I was hoping to escape mosquitos in Ireland, but alas, they have their own brand of blood suckers … midges. Gabe and I were trying to do some gardening late this evening and needed to come inside in order to escape.

Midges are tiny biting flies that are active from mid-May to September particularly when it is calm and overcast. They are a significant annoyance to people exploring the hills and to the animals that live there. Midges are most active on calm, cloudy and moist days. They don’t like strong sunlight, dry air or wind. They tend to be most active at dawn and dusk but can be prevalent at other times during the day if the conditions are right.

I’m not sure why you might be interested in more info, but just in case, you can look here or here.