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Trapping the midge specimens was done overnight using a Lithgow, or light and suction, trap. As midges fly mostly when the light levels are low, they are attracted to light. They then get sucked down into the collecting jar. This was filled either with water with a drop of detergent added, or with a solution of high salt EDTA for traps run after 29 August 2003. Traps were run overnight, and emptied in the morning.

Traps were run at four sites around Aberdeen city, Scotland.

Milltimber Farm

The Milltimber Farm trap was run on one night a week, from 18 July until 19 September 2003. The trap was hung just inside an open door of a barn that contained horses. A manure heap which was expected to contain midge larvae was 10 m outside the barn door.

Rowett llamas

The Rowett llamas trap was normally run on two nights per week. This trap was hung on the outside of a building, next to a field of llamas and goats. It was run from 14 August to 19 September 2003.

Rowett cattle

The trap at Rowett cows was also normally run on two nights per week. The trap was hung from a tree just outside the fence of a field of cattle. This trap ran for the same time as the Rowett llamas trap.

Rowett sheep

The Rowett sheep trap was hung from the corner of a building, with a manure heap 10 m away and a field of sheep just beyond that. This trap was also run on the same dates as the Rowett llamas trap.

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