No See Ums in the House: Tips to Oust Them and Sleep in Peace

Are you struggling to deal with no see ums in the house?

You don’t have to suffer.

Now is your time to put up a fight and evict them.

In this article, I talk about why you have no see ums in the house and what you can do about the situation.

Why You Have No See Ums in the House

You may have no see ums in the house because you’re close in proximity to a breeding site. While male no see ums typically remain close to their emergence site after maturing from the larval stage, female biting midges tend to travel some kilometers away in search of a blood meal.

For example, Culicoides mississippiensis (a genus of biting midges) may travel more than 3 kilometers in the span of 24 hours. This is without being aided by the wind.

When these wandering females are supported by the wind, they may travel even greater distances.

If you live close to mangroves and areas where water is collected and remains stagnant, this may be the case. While female biting midges typically travel for meals, if they are close to a source, there’s no need to venture off.

They will then invade your home to feed on you.

What You Can Do About No See Ums in the House

Many programs implemented to curtail no see ums have been met with challenges. This is because of several factors.

For one, it’s difficult to ascertain where no see ums are breeding, especially since their habitat is large. Also, no see ums tend to breed in sensitive areas. These areas often serve as habitats for other life forms, that might be harmed once insecticides are introduced.

Furthermore, adult biting midges are mobile and can travel across vast territories with wind carriage. All these factors hinder what can be done to treat an infestation.

However, when you’re dealing with no see ums in the house, the playing field changes. While you can implement factors to create an almost no see um-free home, there’s the possibility that they will continue to stream indoors, because of the presence of a breeding site.

Since biting midges are overall difficult insects to get a hold of, what can you do about no see ums in the house?

Consider at least 6 important tips.

Consider Your Location

If you reside in a no see um zone, you have a lot of work to do. This is because your efforts to control the problem could go in vain if the source isn’t identified.

If you live close to a breeding zone, you’ll have adult biting midges flocking to your house like clockwork.

Do you live close to marsh areas or shallow bodies of water where no see ums can thrive? Stagnant water is a no see um’s best friend, so if you have large bodies of water that don’t flow, these are problematic.

There isn’t much you probably can do to manipulate the habitats of no see ums, other than remove or dry up small bodies of water and moistened debris and shaded areas in and around your home.

If you do have access to fogging equipment and you’re allowed to use such in your area, this could provide temporary relief. Fogging is a long-term effort, which could turn out to be expensive.  

Since you aren’t able to do much outdoors, let’s consider what can be done indoors.

Consider Using Chemical Control

You are limited in the type of chemicals you can use indoors, but success is possible. Since you’re already co-habiting with no see ums, your first line of defense is to evict them.

If you’re someone who’s not against using chemicals, an aerosol spray designed for flying insects can be used to kill and drive no see ums out the door.

Flying insect spray options include:

• Raid Flying Insect Killer
• Hot Shot 66310-1 AC1686 Flying Insect Killer Aerosol
• Ortho Home Defense Flying Insect Killer
• Black Flag Flying Insect Killer Aerosol Spray

Some aerosols are also made using plant-based extracts like essential oils. These carry less toxicity and oftensmell better. Two common options include:

• Ortho Home Defense Flying Bug Killer with Essential Oils
• EcoSMART Flying Insect Killer

When using aerosols to kill and oust no see ums in the house, it’s always best to spray the entire home. This is because no see ums can travel from one room to the next. Sealing all windows and doors to kill as many as possible is important.

Note, this process is dangerous, especially when working with chemicals. Using a chemical and particulate respirator for this process helps to protect you while you spray the entire house. This tool isn’t cheap, but it costs less in comparison to hiring a pest control company for a problem that will likely be recurrent.

Before you begin spraying the area, your respirator should be on, and everyone (including animals) should be outdoors. After you’re done spraying, doors and windows should be closed, and you should leave.

You and your family might have to stay outdoors for about 30 minutes to an hour to allow the aroma to dissipate (Wait time might be lower. Ensure to read the product’s labelling).

If only a particular room is infested with no see ums, you don’t have to vacate everyone. Keep them in a separate area with the doors closed.

No See Um Proof Your Home

No see ums can invade your home through the smallest cracks, as they are miniscule insects. If you typically leave your windows open, start closing them.

You may also reduce no see ums in the house by installing mesh and screens specifically designed to keep no see ums out. (Some mosquito screens and meshes may not be ideal for no see ums.)

Fiberglass screens seem to work for many homeowners. An option to consider is Phifer, as this brand makes screens that prevent no see ums from streaming indoors.

Diffuse Repellents Throughout the House

Essential oils are plant-based extracts with powerful compounds that contain insect repellent properties. If you’ve ever used a citronella or lemon-eucalyptus candle, you’ve experienced the power of essential oils.

Rather than buy repellent candles, a great option is to diffuse essential oils throughout your home to repel no see ums.

If you and your family frequently congregate in the living room and are subjected to countless savage bites, this could be an option worth exploring.

However, if you’re looking to diffuse throughout the entire house, you will need several diffusers and a lot of essential oils.

Some diffusers are costly, while others are inexpensive to acquire. The prices of essential oils also vary, but the ones with insect repelling properties are relatively cheap to acquire.

Essential oils that may repel no see ums include:

• Bog myrtle
• Lemongrass
• Eucalyptus
• Cypress
• Lavender
• Thyme

If you deal with other insects at home, consider looking at a recent post published about essential oils bugs hate.

Sleep Underneath a Bed Net

With no see ums in the house, it’s likely difficult for you to sleep at night. Have you ever considered sleeping beneath a bed net?

This could protect you from being bitten while you snooze. Also, if you live in a state or country where plenty of insects and bugs, including scorpions, come out at night to play, a bed net could save you from nasty bites.

CO2 Traps

No see ums are attracted to CO2.

Using a CO2 trap indoors and outdoors to lure and trap no see ums may help to reduce their numbers significantly (some traps are designed for indoors, while others for outdoor use).

While these traps are good options to consider, they aren’t without faults. Consider learning more about what they offer and a few disadvantages (there are ways to work around these, by the way).

No See Ums in the House, Conclusion

There’s no guaranteed way to deal with no see ums in the house. No see ums are relentless, difficult to see and catch, and highly elusive.

In some cases, you may have to try a few suggestions together to determine what works for you and your family. What works will largely depend on your present no see um situation and location.

Sources:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3225567/#:~:text=Culicoides%20mississippiensis%20was%20the%20only%20species%20active%20during,when%20the%20moon%20was%20in%20some%20other%20phase.

Encyclopedia of Entomology 2^nd Edition – John L. Capinera (Editor), University of Florida