Dr Alison Blackwell with Graeme Boyle of Nexxus, left, and Till Bachmann, chair of Nexxus East steering group, right. Photo: Tom Finnie

A repellent developed to fight off the scourge of Scottish summer outdoor activities is finding favour Down Under.

Smidge that Midge has seen its trade sales increase by 85 per cent and the company that produces it, Dundee-based Advanced Pest Solutions, is now looking for distributors in Australia after successful trials.

The repellent was originally produced by Dr Alison Blackwell and her team as ‘a Scottish Solution for a Scottish Pest’. The biting midge causes misery for thousands of visitors to the great outdoors during Scotland’s summer months and is a problem in many other parts of the UK for campers and other outdoor enthusiasts.

APS developed Smidge that Midge as an alternative to DEET, commonly used in insect repellents but a solvent that dissolves certain plastics and some synthetic materials.

The Smidge success won the company an award from Nexxus, the networking organisation for Scotland’s life scientists. APS also runs the Midge Forecast website, enabling outdoor enthusiasts to gauge the level of midge activity in locations around Scotland.

Dr Blackwell said: “Since we launched our insect repellent in June 2010, we have been delighted by the interest in it.

“Over the past year we have seen an 85 per cent increase in trade sales and the number of retail outlets which now stock the product has increased by 300 per cent to 282, including outlets such as pharmacies, campsites, hostels, hotels, national organisations such as the National Trust for Scotland, outdoor shops such as Tiso and garden centres.

“We have also completed an agreement to supply Amazon, which is expected to substantially increase online sales, previously only possible through our midge forecast website.”

Scottish Development International is now helping APS to identify export opportunities after the successful trials of the product on biting insects in the southern hemisphere.

Presenting the Nexxus Innovation Award (East) director Graeme Boyle said: “Scotland is acknowledged as having some of the most scenic open spaces in the world but people are sometimes put off enjoying them for fear of the dreaded midge.

“This product will encourage more tourists, holidaymakers and outdoor enthusiasts to head for Scotland and its hills and will do much to bolster the Scottish economy.”

Dr Blackwell added: “Receiving this award is a great endorsement of our product.

“Scientists in Scotland are fortunate in that there is such a supportive environment here with a wealth of agencies and people willing to provide advice and assistance.

“We’re certainly very grateful for this.”

Tightening of EU legislation controlling biocides in the EU has had a marked effect on the insect repellent market with many substances, including essential oils such as neem, citronella and tea tree, being prohibited for regulatory reasons in products making repellency claims.

APS says that Smidge that Midge’s formulation meets all legislative requirements and is effective, safe, sweat- and water-resistant and repels midges and other biting insects such as mosquitoes, horse flies, flies, fleas and ticks.