If you’ve ever experienced painful red bites outside but didn’t notice mosquitoes in the area, you may have been the victim of no-see-ums.
Unlike their name suggests, you can see no-see-ums but rarely notice them until they bite you. If these nagging insects plague your property, we’ll teach you in this article how to get rid of no-see-ums.
What Are No-See-Ums?
No-see-ums comprise a family of insects referred to as Ceratopogonidae. It can also be called biting midges, devil flies, or midges. Additionally, these tiny pests are often mistaken for gnats or sandflies.
No-see-ums are a type of fly, even though people commonly associate more closely with mosquitos. These small flies only grow about 1-4mm long, allowing them to go unnoticed in many situations.
Female biting midges feast on humans and animals, so your pet could be bothered as much as you are!
What attracts no-see-ums?
There are several things that attract no-see-ums. They are attracted to carbon dioxide, so they will bite people, exhaling much CO2. They are also attracted to body heat and bite warm people.
They are also attracted to light and attack people sitting in the sun. They are also attracted to black clothing, so it’s best to wear light-coloured clothing when camping.
No-see-ums are most common in coastal areas because they thrive in humid, warm climates. Specifically, biting midges love to live near still or slow-moving water sources.
While this habitat may look like a marsh or lake on a large scale, the birdbath or river behind your house could also attract these tiny pests. If you have standing water behind your home (such as a birdbath), clean the sources regularly to prevent no-see-ums.
No-See-Ums’ Bites
No-see-ums pack a hefty punch for their size. They can leave you with itchy red welts, which last up to days for some individuals. Because you’ll rarely encounter just one stray no-see-um, you may be covered in bites after a day outside.
Identifying No-See-Ums’ Bites
You will undoubtedly notice when no-see-ums have bitten you because the painful red welts they leave behind can be itchy for days. Their bites resemble the bites of mosquitoes but will probably appear smaller.
On dogs, no-see-um bites typically surface as bright red circles, appearing more noticeable on dogs’ stomachs, which are covered by less fur. You will most likely notice several bites in a similar place on the body.
An itching or burning sensation and a bright red colour characterize no-see-um bites. The redness and itching may last a few hours or several days. Preventing bites from biting midges requires learning how to get rid of no-see-ums. Try not to itch the bites you receive because this can open up the wounds, exposing you to infections.
Why Do No-See-Ums Bite You?
The carbon dioxide and lactic acid odours that mammals give off attract no-see-ums. These odours allow biting midges to locate targets. Light has also been slightly attractive to no-see-ums, save a little more money on your electricity bill and flip the switch off.
Male no-see-ums feed on flower nectar, while the females use flower nectar and blood for nourishment. Female biting midges utilize blood meal as a protein source for their eggs.
Although no-see-ums only survive for a few weeks in the wild, female no-see-ums can still reproduce 5 to 7 times. Although the number of eggs female no-see-ums lay depends on the species, you can expect 25 to 100 new no-see-ums each time the female reproduces.
To sustain their eggs and continue reproducing, female no-see-ums rely on the blood of their family and pets.
Why No-See-Ums’ Bites Hurt
Before sucking mammal blood, no-see-ums inject saliva containing an anticoagulant with their needle-like mouth. Anticoagulants keep the blood flowing, allowing these pests to draw more blood.
This anticoagulant triggers an immune response causing the red, itchy bump to form. You will notice a burning sensation shortly after being bitten, followed by a prolonged itchy feeling.
How to Treat No-See-Um Bites
If you’re seeking answers to how to get rid of no-see-ums, you’ve probably already experienced their painful bites. Before we discuss eliminating no-see-ums from your home and property, we’ll ease the pain of the tastes you’ve already incurred.
First, wash the area or wipe the edges with rubbing alcohol to prevent infection. A common anti-itch and anti-inflammation treatment is the use of hydrocortisone.
However, if you’re hesitant to use a topical steroid cream, a few natural methods can also help to relieve the itching. Holding an ice cube on the bites can provide temporary relief from itching. Additionally, using calamine lotion or pure aloe vera gel can offer comfort.
Many take an antihistamine (Benadryl) to aid sleep later in the day, as the itching and burning can keep you up. Of course, talk to your doctor if you’re concerned about the health side effects of any of these treatments.
How to Get Rid of No-See-Ums
To eliminate the no-see-ums bothering you, you will ideally limit what attracts the no-see-ums to encourage long-term prevention.
Repelling and Getting Rid of No-See-Ums
If no-see-ums are already plaguing your property and you can’t get rid of what is attracting them, other valuable options exist for getting rid of no-see-ums or limiting their bites.
One of the most foolproof methods for reducing the number of bites you receive is to cover up.
Wearing long sleeves or long pants prevents no-see-ums from biting you. However, this option may not appeal to you on a hot summer day, so other control methods are also available.
- CO2 Removal Traps
This method uses CO2 to attract the no-see-ums before using a quiet vacuum system to suck the biting midges into the trap. Hang these traps near your house, such as in a nearby tree or on your back deck. However, you can also use traps indoors.
Additionally, this kind of trap can be effective at removing mosquitoes. Producers create these mosquito and no-see-um traps at varying strengths and sizes for the area you need to clear. This trap is formulated for half an acre, but there is also ¼ of an acre or even a full acre. This type of effective trapping requires patience. It can take a few weeks to notice a significant difference in the mosquito and no-see-um populations on your property.
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- DEET Repellents
Some controversy exists surrounding the effectiveness of DEET repellents for no-see-ums. However, if using DEET repellents has helped in your fight against mosquitoes in the past, it will probably be helpful against no-see-ums for you as well.
DEET repellent makes it more difficult for insects to smell the carbon dioxide we exhale. Others believe that DEET repellents also present a repulsing smell to insects. Therefore, DEET repellent does not kill biting flies or eliminate no-see-ums but reduces the number of pesky bites you receive. Because this option is relatively inexpensive, we recommend giving it a try.
Ensure you follow the application instructions on the label of your repellent to gain maximum effectiveness.
- Fans
Because no-see-ums are so tiny, they are weak fliers. Turning your fan on high will prevent no-see-ums from being able to enter the immediate area. This strategy may be most useful on outdoor decks and patios.
- Mesh Screens
Although an infestation of no-see-ums inside your house is extremely unlikely, a few annoying no-see-ums could often find their way inside. Because of their small size, no-see-ums can fit through the traditional mesh screens (US 16 Standard mesh) used on windows.
These smaller screens may prevent airflow but will still allow you fresh indoor air. Swapping your screens for smaller mesh screens will help prevent no-see-ums from entering your house.
These tips will save you from painful bites and eliminate no-see-ums on your property. After stopping the pesty-biting midges from bothering you, we hope you can enjoy gardening, cookouts, fishing, and other outdoor activities. Although no-see-ums primarily feed on nectar from flowers, female no-see-ums also need blood to aid reproduction.
