By Siouxie
Berkshire,
United Kingdom 
Hi! I've just been driven inside by gnats swarming around me while gardening. I've never come across the sheer quantity of them before especially in strong sunshine. I drove through a swarm a couple days ago and it sounded like I was driving through clouds of fine sand! What's going on, this is southern England not Alaska? Anyone else come across these this year? Thank you!
22 Jul, 2011
Answers
How odd - I've not seen anything like that at all. Are you sure they were gnats and not flying ants - from now through August they often do exactly what you describe...
22 Jul, 2011
Now if it had been the west coast of Scotland midges would be the problem, great clouds of them...
22 Jul, 2011
For sure - I did check Siouxie's location before answering, lol! We do get clouds of midges, but usually in September October,not now.
22 Jul, 2011
Our son learnt his lesson when he accidentally walked through a cloud of aggressive west coast midges - you only do it once! Then there was the time Bulba and son went on a camping trip right up in the north west. When they returned all the food had to be binned. Spread, jam you name it all covered in a thick layer of the little blighters!
22 Jul, 2011
I've never been to Scotland, west coast or otherwise, but have heard about the midges up there - doesn't sound like fun to me, they bite don't they.
22 Jul, 2011
Most definitely aggressive little blighters.. You can end up looking like you have been used as a pin cushion!
22 Jul, 2011
You need to call on your local Avon lady for some of their "Skin So Soft". It's sold as a moisturising spray, but mozzies, gnats, midges, no-see-ums all hate it and will leave you alone if you spray yourself with it. You can see them coming towards you and veering off as they get a whiff - but it's not unpleasant to human noses.
22 Jul, 2011