By Mike Isbell
University of Georgia
No-see-ums must be the stealth fighter, or rather the stealth
biter, of the insect world. They have a good name, because you
can’t see ’em. But you sure as heck can feel ’em.
As it began to get dark last night, they were out. And they were
hungry.
After supper, my dog Sid and I decided to sit out on the screened
back porch and enjoy the rain. Well, actually, Sid didn’t decide
anything. He just came on the porch because I invited him.
Everything was just great — the cool air, the sound of the rain,
a relaxing lounge chair and my dog on the floor, sound asleep. I
was getting a little sleepy myself.
Stealth attack
That’s when the stealth attack began.
I first noticed my ankle stinging, and then my foot, and then one
of my legs, and then my other leg. By the time a place on my arm
started stinging, I was wide awake.
At first, I didn’t see anything. But I finally noticed a tiny
speck on my arm. Heck, it wasn’t even a speck. It was half a
speck.
And I knew the no-see-ums had found me.
These tiny, biting flies are only a sixteenth of an inch long,
small enough to pass through screens. Their size is responsible
for the name “no-see-ums,” and their bite is far out of
proportion to their size. They’re also known as biting midges and
punkies.
‘Flying teeth’
“Flying teeth” would be a name I’d give them. As with mosquitoes,
only the females bite. They slice your skin with their cutting
mouth parts and then lap from a little pool of blood just under
the skin. Their saliva keeps the blood from clotting until they
finish eating.
Their short mouthparts are unable to bite through clothing, so
they usually attack exposed body parts, especially your legs if
you’re wearing shorts. But they can get underneath your clothing
and bite the fire out of you there, too.
The adults emerge in late spring, usually in mid-May, and remain
pests for several weeks, depending on the weather. They develop
in wet soils and near marshes, wetlands, rivers and ponds.
Backyard pests
They’re pests to me in my backyard, usually just as it begins to
get dark. If I’m going to be out at that time, I’ll either wear
pants or put on insect repellent.
No-see-ums never fly far from their breeding area. So if they’re
bothering you, you might be able to get away from them by moving
a few yards.
But don’t count on your screens to keep them out. And believe me,
you won’t see them. They’re the stealth biters of the insect
world.
(Mike Isbell is the Heard County Extension Coordinator with
the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences.)
