Midges

[kwicky]

Why does it seem impossible to kill midges? For years they have plaqued the Scottish countryside and now they are decimating our livestock with the arrival from the continent. There was a scheme recently where locusts were infected with a killer gene which passed it on to other locusts. Surely there must be a solution?

[jedimistress]

The scottish midgie is part of the natural environment so I do not believe there are any plans to exterminate them. They may be a nuisance but they also clean the land and soil. The eradication of one native species will always have a knock on effect on others.

[jedimistress]

I have a question now for AB. :-)

Which species is decimating the livestock and how are they doing it? Ta.

[kwicky]

A professor was asked why there were so many midges in Scotland. His answer was they kept the visitors away so preserving the Scottish countryside. I believe they should aim for more visitors.

[kwicky]

The virus killing our livestock is the blue tongued virus. This may explain it

http://www.addl.purdue.edu/newsletters/2002/sp ring/bluetongue.shtml

[ll_billym]

I don't think you really know what has happened here, first you state that midges have been in the Scottish countryside for years then somehow try to blame them for a disease that was brought over from the continent last month.

Midges carry the infection, they didn't invent it nor was it their poor farming practices or effect on the climate that caused the first case of bluetongue on British soil ever.

A google search for "locusts killer gene" (without the quotes) returns nothing.

Seeing as you asked, the solution is to vaccinate the cattle, lets hope they can do it quickly.

[BillyBB]

Midges and mosquitos are an essential part of the food chain. If you want to benefit the planet by eliminating a species there's only one contender.

[kwicky]

Thats right midges are carriers of the blue tongue virus. Whether they are of the Scottish variety or from abroad is irrelevent. If the disease passes to Scotland from Eastern England as it will surely do the Scottish farmers will suffer greatly. To immunise the livestock will probably mean exports will be banned as the antibodies of the virus will be in the animal.. No the midges must be exterminated! I recall from memory about the novel way of reducing locusts by self infection, it is probably still on the drawing board.

[jedimistress]

Is that the farmers answer to everything...exterminate? It's a pity the midges aren't large enough for you to shoot or trap.

[Italie]

Might I suggest that everyone here who is pro-midgie has luckily so far avoided the swarming clouds of the bu&&ers that get everywhere, bite you to bits and ruin your day/walk/holiday. Sometimes, obviously depending on where you are, you literally can not breathe for getting mouthfulls of them!!! I am certainly not a farmer and avidly vote for extermination. How is it that midgies "clean the land and soil" exactly? I'm sure we could do without them and I'd gladly take on the environmental changes caused by their absence.