What can I do about biting midge infestation INSIDE my home - Ask Extension
Hi, I'm hoping someone in your department can help me. I live in the mountains of Washington county in a town called Cascade, about 30 miles north of ...
Knowledgebase
What can I do about biting midge infestation INSIDE my home #768368
Asked August 20, 2021, 5:22 PM EDT
Hi, I'm hoping someone in your department can help me. I live in the mountains of Washington county in a town called Cascade, about 30 miles north of Frederick. I have lived here 20 years in the same house. No changes have recently been made to the house or the surrounding area outside the house. About five months ago we have a fire in our fire pit, which we frequently do. The next day I had incredibly painful burning, itching bites around my neck and shoulders and on my ankles. I assumed I was having a bad reaction to mosquito bites. Around two weeks went by and the bites gradually became horrible infected lesions. My doctor and I battled these for the next three months with me getting sicker and sicker with more and more bites appearing even though I was not going outside. My home was inspected by an exterminator and nothing was found. About a month ago I bought a hand held microscope and started searching my bedroom (this is where I get bit the most). I had noticed on my white bedding that there were tiny black specs resembling pepper. Upon looking at one of these under the microscope I saw that they were tiny flies which after researching I found to be noseeums. I am immuno compromised and am literally fighting for my life against these bites. I have tried everything to get rid of these. I have every type of trap made all over my house but they only seem to want me. No type of repellant works nor does any amount of vacuuming or cleaning. I have tried sleeping in different parts of the house but they always find me. I might mention that I have also had a professional come and check for water leaks of any kind in my house and none were found. I have even changed my diet to make me less palatable, also hasn't worked. So my question is, is there anything I can do to drive or lure them back outside or break the breeding cycle as I am quite honestly at my wits end. I don't know if this is something that you can even help me with but any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you in advance for your assistance with this matter. Sincerely Debbie Malloy
Washington CountyMaryland
Expert Response
I am sorry you have been dealing with itchy bites for so long. It sounds like you have been doing everything as we would recommend: checking for sources of moisture, vacuuming and cleaning regularly, and working with a pest control professional. A pest specialist would be able to identify samples with a microscope if any can be collected. Another option we would recommend: see a dermatologist who can test to see if you have any type of skin allergies. Some types of products, detergents, perfumes, fibers, and even medications can cause a sensation of persistent itching.
Please see the attached publication from Penn State University called 'Is Something Biting Me?' It offers information on possible pests as well as some medical conditions, materials in the environment, and medications that may cause a sensation that fees like insects biting or crawling on the skin. The publication mentions what you should and should not do.
Thank you for responding to my email but I not sure you actually read it. Your response tells me what to do to see if I even have any pests and then how to identify them. As I said in my email they were identified. I have an infestation of biting midges or noseeums. My question was not whether I have pests or not but how to deal with biting midges specifically. As the title question asks. Like how to interrupt their life cycle or how to force them back outside as I also said in my email. To reiterate, I am looking for information specifically for biting midges. I couldn't really find anything useful online. If you have any specific knowledge on how to deal with biting midges it would be appreciated.
My name is Emily, and I'm one of the entomologist that work for UME. I'm sorry to hear that you are dealing with biting midges. Unfortunately, there is no go way to control them or push them back outside. Biting midges tend to breed in salt or fresh water site that are high in organic matter, so unless you have a lot of house plants, they are likely not breeding in your home. They might be breeding in your gutters if they have not been clean out recently.
Due to their small size, they can fit through a standard window/ door screen, so you could try getting a smaller screen to keep them out of your home, or if they are only feeding at night, you might be able to find a fine mosquitoes netting you could hang over your bed. I did this when traveling overseas a few years ago, and it worked well to prevent nighttime insect bites. They are also not great flies, so you might also try to keep a fan going in the room you and your family are in to reduce bites.
Biting midges numbers peak during the summer and the adults die out with the first hard frost. If you are still getting bitten after that, then you might be dealing with an additional or secondary pest.
Here are some resource with information about biting midges:
OMG !!!! I never even thought of the gutters! My bedroom is on the second floor and one of my windows is about four feet from the gutter. Even though it is so close you can't see into the gutter because of the angle. And even though I did look around perimeter of the house I never thought of the gutters. We live in the mountains and the house is completely surrounded by trees. We do rake all leaves from up against the house every spring and fall and clean the gutters, but I was in the hospital for an extended period this past fall and it didn't get done. I just looked out my window and although I can't be sure yet, I do see little specs whizzing around. I will let you know if it turns out to be them. One just landed on this tablet, lol. Thank you so much for that suggestion. I hope that that is the answer and a simple gutter cleaning will be the solution. Thanks again.
