How to Stop No See Ums from Biting You (Ultimate Guide 2024)
Featured Image Credits: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org 
licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
All eyes are on you.
That beautiful bikini you’re sporting on the beach is just the right fit to accentuate those curves.
You’re having the time of your life, until the unexpected happens; a horde of no see ums scoop in for the kill.
They’re hungry, and you’re the next available warm, blood meal.
Yikes! If only preparations were in place to prevent you from an attack.
Perhaps things didn’t happen quite like that; it’s not your version of the story.
But, whatever the situation, you found this article because notorious biting midges have invaded your personal space and refuse to leave, despite your best effort.
You need comfort and protection, but most importantly, you need to know how to stop no see ums from biting you, and your family.
I get it.
No, I really do. No see ums are relentless in their pursuits, and unless you know how to deal with the situation, they’ll eat you, and your family alive.
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How to Stop No See Ums from Biting You
You can fight back.
Although sandflies are almost inconspicuous, using the no see ums prevention tips to follow around your home could improve your quality of life.
No see ums not only strike while you’re lounging on your porch but if you frequent a garden or farm, you know their wrath all too well. Whether you hike, camp, or host backyard barbeques, these tips on how to stop no see ums from biting will suit you well.
With that said, let’s proceed with how to stop no see ums from biting you.
Use Avon’s Skin So Soft Bath Oil
This skin moisturizer wasn’t intended for use as an insect repellent. However, raves from users on Amazon and Trip Advisor generated unwanted popularity for the product and steered people toward this no see ums prevention option.
Research conducted showed that Avon’s Skin So Soft Bath Oil is effective against no see ums for about 2 hours. It’s not the best option, to say the least, but if it keeps no see ums and other biting midges at bay, isn’t it worth a go?
Plus, you could always apply more of the bath oil until you’re ready to move away from a no see ums infested area.
That decision is left up to your discretion; but, if you’re looking for a more effective no see ums prevention option, one that was designed to stop no see ums from biting you, keep reading.
Avon’s Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus Picaridin
This product digs fear into the minuscule hearts of no see ums. Avon’s Skin So Soft Guard Plus Picaridin is a dedicated repellent that gives you optimum peace of mind when outdoors. Should you lounge by the pool, tend to flowers in a garden, or awe at nature’s beauty from your porch, Avon’s Skin So Soft Guard Plus Picaridin is a mighty protector and should be explored as a no see ums prevention repellent.
The repellent is DEET-free, which means fewer skin rashes and urticaria should your skin display an allergic reaction. You get to fight no see ums without sacrificing your skin’s comfort and aesthetics.
Avon’s Skin So Soft Guard Plus contains the active ingredient – picaridin – 20% to be exact. This ingredient prevents no see ums and other biting midges from recognizing you, the host. Thus, if they can’t find you, you’re in the clear; they won’t be able to enjoy your blood like a bowl of stew.
A few other Avon’s Skin So Soft Repellents to consider include:
- Avon Skin So Soft Insect Repellent Moisturizing Lotion
- Avon Skin so Soft Bug Guard Plus Expedition SPF 30 Pump Spray
Reduce No See Ums Breeding Sites to Prevent Them from Biting
This is going to be a difficult method to put in place and is most effective depending on the expansion of the breeding site in question.
No see ums and other biting flies thrive in moist areas where water bodies exist. These areas normally are close in proximity to ponds and swamps. They may also breed in man-made receptacles such as containers left open to catch water.
Are you living close to a swamp? You have a tough job on-hand, but it’s quite possible to cope, and stop no see ums from biting.
Instead of working with a single method from this article, try a combination of things. Even with a swamp or pond close by, using your repellents, fogger, and options should provide a bit of comfort.
There’s also the option to use a larvicide in ponds and swamps to kill the larva of no see ums and biting midges. Again, the larger the pond, the more challenging it’ll be to figure out how to stop no see ums from biting you.
Use a DEET-Based Repellent
Once you’re comfortable using DEET and have never encountered a negative reaction to it, a repellent is a worthwhile option.
Repellents with DEET as the active ingredient are seen as some of the most effective agents against biting midges, including no see ums. If you’re looking for a substance to kill no see ums, DEET won’t accomplish this; it merely repels and deters them from snacking on your blood.
It works as simple as applying to the skin.
Use a Natural Insect Repellent
Are you conscious of what you use, let loose into the air, or add to your skin? You may want to try a natural insect repellent.
