Ticks are a different category of concern. They're found throughout the UK in areas with long grass, bracken, woodland edges and leaf litter — moorland and woodland edges are classic tick habitat, and they're active especially from spring through autumn. The concern isn't the bite itself, which is usually painless and easy to miss, but that a small proportion of ticks carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, and the longer an infected tick stays attached, the higher the risk of transmission.
Prevention: cover bare skin in tick habitat (tucking trousers into socks is a simple, effective habit), consider a repellent effective against ticks, and stick to the centre of paths rather than pushing through long grass and bracken where possible. Most importantly, check yourself, your clothing, and any dogs thoroughly after walking through likely tick habitat — ticks favour warm, hidden areas like behind knees, armpits, the groin and the scalp, so a proper check means more than a glance at exposed skin.
Removal: if you find an attached tick, remove it promptly using fine-tipped tweezers or a dedicated tick-removal tool. Grip the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull straight upward with steady, even pressure — don't twist, jerk, or crush the body, and don't use heat, petroleum jelly, or other folk remedies to try to make it detach on its own, as these can increase the risk of the tick regurgitating into the bite. Clean the bite site with antiseptic or soap and water afterwards.
What to watch for: a spreading pink or red rash around the bite — often, though not always, taking on a bullseye appearance — can develop anywhere from a few days up to about a month after a bite, and is a recognised early sign of Lyme disease. Flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, fatigue or aching joints following a tick bite are also worth taking seriously. If either appears, contact a GP promptly and mention the tick bite specifically, since Lyme disease is very treatable when caught early. This guide isn't a substitute for medical advice — if you're at all concerned about a bite or a rash, the NHS website and your GP are the right places to go, not a camping blog.
The bottom line
Midges are about timing, location and covering up — an evening problem you can plan around. Ticks are about thorough checks after every walk through long grass or bracken, calm and correct removal if you find one attached, and knowing the warning signs that mean a trip to the GP. Neither should put you off the UK outdoors, but both are worth taking seriously on their own terms.