Here with a vengence this year (2006). My bite count is presently 26. This one is engorged with recently sucked blood and hence easy to see. The hungriest ones are the least visible, less than 1mm in length - check yourself and your clothes over thoroughly if you have been out in the Highlands this summer. Midgies can annoy but ticks can make you ill. As well as the dreaded Lyme's disease, they are now thought to carry several viruses which can give flu-like symptoms for months.

Location: Lochinver, Assynt, Sutherland