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Biting Midges. Another blood sucking parasite exists that I did not know about.
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lieutenantdan
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Posted 5 years ago
Mon Oct 1 2007 13:58:58
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Get this. Another blood sucking parasite exists that I did not know about.
Biting Midges.If you are trying to see if your bed bug problem is solved by keeping track of bite reactions this too can be a possibility.
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paulaw0919
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Posted 5 years ago
Mon Oct 1 2007 15:35:31
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This is great news for people that have deer cross their yard on a daily basis. I knew we had biting midges for some time now and it is very hard for me to determine what was a bbug bite from this. Even with all the caulking and keeping the windows closed, thes things find their way through the screens and into the house. If you look up at them very close they look like very tiny mosquitos. One of our goals is to save to replace the window screens with a much finer screen. I see much less of them now but they still find their way in ever so often.
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lieutenantdan
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Posted 5 years ago
Mon Oct 1 2007 16:03:21
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paulaw0919,
What do the bites of a biting midges look like and can they spread disease or viruses to humans and animals such as dogs and cats? -
paulaw0919
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Posted 5 years ago
Mon Oct 1 2007 17:23:25
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That I wish I could tell you, but I really don't know. I think they are in the mosquito family. There I remember reading up once that there are different "kinds" of biting midges. There is a different type that is common by water, like by ocean and lakes. My reaction to the bite is like a very tiny mosquito bite in form and itched alot. For me, partly due to to the trama of bedbugs it's hard to tell the difference, but something inside me says...this one is not a bedbug bite... I have also gotten small clusters of these as well. They are much much much smaller than a mosquito, I wouldn't think that they would transmit disease...yet again they said that about mosquitos years back as well. To me, it just makes it much more difficult during a bed bug infestation. I do know that they don't "infest" your home just like mosquitos don't.( But come from the outside, in. I will try and find some more info on it if possible. I know we had a bad bedbug infestation, but it does go to show that more than one insect can be biting you and you need to narrow it down best as possible.
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paulaw0919
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Posted 5 years ago
Tue Oct 2 2007 7:45:20
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LT Dan, Very interesting read on th biting midge. A while back one of the bugs I had found in my home was a biting midge. I did send it in and was told that yes, they do bite, but don't nest in the home and are more troublesome in areas near water. I did look up a little on it and found that there are many species of this midge and not all types bite us. But since you questioned this I looked a little on line about it and found very interesting on how wide spread these little buggers really are. The picture looks different from what you see to the naked eye for they are very small. I knew we had these for a while, but now I wonder how many bites from midges I may have mistaken for bedbug bites. We do have alot of deer around here. I found online that they cause vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) in livestock such as cows and pigs.(Hmmm, there are about three farms in a 5-10 miles radious from our home. We frequently get deer and bear, yes bear, passing our property) But I didn't see anything on humans and pets. I found that only the pregnant female ones bite because they need a blood meal to lay eggs.
I find them similar to very tiny mosquitos. They are similar to "no-seeums" The bite on me it's too bad, does welt like a small mosquito bite and goes away quickly. I remember my bedbug bites being much more itchy and looked very different. I am sure taht I have mistaken the two bites many times because of the fact the bedbug bites are not always the same on he same person.
There isn't much I can do about these midges, for they are from outside and come in from screens, an open door etc and are very small. Our property is open in the front but the back yard backs up a mountain. We do get moisture from the trees etc..This also makes sense that I see them in the bathroom (steamy showers, window is open a crack, bathroom is located right next to the bedroom.) We are planning to get smaller screens put on the house eventually, hopefully sooner than later.
But knowing that they don't seek you out as your main food supply, live in your home and feed on you while you sleep makes me not worry about them.
I must thank you Lt Dan..very much for posting this. THough I had bedbugs, I now see that bites that I have recieved were not ALL from bedbugs. Little scary cuz it's hard to tell the difference, but makes me not panic right away at every bite I get. So again, hats off to you. (Now take a break and rest will you!!)
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lieutenantdan
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Posted 5 years ago
Tue Oct 2 2007 10:22:06
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paulaw0919,
In Queens, New York we have had biting flying insect last summer and this summer so bad that they would bite all day long especially in the shade. Small and dark colored maybe black. When my wife was bit by bed bugs last summer before we even knew that bed bugs were such an epidemic (thanks government and media for not better informing people about bed bugs)
we contributed the bites to these flying pests. I did not react to my bed bug bites for months after my wife and dog experienced reactions. My bite reactions images are on flicker in this site link, my reaction kind of looked like a rash, I think, but yes caused by bed bugs.
paulaw0919, I am rested more than I have been in a year in the midst of my war when I lost 14 pounds which is too much weight loss for my weight, no sleep etc...
Thanks for your concern. I think that you will be checking in more often than you think. It can be good for the head most of the time. -
paulaw0919
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Posted 5 years ago
Tue Oct 2 2007 10:36:09
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I agree LT Dan. I will be here more than I think. As for the midges, I see dead ones all the time between the kitchen window and the screen if that means anything. Never took much thought of it until bedbugs and especially now. I smerk when I hear of the weight loss. I had been over weight since the twins. Well now...I'm back to the weight I was when I met my husband. (lost 38 lbs) I feel better and have more energy now, but I don't recommend the diet!
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