Midges and Mosquitoes even when sunny

[d000hg]

Our new garden borders on a stream and a river, but is not very close to them except at one end. However, it is swarming with midges and mosquitoes.

We have quite a large paddock-lawn which is quite open and gets a lot of sun, but even when the sun is out you see midges dancing around all day, they don't only appear at dusk as I'm used to.

Under the trees, mosquitoes are all over the place at all times of day too. If I walk outside down the drive, I'll get a few bites in a minute or two - for some reason they're always really attracted to me, and I react really badly with big red lumps that ooze and can last for days or even weeks. When I disturb a bush, a swarm of them appears, several bugs per leaf it seems.

If I was down on the river bank I could expect this but it's not a wet area - nice natural woodland and quite open apart from trees. I don't think there's standing water other than a fountain in our courtyard... surely that can't be responsible for so many? How far do they normally reach from a water source?

I'm slightly worried our lovely garden will be a no-go area in the summer and am wondering what to do? I'm cutting stuff back to create more clear spaces but what else? Having to put on insect repellent to go outside seems crazy!

 

[endecotp]

Midges live in rough grass, not necessarily in damp or wet areas.
Mosquitos do need water, normally still puddles rather than running streams.
You say "paddock"; are there / have there been horses?
I think you need to work out exactly what you have; they may not be midges. Particularly the description of them comong out of bushes sounds more like aphids or something. Keep a note of which months they appear and disappear.
Where are you?