Posted on 03/21/2006 3:02:16 PM PST by SquirrelKing
The mercury is rising, the flowers are blooming and the beach season is about to begin.
Spring is here -- known as one of the more pleasant times to be in the Lowcountry. It's not too hot, not too cold and the tourists aren't quite in full force.
But the change of the season has ushered in a slew of unwelcome guests -- and no, they're not from Ohio.
They are those tiny black critters that attack in swarms and chew holes in human skin, causing itchiness, welts and overall aggravation. Commonly referred to as no-see-ums, sand gnats, sand flies, sand fleas, punkies and steel teeth, the miniature flying pests are out en masse.
So what are these bugs, and why have they invaded Beaufort County?
The Island Packet talked with Gregg Hunt, director of the Beaufort County Mosquito Control, who, before coming to the Lowcountry, spent years studying the nibbling nuisances for the USDA:
Question: What are these bugs?
Answer: They're known by many names, many of which I can't tell you on the record. The most common I hear around here are sand gnats, sand fleas and steel teeth. But the correct term is "biting midges." They're small, robust insects with piercing and sucking mouth parts. There are hundreds of types of biting midges, but the scientific term for the one that's of main concern here is the Culicoides furens.
Q: Why do they cause so much pain when they bite?
A: Unlike mosquitoes, which extract blood with a needle-like proboscis, biting midges have cutting, rasping teeth. They literally slash and tear the skin tissue to feed on blood.
Q: Why are they so bad right now?
A: It's just that time of the year. The ideal environmental conditions for them to thrive occur in spring and fall throughout the Lowcountry. Cooler temperatures and tidal activities are perfect for hatching right now. They don't like hot temperatures and aren't as bothersome during the summer months. The peak seasons are from March to April and again from September to October.
Q: Where do they breed?
A: The type of biting midge we have here breeds in salt marshes, coastal lagoons, estuaries and tidal flats.
Q: What is the typical life cycle of a biting midge?
A: It's very comparable to a mosquito. They usually live for two to three weeks. Eggs hatch under prime temperature and water conditions. The first stage is larvae, where the insect is eel-like in appearance. Next, they're in the pupae stage, which is where it transforms into a flying adult insect. From when the eggs hatch to when they reach the adult stage is about seven days.
Q: Why do they like blood so much?
A: Only the females feed on blood. They use proteins in the blood to produce eggs. In their life cycle, females produce about 100 eggs per blood meal. Male and female biting midges feed on plant juices and nectar as nourishment.
Q: Do they carry disease, and do they bother animals as well?
A: They haven't been shown to transmit disease to humans, but have been known to carry disease between animals like cattle and horses, but not in this part of South Carolina.
Q: Where else do they live?
A: Generally all over the world. The biting midge we studied when I was with the USDA preferred breeding on dairy farms and ranch land out West. Here, you'll find them in Beaufort, Colleton and Jasper counties, and they may migrate up and in from the Savannah River.
Q: What can you do to help prevent getting bitten?
A: Use insect repellent that contains up to 30 percent DEET. Wear long-sleeve shirts and pants to protect your body as much as possible. When you use the repellent, it's important to spray both your skin and your clothing. The midges are so small that they can easily get inside your clothing. Also avoid outdoor activities during dawn and dusk. These are the prime biting activity times.
Q: Why do you suggest using only 30 percent DEET?
A: For adults, anything above 30 percent is overkill. It's not dangerous, just a waste. Remember, this doesn't kill the insects, it repels them.
Q: What about with children?
A: For children, apply repellent with up to 10 percent DEET.
Q: Do the midges attack some more than others?
A: Like most biting insects,
biting midges are attracted to carbon dioxide in respiration and lactic acid in perspiration. Those who perspire more and breath more heavily attract more biting insects.
Q: With mosquitoes, you can do things to discourage them reproducing by removing standing water in the yard that can act like a breeding pool, or spray against them. What can you do to help prevent midges?
A: There's really nothing you can do to eliminate biting-midge habitat. It's just a disadvantage of living along or near the salt marshes. We don't have the equipment or personnel to alter the habitat or ecosystem. Just like alligators and snakes, biting midges are part of the Lowcountry.
Contact Peter Frost at 706-8169 or pfrost@islandpacket.com.
My goodness. I hope you are all right now! Did the Mexican treatment work?
Yes.
I'd be interested in knnowing more about it. There was a big fuss around here about 16 years ago about Lyme disease. At that time the doctors said that it was pretty much incurable. A lot of people I know thought they had it, but it was hard to prove. Since then, I've not heard much about it.
I was raised near a lot of mosquitos and I downright hate them. I would honestly trade my own life in exchange for a mosquito specific Worldwide Elimination of the MoFo’s. Cross my heart and hope to die stick a needle in my eye - that is the seriousness of the total and utter disregard for mosquito’s and as I have recently discovered (the hard way) SandGnats. I killed those things all night long and I didn’t have very many. Flypaper caught 30 and I swatted about 20 while the few remaining I misted the air and corners of the apartment with Raid Fresh Scent Fly Spray. I have absolutely no respect for the lives of biting gnats and also mosquitos. Cockroaches are welcome guests compared to these flying trash life/death. Amen.
I became extremely allergic to DEET after an overdose a few years ago. I found a net shirt called Bug Out at a hunting and fishing show and it keeps mosquitoes off me. There is a hood that will go completely over your face if you need it. It also comes with pants.
the solution to the no see-um is well known and very effective
the Avon product called Skin So Soft is totally effective repelling no-see-ums
nope, salt marshes are in question salt water. Swamps are Fresh Water
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