What are no-see-ums?
What are no-see-ums?
No-see-ums, also known as biting midges, are winged insects from the Ceratopogonidae family, which includes over 4,000 species. They are tiny gnat-like insects (only 1-3 mm long) and inflict painful bites.
No-see-ums can be a nuisance to anyone who spends time outdoors during early morning and evenings, and even during the daytime on cloudy days. They readily bite humans, and the person being bitten often cannot see what is doing the biting — hence the name “no-see-ums!”
Despite their tiny size, no-see-ums have a reputation for having more painful bites than mosquitoes. The reason for this is that they have a different mouthpart than mosquitoes. Mosquitos puncture the skin with a thin needle like structure and suck the blood from a blood vessel. No-see-ums literally cut the skin open. They do this using their saw-like mandibles, which is why it hurts so much. After cutting the skin open, no-see-ums then injects saliva underneath the skin, which causes the blood to pool there (and creates the raised bump on the skin). They then suck up the blood using their proboscis, similar to the mosquitoes’ needle-like structure.
You can tell if you have been bitten by a mosquito or no-see-um by the bites that they leave behind. Mosquito bites begin as a raised white welt on the skin which then turns into a reddish colored bump. No-see-um bites are generally darker colored and smaller than mosquito bites. Bites can lead to severely itchy bumps or hives and are often located close together in a cluster.
No-see-ums are often found in or around environments characterized by mud or moist soil around streams, ponds, and marshes. They fly only in the warm months of the year and are most active before and during dusk.
What Are No-See-Ums Attracted To?
•Carbon dioxide. Every time you exhale, you release carbon dioxide, which is one of the primarythings that attracts no-see-ums.
•Heat, including body heat. No-see-ums are also attracted to heat, and your body emits plenty ofthat.
•Body odor and perfumes. There’s also evidence that odors attract no-see-ums, and that one ofthe most attractive smells is body odor and perspiration.
Preventing/Treating No-see-um attacks.
One of the best and safest ways to prevent contact with No-see-ums is a combination of botanical ingredients such as Eucalyptus, Lemon Grass, Citronella and Catnip. If you do get a bite, a combination of Menthol, Camphor, and Arnica will immediately relieve the itching and help reduce the inflammation.
PESKY® Products Llc have done their research and found a way to Synergistically combine the proven ingredients into one of the most effective products on the market for preventing and bite relief for No-see-ums.
No-see-ums, also known as biting midges, are winged insects from the Ceratopogonidae family, which includes over 4,000 species. They are tiny gnat-like insects (only 1-3 mm long) and inflict painful bites.
No-see-ums can be a nuisance to anyone who spends time outdoors during early morning and evenings, and even during the daytime on cloudy days. They readily bite humans, and the person being bitten often cannot see what is doing the biting — hence the name “no-see-ums!”
Despite their tiny size, no-see-ums have a reputation for having more painful bites than mosquitoes. The reason for this is that they have a different mouthpart than mosquitoes. Mosquitos puncture the skin with a thin needle like structure and suck the blood from a blood vessel. No-see-ums literally cut the skin open. They do this using their saw-like mandibles, which is why it hurts so much. After cutting the skin open, no-see-ums then injects saliva underneath the skin, which causes the blood to pool there (and creates the raised bump on the skin). They then suck up the blood using their proboscis, similar to the mosquitoes’ needle-like structure.
You can tell if you have been bitten by a mosquito or no-see-um by the bites that they leave behind. Mosquito bites begin as a raised white welt on the skin which then turns into a reddish colored bump. No-see-um bites are generally darker colored and smaller than mosquito bites. Bites can lead to severely itchy bumps or hives and are often located close together in a cluster.
No-see-ums are often found in or around environments characterized by mud or moist soil around streams, ponds, and marshes. They fly only in the warm months of the year and are most active before and during dusk.
What Are No-See-Ums Attracted To?
•Carbon dioxide. Every time you exhale, you release carbon dioxide, which is one of the primarythings that attracts no-see-ums.
•Heat, including body heat. No-see-ums are also attracted to heat, and your body emits plenty ofthat.
•Body odor and perfumes. There’s also evidence that odors attract no-see-ums, and that one ofthe most attractive smells is body odor and perspiration.
Preventing/Treating No-see-um attacks.
One of the best and safest ways to prevent contact with No-see-ums is a combination of botanical ingredients such as Eucalyptus, Lemon Grass, Citronella and Catnip. If you do get a bite, a combination of Menthol, Camphor, and Arnica will immediately relieve the itching and help reduce the inflammation.
PESKY® Products Llc have done their research and found a way to Synergistically combine the proven ingredients into one of the most effective products on the market for preventing and bite relief for No-see-ums.