Small biting midges. The most interesting about midge bites

The term "midges" can mean:

• Insects according to the official scientific classification, belonging to the family of midges.
• Insects belonging to other families, but called gnats because of their characteristic appearance and small size.

Both groups include species that are able to drink blood and bite people and pets. Carnivorous midges and insects similar to them in appearance and lifestyle are part of the gnat - a group of blood-sucking flying pests. Depending on the terrain, the species composition of the midges may differ, but the bite of any midge looks almost the same. The symptoms and intensity of the reaction are much more influenced by the individual characteristics of the organism and the immunity of the bitten person.
The recommendations for first aid and treatment of midge bites described below are presented for informational purposes, only a doctor should diagnose and prescribe treatment, especially in acute reactions.

What is the difference between a midge bite and a mosquito bite?

When a midge attacks a person, it bites off a piece of flesh. The mosquito just makes a puncture. Wanting to feast on human blood, the midge performs a set of surgical procedures. With her saliva, she anesthetizes the site of the bite and injects blood thinning substances into the wound. That is why a person does not always feel that he is being bitten.

Painful sensations appear only after the insect is full and flew away. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the saliva of the midge is poisonous, therefore, after a few minutes, the area of ​​the skin swells, itching and burning appear. If there were several insects, the person may have a fever and general signs of poisoning appear. In this case, you should immediately consult a doctor.

A reliable remedy for midges on the street

Protective measures should be taken in advance. When going outside, treat your skin with an insect repellent purchased from a pharmacy. Fortunately, the choice is now simply huge. Keep in mind that special baby sprays or lotions should be chosen for children.

If you want to use more natural repellents, then you will come to the rescue folk remedy for midges.

Its advantage is that you will not doubt the environmental friendliness of components and safety for your own health.

Crystalline vanillin

Crystalline vanillin (not to be confused with vanilla sugar!) Is one of the most effective anti-gnats. Dissolve the powder in water and apply to the skin.

For ease of use, it is better to pour the solution into a spray bottle. If you haven't used the product in one go, that's okay. You can store the finished solution for 2-3 days. Then you need to prepare a new one. If you have a small child that you carry in a stroller, soak a mosquito net in vanilla solution.

Note that vanillin crystals dissolve rather poorly in water, remaining on the surface for a long time. Therefore, it is best to pour a packet of vanillin into a small bottle of mineral water, fill it up to half with warm water and shake well.

Vanillin can cause an allergic reaction, so apply a couple of drops to your skin before use for a trial test.The skin behind the ear and on the wrist is most sensitive, so if you are prone to allergies, noticeable redness will soon appear.

Reliable protection for the summer resident

People who often and for a long time are in nature are most susceptible to the attack of the gnat. For such people, there is a special remedy for midges.

Mix equal proportions of vegetable oil, 9% vinegar and shower gel. This mixture should be rubbed all over the body, but not the hair! Then, of course, wash off.

Essential oils

Blood-sucking insects are afraid of the pungent odors of certain essential oils. These include: cedar, eucalyptus, anise, cloves. Add a few drops of one of the above oils to water and apply the solution to your skin. Mosquitoes and midges won't bother you for a long time.

Additional preventive measures

To reduce the likelihood of bites, you should remember what kind of daily routine the midges follow. An adult midge is activated only on hot days in the morning and evening. Particular activity can be observed before the rain. There are especially many insects near the water and in the grass. If dragonflies fly nearby, then soon there will be no trace of the midges.

Prevention of a gnat attack can also be done with suitable clothing. Skip T-shirts, T-shirts and shorts in the morning. When heading to the river, it is best to wear special protective clothing such as mosquito nets.

If you still get bitten

In the event that protective measures have not been taken, the itching from the bite can be relieved with ammonia diluted in half with water. A baking soda solution is also helpful. Half a small spoon is enough for a glass of water. An excellent tool is the famous Zvezdochka bases, so if you have it at your fingertips, feel free to use it.

If after a while after being bitten by a midge you feel unwell, be sure to consult a doctor!

Various pests strive to live next to a person: these are cockroaches, and bugs, and moths, and ants. This list can also include midges - small insects of the Diptera family. More than 1000 species of midges are known to science. There are black and green midges, whiteflies, thrips. The flower midge is a pest of indoor plants, there is also a species that annoys animals, while the house midges living in the apartment bite, spreading dangerous infections. And given the fact that, unlike mosquitoes, they swarm in a whole cloud, an attack by insects can have very negative consequences.

