(((Scottish urbs)))

[past caring]

Cheers for that. What is the research you are doing, exactly?

Was plagued by the fuckers on Exemoor this summer, too, when fishing the headwaters of the East Lyn. Wierd in that it was the first time I've ever encountered midgies that far south (plenty of visits to Exemoor as a kid).

 

[pogofish]

We began researching midges in general an an ofshoot of our work on marine parasites - particularly the Salmon Louse, then moved into finding an effective human repellant that didn't have the risks associated with the current range of chemicals, then that got major legs and turned into a race to find a repellant against wider blood-borne disease vectors in livestock that would be an effective alternative to vaccines in order to preserve disease-free status in the UK and to be effective and economic enough for use in third world countries.

And we did! - The whole project passed into the commercialisation phase two years back and wound-up - I then moved into work on bees and colony colapse disorder but last year, renewed interest in some of our other findings meant that we started-up again on a smaller and more limited basis. I'm very much on strictly limited part-time FTM but this may change!

 

[pogofish]

One of yours??

I'd better not say much more - Think 've told you the story before. Relations are currently civil but strained.

 

[past caring]

So what's the repellant then? Or is it not on the market yet? And the salmon louse stuff - was this in the context of fish farming or just in general?

 

[pogofish]

Yes, the repellant, well actually several related substances - a combination of a natural substance and a number of pheromones is very much still under wraps. Sorry. FTM, DEET is still the best on the market despite its toxicity.

The salmon louse work, both - in farming and in the wild. One influences the other now. It also had other aspects that spun-off into work for other groups - eg toxic anemia and other parasitic conditions.

 

[past caring]

Problem with DEET though is it is absolutely lethal for things like fly lines and gortex. I'm lucky in that the Skin-So-Soft works for me and I don't have to re-spray it much more than the DEET, so I'm sticking with that - let me know if you need want guinea pigs though (have also got a good circle of angling mates who fish wild in the highlands who I am certain would be keen to give you feedback) when the time is right. Am aware of the connection with the sea-louse stuff - followed Bruce Sandison fairly assiduously on the link, though more from the campaigning point of view - pity the SNP and Scottish Assembly seem so determined to stick their collective heads in the sand on the issue.

 

[pogofish]

Err, the repellant version of Skin So Soft is based on DEET IIRC - a pretty low dose though, unless they changed the formula since we stopped testing all the main commercial repellants four years ago. The original SSS was a complete hoax - Other than the 90 seconds or so from its solvent evaporating on the skin, it had no repellant properties whatsoever.

We are not using volunteers or doing any testing FTM - That has all been turned over to the company who are developing the final product. We can't revisit any aspect of that work until they are done. The current midge project is a shadow of its former self I'm afraid. It may change as interest in other aspects of the work develops and maybe we will return to Knapdale!

Yes, Bruce used to be a frequent visitor to the Salmon Group and was well-up to date with what we were doing.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

This thread has turned out to be far more interesting than I ever imagined

 

[equationgirl]

We Scottish Urbs are very interesting - in fact one of the reasons I love urban is because I learn so much about so many different things that I wouldn't normally learn about

 

[equationgirl]

Pogofish - that sounds really fascinating work, and well done for commercialising.

 

[pogofish]

Well, I'm afraid to say the commercialisation rights were bought-up by a US firm and the work shifted to the US.

 

[Sasaferrato]

Jesus christ, EIGHT?!

That is late right enough.

 

[Sasaferrato]

Jesus christ, EIGHT?!

I was smoking at 8, not regularly though, I was about ten when I started smoking regularly. Now stopped for about ten months. (Smoked for over 50 years.)

 

[Sasaferrato]

So answer me this - what do these little fuckers feed on when we're not around? I ask because I camped on Rannoch Moor a couple of years back (doing a bit of wild fishing in the hill lochs) and it was fucking midge central - but there wasn't an awaful lot for them to feed on, certainly no sheep about where we were but I got absolutely bitten to buggery every evening.

Clegs are fucking worse mind.

Clegs really are the pits. A weal the size of a ten P piece that itches for days. They often infect as well.

 

[Sprocket.]

What on earth is this utter madness?

 

[pogofish]

Wimp..! - Ardmore/Trumpan isn't even the worst place on Skye for midgies, never mind the whole West Coast/Nortumberland.

 

[Sasaferrato]

We began researching midges in general an an ofshoot of our work on marine parasites - particularly the Salmon Louse, then moved into finding an effective human repellant that didn't have the risks associated with the current range of chemicals, then that got major legs and turned into a race to find a repellant against wider blood-borne disease vectors in livestock that would be an effective alternative to vaccines in order to preserve disease-free status in the UK and to be effective and economic enough for use in third world countries.

And we did! - The whole project passed into the commercialisation phase two years back and wound-up - I then moved into work on bees and colony colapse disorder but last year, renewed interest in some of our other findings meant that we started-up again on a smaller and more limited basis. I'm very much on strictly limited part-time FTM but this may change!

Sea lice were an indicator of a freshly run salmon, they can't live in fresh water. If a salmon is caught in fresh water still with lice on it, it isn't long out of the sea.

Sea lice are of course now a major problem, associated with salmon farms.

 

[Edie]

I read this thread having no recollection of posting in it, and the first thing I thought was:

Jesus christ, EIGHT?!

 

[Sasaferrato]

I read this thread having no recollection of posting in it, and the first thing I thought was:

Yep, I was about six or seven when someone gave me a first puff. Regular smoker from ten or so. Been stopped over a year now, and do not miss them in the slightest.