Scottish Midge Forecast 18th-19th 2009 (STV)

July 17, 2009 | Filed Under APS, Forecast, News, Saltidin, midges

New Research to tackle Varroa Mites

Advanced Pest Solutio ns Ltd (APS), the company behind the Scottish Midge Forecast has teamed up with the Moredun Research Institute (MRI), Edinburgh for a project investigating novel control of the Varroa mite, considered to be of major importance to bee health. Significant mite populations can lead to the death of a honey-bee colony and in North America may be a contributing factor towards Colony Collapse Disorder in which worker bees dramatically disappear from a colony.

Honeybees pollinate over 90 commercial crops, which equates to about one-third of the human diet, with pollination responsible for $15 billion in added crop value. In England alone, this is estimated at £120m (Defra). The exact extent of the contribution of Varroa mites to overall bee health is still not fully understood but it is clear that these are some of the most serious and economically-damaging ecotoparasites of honey bees and that the current methods of management are not providing an adequate effect to avoid substantial losses.

Funded by Genecom’s Orphans Fund, APS and MRI are identifying targets within Varroa mites that can be targeted with a novel, environmentally-acceptable technology under development by APS.

We are keen to hear from any beekeepers in the UK who would be willing to provide us with drone brood from which to isolate mite; please contact us if you think you might be able to help

July 16, 2009 | Filed Under APS, News

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First TV Broadcast of the Scottish Midge Forecast (STV 2/6/09)

June 25, 2009 | Filed Under Forecast, News, midges

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News Release: Scottish Midge Forecast launches on STV

This Thursday (25 June), the first ever Scottish television midge forecast will be launched on STV.

Every Thursday night at 10.35pm, STV will broadcast a 30-second Scottish Midge Forecast provided by Advanced Pest Solutions (APS), a company established by leading biting midge specialist Dr Alison Blackwell, to help STV viewers avoid getting bitten by the dreaded midge this summer.

The forecast, which is sponsored by insect repellent active Saltidin^®, allows people to plan their outside activities by providing an indication of predicted midge levels in a similar way to pollen forecasts.

Dr Alison Blackwell explains: “The midge forecast is designed to be of benefit to anyone who wants or needs to be outside in areas of Scotland with midge populations. If you live in an area with midges, you can’t completely avoid them, but with the forecast you can try and plan your activities so that you minimise the risk of getting bitten and are prepared with suitable clothing and a good repellent.

“For tourists, the forecast can help them decide where and when to go to places and when indoor attractions might be a better choice than being outside.

“The online version of the Midge Forecast has been operating for a number of years and has proved to be highly popular and as successful as other similar services, such as the pollen forecast. The addition of a television version is an extremely exciting development and we hope that it will further benefit those involved with outdoor activities in Scotland.”

STV’s weatherman Sean Batty said: “STV’s introduction of a ‘midgiecast’ is a great idea. More people are expected to holiday in Scotland this year because of the credit crunch, and our midge forecast will allow people to be more alert of swarms of midgies heading their way.

“During the Scottish summer months, people that venture out into the countryside usually come back with hundreds of midgie bites, but hopefully our forecast will begin a battle against the wee horrors and more of us can enjoy our countryside in peace! Even better, if the weather stays dry and warm then they might just buzz off elsewhere…”

Dr Alison Blackwell continues: “My colleagues and I have been studying local midge populations throughout Scotland for many years. After collecting several years of midge population data, combined with historical local weather data, we were able to establish a relationship between weather and midge activity. From this we have been able to formulate a midge forecast that can predict midge activity in any given location throughout Scotland.”

APS, based at the University of Edinburgh’s Biospace Incubator facility, combines its midge density data with detailed weather forecast data to calculate the midge forecast. The forecast is enhanced with regular midge catch data provided by Dr Blackwell’s national network of midge traps and sophisticated weather stations. More information on the forecast can be found at www.midgeforecast.co.uk

Saltidin^® is produced by Saltigo GmbH and has been designed to be an effective, safe biting insect repellent, which is gentle on the skin and without the downsides of some other repellents, such as being harmful to plastics. It is non-toxic, long-lasting, non sticky and suitable for use on children over the age of two. It is the main component of EcoGuard Midge Repellent, which has been extensively tested by APS against Scottish biting midges. For further information, see www.saltidin.com.

The Scottish Midge Forecast starts Thursday 25 June at 10.35pm on STV

Issued by Advanced Pest Solutions Ltd., ETTC Biospace, King’s Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JF.

Press contacts:

Dr Alison Blackwell, Advanced Pest Solutions Ltd. 07876 495737, e-mail ablackwell@advancedpestsolutions.co.uk

June 25, 2009 | Filed Under Forecast, News, midges

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Twittering Midges

The Scottish Midge Forecast is using the power of Twitter to both spread the word about midge activity in Scotland and also, to collect information on the midge levels that people are experiencing in real time across the country. Daily midge forecasts are issued on http://twitter.com/midgeforecast. Also, we are encouraging people to send in their own midge reports to help us build up a ‘midge map’. Send us your catches!