Traps

Traps are one of the most common ways to get rid of midges in an apartment. You can buy them or make your own. Find out more about the most effective traps below.

Solution from the store

Midge traps usually consist of a sweet, scented sticky strip that traps the insect and prevents it from flying away. Place a few around problem areas, wait for the pests to disappear.

Manufacturers offer disposable and reusable containers. The first ones are thrown away after filling, the second ones are cleaned, washed, filled with an attractant.

Vinegar trap

If you don't want to buy from a store, you can make a trap yourself. Pour some apple cider vinegar into a glass, plastic bowl. Add two drops of liquid detergent. Place bowls in every room where midges have been spotted.

Pests are attracted to the liquid and die when they try to fly away. Discard dead specimens by replacing the vinegar / detergent mixture every few days.

The red wine trick

The red wine trap is somewhat similar to the vinegar trap. Take a container, fill it with red wine. Then cover it with plastic wrap, poke a few holes. Insects will drown in red wine.

Homemade traps

Crafting requires a plastic bottle or glass jar.

Option number 1.A plastic bottle with a volume of 1.5-2 liters is cut into two halves. The lower part is 2/3 of the height, the upper one is 1/3. Put chopped fruits (apples, pears, oranges), sweet syrup, wine, beer, fermented compote on the bottom. Turn the upper part upside down, the bait will be covered. It turns out a funnel, midges fly in, but cannot get out.

Adhesive tapes

For those looking for safe ways to get rid of gnats in an apartment, it is recommended to use adhesive tapes. This inexpensive product is safe for humans. Easy to use - just take the tape out of the box by pulling on the loop and hang it in a convenient place.

The sticky yellow leaves used to kill gnats on houseplants have a similar effect. Sticky stickers are placed in the pot, insects attracted by the yellow color stick to the strips.

About domestic midges

Moshkara can start even in the apartment of the cleanest hostess. So one of its very frequent representatives is fruit flies - these are small insects of about 2 mm that live in spoiled fruits or vegetables. It is with these products purchased on the market or in the store that pests most often enter the house. Drosophila do not pose a particular danger to humans, but for garden and garden fruits they become one of the main enemies. The appearance of this is evidence of excessive watering of the flower.

The question of whether midges bite are those who once discovered various types of rashes on the skin, accompanied by itching, burning, pain and swelling. It may seem strange to many, but there are some midges that can bite.

There is no definite answer to the question of which midges bite. When there are too many adults and not enough food for everyone, in search of food they are able to attack a person. This is why midges fly to the skin. But there are also blood-sucking representatives of this family, biting through the skin and feeding exclusively on the blood of mammals. This is what explains the fact of why midges bite.

However, pests do not bite at night, as bed bugs do, but are active during the daytime. Therefore, in bed and in bed, they do not start.

On a note!

Biting midges prefers wet places in the apartment, therefore, a congestion of adults can often be found in the drain holes of the sinks, as well as in the soil of indoor plants. They can enter the room through the ventilation system or fly through the window from the street.

Black midges are much larger than fruit flies, their body length is up to 6 mm. Outwardly, they are very similar to flies, they can be domestic and earthen. Pests do not bite into the skin with a sting like other insects, but gnaw out a piece of flesh, in place of which small wounds form. During an attack, a biting midge injects an anesthetic fluid. That is why the pain from the bite is not felt immediately, but after a while.

Saliva that gets into the wound often becomes the cause of an allergic reaction. Multiple bites by biting midges can be accompanied by fever, heart palpitations, and swollen lymph nodes.

Insecticides

Insect control specialists use chemical sprays. What's good for professionals is good for us. Products such as Raid, Home Pest Spray, Zep are specially designed to kill midges, flies, mosquitoes.

The process is called fog. Use a room pyrethrin mist. Follow manufacturer's recommendations for safe indoor use. Insecticides will provide a temporary solution to the problem, so it is necessary to prevent midges from entering the apartment.

If you don't want to use chemicals, make your own organic spray.Dissolve the lemon-scented soap in the water. He may not be as fast as Reid, but much safer for an apartment with pets and children.

