Bizarre! Repellent manufacturer in UK seeks volunteers for 8-hour insect bite endurance test
A company seeks volunteers to test its midge repellent by having them endure midge bites in a known hotspot, aiming to evaluate the repellent's effectiveness in real-world conditions.
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FollowA company specializing in midge repellent in the United Kingdom is in search of volunteers for a novel product test. Chosen participants will be required to spend eight hours outdoors, allowing midges (tiny insects) to bite them. Out of the ten volunteers, half will be compensated to apply repellent on one arm while leaving the other exposed to count the number of midges that land on them, as reported by the BBC. The testing will take place in a known midge hotspot, as these pesky insects tend to swarm around hikers and campers during the summer months.
Dr. Allison Blackwell from the repellent manufacturing company, APS biocontrol, explained, "When a midge lands on your skin, it kind of wanders around before it starts to bite. So at that point, one of the staff running the project will take that insect off, so you get very few bites, to be honest." She emphasized that while participants would inevitably experience some bites, it should not be an excessively uncomfortable ordeal.
This news follows an incident where a wildlife photographer faced an onslaught from a swarm of midges, capturing the encounter on video, as reported by the BBC. James Roddie, the photographer, noted that midges can introduce an additional layer of complexity during outdoor photography shoots and jobs. Even with the use of midge nets and repellents, they can make conditions quite uncomfortable.
Midges, according to Purdue University, are minuscule flies known for their severe biting tendencies towards humans, pets, livestock, and wildlife. Concerns also arise about their blood-sucking habits potentially playing a role in the transmission of disease agents.
This insect family comprises over 5,000 species, found worldwide except in the Antarctic and the Arctic regions. Midges thrive in warm, moist conditions and typically undergo two hatchings during the Scottish summer months.
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