UF/IFAS Okeechobee County Extension Service

458 Highway 98 North

Okeechobee, FL 34972-2578

Phone: (863) 763-6469

E- mail: indianco@ufl.edu

July 9, 2003

Feature Article - for release the week of July 13, 2003

Dan Culbert - Extension Horticulture Agent

Often at dusk and dawn, local residents may feel something is biting them, but when they look for the offender, none can be found. A careful look with a good eye may show what appears as a speck on the skin. Newcomers to Florida will soon learn that our Sunshine State is home not only to biting mosquitoes, but also hosts minute biting insects known locally as "no-see-ums", "sandflies" or "punkies").

According to UF Entomologist Dr. Roxanne Rutledge-Connelly, a more correct name for these insects is biting midges. They are especially troublesome in coastal areas, and are particularly abundant in the vicinity of mangrove swamps or salt marshes. And, as any local folks will tell you, we get a fair share of them around our inland lakes too.

These insects are all extremely small, less than 1/8" long. They are flies, and like mosquitoes, they only have two wings. While Florida has 47 species of biting midges, only seven that are significant human pests. The worst four species are not found inland, but two others that are bothersome can occasionally be found in our area.

If you are able to look at one of these creatures up close, they will look gray in color with distinct wing patterns. The adult females lay their eggs on wet mud, and the hatched larva will quickly grow for several weeks while they prey on small organisms. When they are about 1/4 inch long, they will pupate for a couple of days, and emerge as adults. Several generations can appear in a year, depending on temperature and soil moisture conditions.

Only the females bite. Like mosquitoes, they need a blood meal in order to produce eggs. Their feeding takes about 2-5 minutes as they make as small cut in the skin and suck up the small pool of blood. Feeding often occurs around sundown and sunrise, but it may continue through the night. On cloudy days with no wind, they also will feed.

No-see-ums are most active in the warmer months. Some species are known to spread a human parasitic nematode, but are not known to spread the kinds of diseases that are associated with mosquitoes.

Living with these biting midges is a challenge, especially if you enjoy living near bodies of water. Avoiding outside activity is one approach, but if this is not possible, apply one of the many insect repellants that contain DEET. While products with this repellant offer the best protection, there are some concerns about using it on children. UF Entomologist Jerry Butler has patented another product containing geraniol, which is derived from lemon grass and other herbs. Look for this active ingredient in a repellant product called MosquitoSafe™ if you have kids that must be outdoors.

Another idea to reduce the pesky effects of these unseen suckers is to use fans inside screened porches. Certain barrier sprays or portable foggers may provide temporary relief in small backyard situations. However, there is no practical way to eliminate these insects from the environment, so we have to learn how to cope with them.

If you need additional information on dealing with these unseen biters, call or stop by our office at 458 Hwy 98 North. Our phone number is 763-6469, and you can email us at okeechobee@ifas.ufl.edu.

References 

Rutledge-Connelly, Roxanne  &  Culbert, Dan. You don’t See ’em, but you Sure Feel ‘em!  Okeechobee: UF/IFAS Extension Service, June 18, 2008. http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu/News%20columns/No.See.Ums.htm 

Koehler, Phil.  Blind Mosquitoes (Aquatic Midges)  [ENY-231].   Gainesville:  UF/IFAS Extension Service,  April 2003.  http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ig092   

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