Its February still and the gnats are about yet

[mercalia]

Took advanage of the good sunny weather today to go for a short spin - The Wandle Trail in London - Train to Carshalton Beeches then on the Wandle Trail to Wandsworth and back - about 17 miles. It follows the river Wandle most of the way and is quite pleasant. some bits are very rural. Well worth the visit. BUT all the bl****dy gnats around the river - and its still February, I had to put on some protective glasss to avoid the swarms. Quite astonishing

[661-Pete]

You don't say whether the gnats were of the biting sort, but at this time of year, unlikely. A nuisance all the same, I grant you. Tell you what. Take a trip around the Scottish Highlands, June/July/August. Or if you're feeling more adventurous, just about anywhere in Scandinavia. Or the North American Lakes. Then, if you survive that, when you return to South London, you won't even notice the gnats/midges/mosquitoes or whatever.

During our regular trips to France, we often stop over in the Vierzon area: one occasion we had time to kill so we took a short walk along the banks of the River Cher in the early evening. Late summer it must have been. A very short walk, as it turned out. We'd forgotten to bring any repellent, and the mozzies swarmed upon us in great clouds, sensing a banquet ripe for the taking. We conceded defeat.

[Heltor Chasca]

Winter Gnat – Trichocera annulata

http://www.lightscapes.info/onewithnatu ... nter-gnat/

[Bmblbzzz]

It has been a mild, wet winter and perhaps more to the point is a mild, wet spring.

[mercalia]

You don't say whether the gnats were of the biting sort, but at this time of year, unlikely. A nuisance all the same, I grant you. Tell you what. Take a trip around the Scottish Highlands, June/July/August. Or if you're feeling more adventurous, just about anywhere in Scandinavia. Or the North American Lakes. Then, if you survive that, when you return to South London, you won't even notice the gnats/midges/mosquitoes or whatever.

During our regular trips to France, we often stop over in the Vierzon area: one occasion we had time to kill so we took a short walk along the banks of the River Cher in the early evening. Late summer it must have been. A very short walk, as it turned out. We'd forgotten to bring any repellent, and the mozzies swarmed upon us in great clouds, sensing a banquet ripe for the taking. We conceded defeat.

they didnt get a chance to bite me as I was going thru them

[Spinners]

I've recently noticed the same on a short leafy section of my short commute. I've never seen them out so early.

[ChrisOntLancs]

as long as they stay out of my kitchen...

when i'm riding through a bunch i'd love to know if the resistance i experienced was down to the density of flies, or the fact that i'm not pedaling because i'm too busy going 'ew pah thuu eck erhu pah EWW I SWALLOWED ONE splffff erff ack er pah splffffff'

[reohn2]

Gnat/midge eggs are laid in the river bed they'll sit there for months in winter and when there's a warm spell they hatch to provide the next generation,to annoy you the following month .
It's been a warm winter which = more gnats/midges man up! .

[ChrisOntLancs]

yeah you gotta take the downs with the ups.

silver lining? we won't need to stop for lunch

[eileithyia]

Winter Gnat – Trichocera annulata

http://www.lightscapes.info/onewithnatu ... nter-gnat/

Beat me to it.

Have been seeing them for weeks in sheltered spots. Quite common and after all what do some of the birds feed on over winter...

[Bonefishblues]

Apropos of the Wandle, it has a famous history and in latter years it has become one of the great success stories of urban river regeneration. Please stop eating the fishes' food

http://www.wandlepiscators.net/?page_id=9
http://www.wandletrust.org/cleanups/

[Bonefishblues]

Gnat/midge eggs are laid in the river bed they'll sit there for months in winter and when there's a warm spell they hatch to provide the next generation,to annoy you the following month .
It's been a warm winter which = more gnats/midges man up! .

I think that the one linked is a terrestrial specie, not a chironomid, which is the most common aquatic genus.

[reohn2]

Gnat/midge eggs are laid in the river bed they'll sit there for months in winter and when there's a warm spell they hatch to provide the next generation,to annoy you the following month .
It's been a warm winter which = more gnats/midges man up! .

I think that the one linked is a terrestrial specie, not a chironomid, which is the most common aquatic genus.

Op wrote:-

It follows the river Wandle most of the way and is quite pleasant. some bits are very rural. Well worth the visit. BUT all the bl****dy gnats around the river

So thought we were dealing with chironomid

[Bonefishblues]

Cycling UK - because midges matter

[reohn2]

Cycling UK - because midges matter

Midges have feelings to you know