[Andrew]

Andrew asked the Naked Scientists:

I was up in Cambridge / Shelford / Royston today - the midges were out in force. What brings out the midges? Is it connected with the cutting of the corn, as some locals suggest?

What do you think?

[Evie]

I have never heard of midges being more of a problem after the corn is cut, but those farmers sometimes know a thing or two.

What I DO know about midges is that it takes about four weeks for them to mature, so if there was a good rain four weeks before you were out, that is likely. They breed in water, so if you were nearer a body of water, then you would see more than normal.

Midges also don't like the sun, so if it was early morning, later evening, or a cloudy day, they will be out much more than when it is sunny. Also, calm, still air will cause the midges to seem more numerous since they aren't being scattered by the wind (or seeking refuge from it).