Attention. When working with chemicals, the manufacturer's instructions must be followed and the safety precautions must be taken into account. In case of contact with skin, rinse immediately with water.

To destroy the fruit flies that have settled in the sewers, a gel from the company Invade has been developed. The drug has a pleasant smell, dissolves organic residues in pipes, including midges and their eggs. If desired, the gel is diluted with water, poured into a spray bottle, and used as a spray.

Attention. Dichlorvos is a remedy for various insects. Traditionally used for pest control in apartments. Modern drugs are odorless, but also toxic and hazardous to humans and animals. After the expiration of the time set for the action of the insecticide, it is necessary to ventilate the apartment.

How to deal with biting midges in an apartment

You can not bring insects to bite. You need to know how to get rid of pests. First of all, you need to find the source of the spread of insects in the apartment.

1. Biting midges will not annoy the inhabitants of the apartment, if you do not leave food on the table overnight, dirty dishes in the sink, and waste in the trash can. After all, it is the smell of rot that attracts the attention of insects.
2. In the kitchen, you should go through and get rid of dirty bags and containers in which food was previously stored. It is advisable to treat the inner and outer surfaces of the cabinets with a solution of vinegar, since midges are very afraid of its smell.
3. Biting pests will not be able to enter an apartment through a window or enter a room through ventilation if they are protected by mosquito nets.
4. If necessary, you should clean the sewer pipes under the sink in the kitchen, as food debris and moisture are the most favorable conditions for the spread of green midges.
5. It is necessary to pay attention to indoor plants by adjusting their watering. You should also periodically loosen the soil and use drainage.
6. Sticky tapes, which are hung in places of their accumulation, will help to clear the apartment of biting midges.
7. The pet cage also requires regular cleaning. There is no need to leave stale fruits and vegetables in it.
8. So that the midges do not have time to bite, you can catch it with a vacuum cleaner, afterwards cleaning the dust container on the street.
9. Against biting midges, they also use folk remedies that have a pronounced aroma, which are usually found in every apartment. These can be garlic, horseradish, orange, or clove sticks.

A midge bite causes a variety of reactions in humans, ranging from a small wound to a tumor that can be the size of a golf ball. Reactions to midge bites, known as black fly fever, cause headaches, nausea, fever, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck.

About six species of midges feed on humans. Other species do not bite. However, they fly around the head, can crawl into the ears, eyes, nose, mouth, causing extreme irritation.

Black flies, known as gnats, are very small and are pests for wildlife, livestock, poultry and humans. Their blood-sucking habits raise concerns about the possible transmission of pathogens.

This is a video, twice its normal speed, where a fly gains its body weight in 60 seconds. Consequences - a wound on the leg that bled for several minutes.

Even the strongest repellents do not protect against this pest, which attacks throughout the day. These tiny flies are incredibly abundant in forested areas during the spring and summer.

Unlike mosquitoes, which insert their proboscis subcutaneously into small capillaries, the fly uses its jagged edges to cut tiny blood vessels.Only the female black fly eats blood, she uses this rich source of protein to produce up to 800 eggs in her short life. Males are gentle sex, they feed on nectar from flowers. The female lays eggs on stones, logs, emerging vegetation, or directly into the water. The eggs hatch and the larvae feed on small plants and animals.

The terrible reddish blisters and swollen legs are the work of a midge.

The wound is enough to be seen. Although the bite itself contains anesthetics in their saliva, the consequences can be quite unpleasant. The wounds are reddish purple in color, like blood stains under the skin. These red blisters are accompanied by intense itching that lasts for several days. Puffiness is observed, the skin becomes elastic to the touch. Fortunately, without medical attention, the swelling wears off after a few days. Although, red spots can be visible for up to a week after exposure to these tiny vampires.

The direct damage they cause is the lesser of evils from these little flies. In several countries in Central, South America and Africa, they carry filarial worms that can live in the human body. They are small tumors under the skin. Occasionally, filarial worms take up residence in the eyes and cause vision loss, known as river blindness or Robles disease.

Midge habitats

This insect is found in many parts of the country. Only females feed on blood. Males feed on nectar. The insect reproduces very quickly. Immature larvae need oxygen-containing water sources, so adults live near streams or rivers. Standing water in lakes and ponds is unsuitable for midge development.

