No-see-ums. Those awful little pests. They belong to the family of biting flies known as Ceratopogonidae. Depending on where you live or visit, the U.S., Canada… Scotland, no-see-ums are referred to by many names. No-see-ums have been called biting midges, midgies, punkies, five-Os, pinyon gnats, black gnats, knotts, moose flies, valley black flies, devil flies, and so on. They suck blood just like those pretty vampires in the movies, but there is nothing pretty about them, or what they leave behind. The saliva from the insect causes terrible welting and some people’s bites result in infected lesions which can lead to severe outcomes and/or scarring.

Places of Comfort

Found all over the world where there are streams, marshes, bogs, or other forms of standing water, no-see-ums will continue to reproduce and each and every one is out for blood. No-see-ums can even be found in the desert. States like Florida are particularly infested and are becoming more so as new construction of homes and developments are built by ploughing over the marshlands and mangroves that these insects called home.

These teeny, tiny, pests are not to be underestimated for their size. They’re close to impossible to see and are always on the attack from early morning through late evening. They feed on blood in order to support their reproductive cycle and production of eggs. A female no-see-um will then lay its eggs on a moist surface. They can hatch in as little as 2-7 days. In optimal climates, imagine that multiplied by the thousands. No-see-ums can reproduce into large populations very quickly. They leave very large and extremely itchy welts when they bite. More bugs equals more bites. Many biting insects can transmit diseases from one host to another. It is a smart idea to be sure to protect yourself from no-see-um bites, as well as other biting insects if they are prevalent.

How to Respond

Some people claim that DEET is a reliable repellent, but most people are shying away from using potentially harmful chemicals on their skin. DEET has been suspected of causing damage to human and animal nervous systems. It has been recommended to never be used on children or pets. While it hasn’t been concluded that DEET causes cancer, it also hasn’t been proven that it doesn’t. Some aspects may sound similar to the eventual findings of harm cause by DDT. As the species of no-see-ums varies from area to area, the one thing that doesn’t change is they are an absolute nuisance. The key to keeping them away? No No-See-Um Natural Insect Repellent. It fights the bugs so you don’t have to. With all natural EPA-approved ingredients, you can fight nature with a natural force. All of that energy saved from not swatting at invisible pricks on your skin, mosquitoes, and those pesky flies, can be channeled into enjoying your days outside with No No-See-Um.