“No No-See-Um Natural Insect Repellent” is that natural solution you’re looking for to incorporate in your no see ums prevention regime. As the name suggests: it’s natural, non-toxic and DEET-free. It applies lightly on the skin and isn’t toxic, which means it can be used on children and around pets.
The great trick about the product is that it gets results and is safe to use. What more could you ask for?
Use Pest Exclusion
Pest exclusion is an effective way to not deal with no see ums. This method ensures you put barriers in place to prevent biting midges from entering your home. Using pest exclusion, you perhaps won’t need to expose you and your family to unpleasant, toxic chemicals.
When considering pest exclusion as a no see ums prevention technique, think about the many different ways in which no see ums enter your home. Do you regularly ventilate your house by leaving windows and doors open? Do you have cracks in the foundation of your house? The objective is to secure, cover, and close these areas to prevent no see ums from entering.
If you wish to keep your home ventilated, try adding no see ums screens to doors and no see ums meshes to windows. An adhesive or sealant should also do the trick in closing cracks.
Pest exclusion might sound like an old technique to dapple with, but life is being breathed into the science of excluding pests.
Wear Protective Clothing
If you’re prepping your garden to look beautiful and spruce, lounging on your porch, or hiking with cherished friends, it’s important to prepare in advance to deal with no see ums. You’ll need to dress for the occasion. Wear appropriate clothing to prevent no see ums from biting.
Long sleeves and long pants tucked in should suffice. You may also choose to wear a pair of long socks to tuck your pants in.
In some cases, no see ums might bite through your clothing. As there are special protective clothing created with this in mind, getting a few items, especially if you do frequent camping and hiking trips, is worth the hassle. As these are specially designed, they will prevent no see ums from biting.
The following no see ums clothing are worth exploring:
Use Repellent Candles
Repellent candles are convenient options to use to dodge bites from biting midges, as they’re suited for outdoors and indoors use. Candles made specifically from citronella deal quite a blow to no see ums and other flying insects like mosquitoes.
Do you love camping outdoors or sitting on your moonlit porch, gazing into the heavens? REPEL’s Insect Repellent Citronella Candle is a force no see ums can’t reckon with. It’s portable, which means you have the convenience of traveling with it, and the candle is made from real citronella to drive them away. What’s more important is that this candle works!
Fog Outdoor Areas Before Using
Are you thinking about throwing the barbecue or potluck of the century? That’s a great way to connect and hang out with friends and family, but you can’t seem to figure out how to get it done without having your guests eaten alive by no see ums.
This last tip about how to stop no see ums from biting is especially suited for large areas, like a backyard barbecue or potluck. You get to enjoy a beautiful, fun-filled evening outdoors, while no see ums drop dead.
If you do opt to use a fogger to prevent no see ums from biting, ensure to get the insecticide with it. One doesn’t work without the other. A suggested insect fogger that works wonders is the Black Flag 190107 Electric Insect Fogger for flying insects. They also sell a fogging insecticide that works along with their model.
Are you camping outdoors anytime soon? Repel HG-42501 Outdoor Fogger is a cost-effective, portable no see ums prevention equipment to travel with. It was made for campsite use, and it kills most insects that crawl and fly.
No See Ums Prevention, Conclusion
It’s time to get the conversations going. You’ve probably had to deal with no see ums before stumbling on this article. What strategy or method did you previously had success with? What did you do to stop no see ums from biting? Share it in the comments section.
I’d love to augment this “How to Stop No See Ums from Biting” post, so any prevention tip that worked wonders for you is welcome.
Also, don’t forget to share it on social media. There are others who could benefit, too.
Jan Clift
Thank you for the picture. After being eaten alive for over 8 years I finally recognized what is burrowing in my skin. I do have a question they are everywhere in my house and in my clothes, how do I get rid of them in my clothes. I have to buy socks every week, and new clothes. PLEASE HELP
The Bug Agenda
Wow, Jan! You have a tall predicament dealing with. I’ve heard many stories about no see ums, but yours made everything else seem inconsequential. You likely live close in proximity to a breeding site, perhaps standing water (whether pond, salt-marsh, compost, leaf litter, mud etc) for them to deal so treacherously with you, and even in your clothing.
If that’s the case, you may need to focus a bit on prevention to exclude them from entering your home. Meshes suited for biting midges will keep them out. You are better protected when these are added to doors and windows. You may also need to search for cracks in walls and other open spaces. Even if you use other pest control options but don’t strengthen this line of defense, you’ll be back at stage one.
For those that are already indoors, your best bet to ousting them would probably be an aerosol. However, I know how people are with chemicals, and that’s for good reasons. You may try a CO2 trap that’s suited for indoor use. These attract and trap no see ums, with some using UV or C02 as the attractant and a sticky substance as the trap. DYNATRAP is a line of products you may look into and also KATCHY.