Midge life cycle and description

Adult black flies are small insects 1 to 5 mm in length, ranging in color from black to various shades of gray or yellow. Females lay eggs, 200 to 800, on vegetation just below the surface of the water. The larvae emerge from the eggs and attach to aquatic or emerging vegetation. Adults live for two to three weeks. Some species can produce their first batch of eggs without the first meal (blood).

Simulium slossonae

flies four to eight miles from breeding site in search of food, then returns after feeding to reproduce and lay eggs. Thus, the problem can be carried over considerable distances.

This insect has its own food preferences. Adult females feed on the blood of humans, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, poultry, other domestic animals, wild mammals and birds. Each type of midge may prefer one type of host over another. It is a daytime biting insect that prefers calm weather. They are not limited to shady, humid places, and do not fly into enclosed spaces. Find victims at a distance by smell, warmth, and sight. Females swarm around, crawl over the body, preferring head, hair, ears, as well as any skin that is available.

Their bites can itch and persist for several days. Biting is accompanied by cutting through the skin and feeding on a pool of blood that accumulates on the wound. Anticoagulants injected at the site of injury can easily provoke mild and sometimes severe allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Severe reactions include fever, nausea, and allergic dermatitis. Large populations of midges cause violent reactions and can be life-threatening, even killing a pet. Their attack is very painful due to the hole that is cut in the skin.

Some people are very attractive to the pest and have strong reactions to their bites. Others do not attract flies and bite them little, if any.Anyone who has severe allergic reactions should see a doctor for immediate treatment. Treatment is with antipruritic lotions or creams.

Prevention of the appearance

In order not to waste time and effort fighting gnats in the house, you need to take timely measures to prevent their appearance. By observing the following guidelines, you can reduce the risk of midges:

1. Never leave on the table leftover food, fruit stubs... Try to either throw away the half-eaten or put it in the refrigerator;
2. Timely take out the trash and close the bucket tightly... Waste rotting in a garbage bag becomes a favorable habitat for midges. The trash bin must be washed and wiped regularly;
3. Pour out any remaining waterso that it does not stagnate. The water in the animal's bowl or the liquid in the flower tray should be poured out regularly - otherwise, small insects will lay their larvae in them;
4. Keep out of the house flowers with decaying roots... If the plant withers, try replanting it in another pot and change the conditions for caring for it;
5. Monitor the condition pet food, cleanliness of bowls for food and water.

Preventing insect attacks

Control of gnats is difficult due to the sheer number of potential breeding sites. Nevertheless, it is possible to get rid of these insects by treating the places of their accumulation with a natural product, Bacillus Thuringiensis
israeliensis
(Bti). Breeding sites are treated with chemical pesticides to regulate the population. The remedies are similar to those used to eliminate mosquitoes and their larvae in aquatic habitats. Repellents should be used during the day when these insects are actively feeding.

The midge is small, it can pass through the protective screen of the window or get into an enclosed space entangled in the hair. They, however, prefer to bite outside the home. Long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and a thin mesh overhead will help prevent them from attacking. Repellents containing DEET are not very effective. People who use DEET are more attracted to black flies than people who do not use repellents containing DEET. Tests have shown that herbal remedies with the active ingredient geraniol help. Permethrin products designed specifically to ward off insect bites work for gnats, but can only be applied to tissues, not skin. Since the insect only feeds during the day, our best advice is not to go outside if there are hordes of little vampires nearby. If this is not possible, try the available repellents in the hope that one will be effective for you.

Sources of

• Goddard J. 1993. Physicians Guide to Arthropods of Medical Importance. CRC Press. Boca Raton. pp. 124-5.
• Stone A, Snoddy EL. 1969. Black flies Alabama (Diptera: Simuliidae). Auburn University Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 390.

It often happens that the rest near water bodies is spoiled by annoying hordes of small winged insects. It is practically impossible to fight off them, painful bites force one to hastily pack up and run away from an unpleasant misfortune.

They drink blood from midges, like mosquitoes, only females, with the difference that they do not bite through the skin, but gnaw through a miniature hole. Unpleasant insects live all over the globe, the only exception is Antarctica, due to the ever-cold climate.

How to treat eye swelling

The delicate skin of the face, especially the eyelids, is very attracted to all varieties of midges. It is thin, and the blood vessels are located close to the surface, so extensive swelling develops with a bite. Neglect of medical attention in these cases can cause a decrease in visual acuity due to the penetration of toxins. How to relieve swelling if a midge has bitten in the eye, before contacting an optometrist:

• rinse the eyes and eyelids with cool boiled water;
• apply cold compresses for 1-2 minutes with ten-minute breaks;
• lubricate the eyelids with Fenistil gel or Hydrocortisone ointment.

When applying external agents, you need to try so that they do not get on the mucous membrane of the eye. As soon as possible, you should get an appointment with an ophthalmologist. He examines an adult or small patient, and if a bacterial infection is detected, he will prescribe drops with antibacterial activity.

general description

Midges are small winged insects that resemble small flies. Their bites are very painful and unpleasant. In search of food, midges do not disdain either human or animal blood. They don't bite right away, they can crawl over the body for a long time in search of a more convenient place.

Neither thick clothes nor thick wool can save from annoying insects. In the south, midges can cause a serious disease - onchocerciasis, since sometimes they carry small larvae of worms and through bites infect a person.

Animals can also suffer from bites - numerous wounds are very painful. Sometimes there are diseases of cattle with simulidotoxicosis, and midges are most often the cause of the epidemic.

Most often, in order to avoid the attack of insects, protective equipment is used. Specialties are available from pharmacies, but traditional medicine also recommends effective recipes and advice.

Insect bites

First aid for swelling redness

If a blood-sucking pest has bitten, then the site is treated with special compounds. With their help, they prevent the likelihood of re-infection, and also stop the inflammatory process. Antiseptic ointments are used to treat the damaged area and get rid of itching.

Before relieving itching from areas bitten by mosquitoes, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic steps:

• The bite is washed under running water. For additional disinfection, use antibacterial soap.
• Redness from the bite of a blood-sucking mosquito is treated with an antiseptic. For this, agents are used that include calendula, alcohol or citrus juice. If a person is in the forest, then you can use your own saliva for processing.
• If the place is very swollen, then a chilled object or pieces of ice are applied to it.
• At home, people use substances presented in the form of balm, preparations and ointments.
• For the treatment of the skin, tinctures from motherwort or valerian are used. They help stop itchy dermatitis.

If the above actions did not bring relief, then more serious therapy is carried out. For this, drugs are used that are sold in pharmacies.

Consequences of a bite

Can a biting midge cause a lot of trouble? The insect not only bites very painfully, but also tries to do it in the most secluded place on the body, it can get into the nose, ear, eyes. The injured skin swells more than after a mosquito bite, as a miniature wound can become inflamed.

The saliva of an insect is especially dangerous. In some cases, it can cause severe allergic disease. At first, a person develops a painful burning sensation and itching, turning into edema. If you do not provide assistance to a person affected by an attack of midges in a timely manner, the following may appear:

• heat;
• severe muscle pain;
• fever;
• pain in the temples and back of the head.

Some of the victims experienced allergic shock several hours after the painful incident. There are times when you have to seek medical help, because you cannot cope with the consequences of midge bites on your own and serious consequences arise.

Why does a midge bite affect a person differently? It depends on the general condition of the body, the more weakened are difficult to tolerate infection with poisoned saliva.

Common Symptoms

What to do after insect bites

When bitten, a midge bites off part of the human skin surface. This is what affects the strong pain of the victim. Near the wound, swelling and swelling immediately occurs. The bite site is very itchy and painful.

All symptoms accompanying an insect bite can be divided into two categories:

• local manifestations;
• general reaction of the body.

• an increase in body temperature (possibly up to 39-39.5 ° C);
• lymph nodes increase in size and become painful on palpation;
• the heart muscle begins to work in an enhanced mode (tachycardia);
• blood pressure decreases.

The degree of manifestation of the symptom complex: local and general reactions of the body depend on a number of factors.

These include:

• bites and their number;
• the age of the victim;
• the state of immunity of a person who has been bitten by a midge;
• tendency to allergies;
• individual intolerance to the saliva of the midge accompanying the bite;
• getting a secondary infection into the wound.