You may also look into soliciting assistance from a pest control company, if your budget so permits.
All the best to you, Jan. I do hope you find some measure of relief and comfort.
Denise
Hi Jan…. We should put our heads together! I can’t believe EIGHT YEARS! I’m going nuts after 5 months. I am COVERED in welts… they make ‘tunnels’ between welts, as I’m sure you have that, too. I’m convinced they have to be treated from within. I’ve been taking Cephalexin 500 mg for 3 weeks and will get another refill tomorrow. It is working to kill the eggs under my skin. And Im going to hopefully see an allergist before ending the antibiotic… or they’ll just keep biting. I’ve decided to let my skin just dry out. Instead of applying peppermint oil or scented lotion.
Thanks to this GREAT article im going to get a zapper with the CO2. The blue light alone didn’t work at all.
Johns Hopkins did some research in Boca Raton with the CO2 and it was effective, but too costly for the County to implement.
But I think these are going to be a huge problem!
Have you had any luck with dermatologists? I was told I was creating the wounds for attention.
Im going to get Lice treatment for my hair, as I see they’re back on my scalp. I shower at least once a day… was up to 4 times before I replaced my AC.
Denise
Natasha D Crowe
Hi my name is Natasha Crowe and I too have had an awful time dealing with these no-see-ums. They have made life so uncomfortable for the past year. I’ve tried the CO2 trap and I though it was working for a bit but then once again it seemed ineffective. I tried the repellants which would work at first but then seemed to have no effect. Like Denise said I feel they are on my scalp in my hair, not to mention takin over my home. Its like no matter where I go they find me. I’m a waitress and it’s become almost embarrassing to go to my job everyday because they follow me there and I can tell people notice I’m sure, it’s hard not to whenever these things are around. I just don’t know what to do anymore. My poor children seem to be ate up whenever I’m around. I just feel hopeless that their will ever be a solution for these awful insects. Please help.
Monica D Watson
Omg! For over a month now, I’ve been having bumps & whelps on me. I get a sharp stingy bite, but don’t see anything. I’ve been thinking I had bed bugs, but checked everywhere with a magnifying glass and didn’t see anything.
Recently, I used Adams flea, tick, bed bug spray & washed all of my linen, shampooed my sofa and carpet. That seemed to have worked for a few days and now I’m seeing micro sized specks on bedding, pillows, clothes. I knew it wasn’t bed bugs.
I prayed for God to tell me what it was and where it came from. Almost immediately I thought no-seeums and they come from the Apartment drainage ditch that sits right under my balcony. I never had that problem because the 6 yrs I’ve lived here, I’ve had a mosquito net to block other bugs & insects. Recently Managers changed and made me take the net down in January. I was so disappointed because it’s how I’ve enjoyed the outdoors without bugs. It never dawned on me that i was blocking no-seeums also. And now that I think back, that’s about how long ago it started. At first it was In My Living room which is right off of the patio. I would always itch on the couch. I guess they multiplied and are now all over the house. I’m miserable and was beginning to think I was becoming schizophrenic and had a condition called formication which is when it feels like bugs are crawling on your skin.
Thank you all for this information. I know how to arm myself better to rid myself of these pest.
The Bug Agenda
You are welcome, Monica. And sorry about your situation.
Betsy
I was told by some experts they do not lay eggs on us
Betsy
I was told by some experts that they do not lay eggs in or on our skin
Betsy
My neighbor had something like what u r talking about. Bugs that laid eggs under the skin. Nerdy sent a sample of the big that was so small you could hardly see it. The bug place had no idea what it was. The eggs were right u er the skin with a crust over them. She finally moved but they were not the no seeum s
Betsy
I would like to know if any of you when you scratch them and the sore comes off does it look or feel like a dished out little hole is there
Rinnie M
I have been dealing with no see ums for 8 years. It has totally changed my life. I’m so depressed all the time and I tried to go to two dermatologist and they always say, ” I dont see anything ” yet I have tiny bites all over me and no matter what I do they are in my hair, I’m seriously ready to shave my head. I can’t take it anymore. My family thinks I’m nuts and my primary doctor told me I should see a phycoligist! Wtf is wrong with these doctors. Obviously they are not tought about parasites in school. I’m lost, my world revoles around the bugs and I dont think I can take it anymore. I have moved twice thinking it would help but they follow me. Any words of advice? I can’t afford a pest control company. 😪