With a different combination of these factors and the degree of their development, the clinical picture changes, as well as the recovery time of the bitten person. The most dangerous complication is anaphylactic shock (rarely occurs). When it occurs, immediate medical attention, treatment and hospitalization of the victim is required.

Treatment of bites

First of all, before walking in nature, you should always have medical alcohol on hand. The bitten area must be wiped with a cotton swab soaked in the drug. Painful sensations will become much less, and unpleasant consequences appear extremely rarely.

If an incident with an insect attack happened near your home, regular ice will help reduce pain and burning. Put it in a clean cloth and press it against the affected area of ​​the body. You can just easily wipe the reddened place with an ice piece.

These folk remedies do an excellent job with redness and burning after a bite:

• cologne;
• fresh lemon juice;
• gruel from parsley leaves;
• table vinegar;
• concentrated solution of soda in water.

If you don't have any means at hand that are suitable for relieving painful sensations, you can grate young potatoes and apply a compress to the affected area. Traditional medicine also advises to apply chopped onions, it will perfectly cope with itching and burning.

If none of the methods helps, there is no other way out than to seek medical help. It is especially impossible to delay if there are alarming symptoms:

• dizziness;
• fainting;
• severe swelling;
• discharge from the wounds of a cloudy liquid.

Protective equipment

Is the annoying midge chased away by folk remedies? A great way to protect your body for a few hours is a clove decoction. To do this, boil five grams of dry spice in a glass of water for three minutes. Insist for about an hour, strain and combine with a small amount of any cologne.

Rub the preparation on all exposed parts of the body before walking. Will the tissue protect if the midge attacks? It is better to wear clothes with long sleeves, cover your face with a mosquito net. If it is not possible or very hot for long outfits, rub your legs and arms especially carefully.

Some doctors recommend using valerian for protective purposes. Its smell also excellently repels mosquitoes. It makes no difference whether a midge or another biting insect attacked you - the fragrant liquid will help both from some and from others.

Are the annoying midges afraid of vanillin solution? Without a doubt. Vanilla sugar will not work here, it will only attract insects. With a vanilla mixture, you can safely protect small children, there is no allergic reaction after using the solution.

To prepare the life-saving mixture, you need to dissolve the vanillin package completely in a glass of water. It is better to apply to skin or clothing from a spray bottle. The mixture is stored for a long time - up to three days, without losing its beneficial properties.

Who is most often attacked?

Why can you walk safely in sunny weather? Insects are afraid of sunlight and try to hunt after sunset or in the morning. If you are not sure if midges can attack at night, use mosquito nets on the windows.

Does the pesky midge react to alcohol? Yes, but only her scent of alcohol attracts even more. That is why it is not recommended to rub open places, if there is nothing suitable, with vodka. Better to go for a walk without protection at all.

Does the annoying midge bite a certain category of people? It can be seen that overweight and pregnant women are most often attacked. Scientists cannot explain this fact, but it is present.

Does the midge distinguish between age categories? For some reason, young people suffer from bites more often than old and elderly people. Insects especially like the blood of small children.

Does biting midge smell? You can carry out simple experiments in nature using tobacco or garlic. Unpleasant tobacco smoke or garlic smell scares off the accumulation of these and other insects, they swarm overhead much less.

Incredibly, insects try to bite a person in the lower part of the body. It is the legs that suffer from painful wounds. If they are well protected, only then the midges will bite the area of ​​the body or head.

Once there was a terrible kind of execution of all criminals - he was stripped and tied in the evening to a tree near a reservoir. Scientists have found that a person cannot bear more than half a thousand bites. Therefore, a terrible death awaited the criminals from multiple wounds on the body.

Why do females prefer to feed on the blood of women? There are no answers to this question, but the facts confirm that more often it is the fair sex that suffers from insect attacks. Another interesting detail is that midges distinguish some colors and more readily attack people in light blue outfits.

There is no explanation for the fact that females do not drink blood from vegetarians. Many have observed that insects more willingly attack those who abuse fatty and spicy foods.

Simple tips and simple recipes for remedies can help protect against painful bites. The main rule is not to scratch the affected area of ​​the body. This not only stimulates painful wounds, but can also become a conduit for various infections. Remove the burning sensation and itching using the recommended remedies, and then no troubles will bother you in the future.