Midges – how to prevent & treat the bites.

Biting midges (pronounced midgies) are also known as no-see-ums, punkies, and biting gnats and are often incorrectly referred to as sandflies. They are a formidable pest that, I can personally attest to, cause intense irritation, pain and discomfort. You will understand what I am talking about if you have suffered from their attention. The following will attempt to explain what they are, how to protect yourself, and how to treat the bites.

The first time I was mauled by biting midges was back in 2004 when we first arrived in Darwin. At the time, we were travelling around Australia, living in a tent and towing a fishing boat. The caravan park we stayed at was alongside a creek, and before long, I was covered in intensely itchy bites.

I had no idea what they were until I complained to our park neighbours, who explained that I had midge bites. I was literally covered in them and couldn’t sleep because of the itch. Our kind neighbours gave me some calamine lotion. That night, each time I woke itching, I smeared more calamine lotion on my bite. Before too long, I was unable to sleep at all. The calamine was like a layer of cement on my skin and, I’m sure, made my itching worse.

A few days later, Dwayne got a job on Milingimbi Island, off the coast of Arnhem Land. I was still beside myself with itching, and, as I was also going to Milingimbi, I went to a pharmacy for help. The Pharmacist suggested Phenergan. It was a godsend. I did continue to itch for a few more days, but the Phenergan helped me to sleep.

Since that first time, I have been attacked by the little villains in New Zealand, Thailand and Queensland, to name but a few. It was the time in Queensland that propelled me to find out more about the midges hoping that I could prevent the bite or, at the very least, know how to reduce my suffering. Moreover, I wanted to know why I suffered when bitten, but Dwayne didn’t.

We were anchored at Pancake Creek in Queensland, and upon discovering oysters on the rocks ashore, Dwayne suggested we go and gather some. We ended up walking through the mangrove, and once I belatedly realised I was being bitten, we left. Once back on the beach, we noticed little red dots all over us. They were not itchy. I commented to Dwayne that maybe these midges didn’t cause an itchy bite. I felt blessed! Unfortunately, about 24 hours later, I was covered in extremely itchy, red, blistered bites. I was miserable. It was well over a week after that that I was finally able to buy an antihistamine at MacKay and get some relief.

As I mentioned early, I was determined to find out more about these tiny irksome insects that had the capacity to cause me so much distress. The following is what I discovered about these little beasts. References to where I found the information is at the end.

About Midges

Midges belong to a family of insects called Ceratopogonidae. They are tiny, 0.5mm to 3mm long or about the size of a pinhead. The family includes more than 4,000 to 5,000 species (depending on fact source), and in Australia, we have more than 200 varieties of biting midges.

Ceratopogonidae is holometabolous, a form of insect development that comprises four life stages – egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The average lifespan of an adult midge depends on the individual species but is somewhere between a few days and several months.

Adult males and females feed on nectar. The midges that bite you are females, as they also feed on the blood of humans (and animals) to get protein for egg-laying.

They live in moist environments such as mangrove swamps, lagoons, estuaries and tidal flats. They thrive in habitats with damp soil, mud, and rotten leaf material, as these are perfect hatching grounds for their eggs. Similarly, the temperature is important. They are most active in humid weather between 27 °C and 32 °C.

Their bites are painful and cause extremely itchy sores and blisters. Midges are not known to transmit diseases to humans in Australia, but secondary infections can occur if the site is scratched. Protecting yourself from the biting midges is your best defence.

Why do I get a severe reaction to bites, but my husband doesn’t?

As mentioned earlier, it is the female that bites. She feeds on the blood of humans and animals, consuming protein to develop a batch of eggs. As the female bites, she injects a little of her saliva into the open wound. Her saliva contains an anticoagulant that makes it easier for her to extract the blood. It is this saliva that some people are allergic to. Hence, Dwayne and I are bitten and initially covered in tiny red dots. Still, only I will end up covered in red, intensely itchy little blisters that cause excruciating discomfort for weeks (if not treated promptly).

How to protect yourself

Fans

Midges thrive in humid, warm, windless conditions. Therefore, increasing air movement can help prevent midge bites. Seeing that midges are so small, it is easy to understand that they do not like windy conditions. Use large fans to keep them at bay.

Lighting

Like mosquitos, many biting midge species are attracted to white light. If you need lighting, use a yellow (or red) light. I recently tried this on a boat in Queensland and can attest to this working. Flying, biting insects of all kinds became fewer when I put on the yellow or red light.

Cover-up

Wear long sleeves, pants, shoes and socks when you know the midges are around. I know, but it is easier said than done in hot, tropical, humid places. However, covering up is advantageous, especially when paired with insect repellant.

Insect repellant

Many insect repellents are effective against midges. I have used OFF, and when especially fearful of attack, I have used Bushman 80% DEET. 80% DEET may have been overkill. Bushman repellant is also available in 20% and 40% DEET. Bushman is incredibly effective, but, as is often the case with repellants, it is brutal on the skin, plastic and other surfaces. Use DEET products with care. For those who find repellents irritating, I suggest making your own. Mix equal parts of baby oil, Dettol and eucalyptus oil. I haven’t tried this, but it is said to work.

Mosquito coils & citronella candles

Burning mosquito coils and citronella candles are thought to reduce the number of midges. I don’t have any personal knowledge of this. Having said that, if I am worried about midges, I do light coils and citronella candles; I just can’t swear to the effectiveness, as I also use repellant, cover-up and turn off the lights at the same time.

Surface spray

Using surface spray on your fly screens can help stop midges from entering your home, caravan or boat. Most screens will not have mesh small enough to stop midges from entering. However, if you spray screens with surface spray, a thin layer of insecticide residue will remain on the surface and terminate the ferocious little blighters!

Treatment

Antihistamine

The sooner you treat the bites, the sooner you will recover. In my opinion, and from lots of practical experience, the best treatment is an antihistamine. I use Phenergan. When taken at the first signs of bites, Phenergan will reduce my suffering to five days or less. Phenergan makes me very tired, so I take it at night. This drowsiness has the added bonus of helping me sleep. Seriously, I do not travel anywhere without Phenergan now.

Hydrocortisone

Hydrocortisone creams, when applied directly to the bite, can offer relief. In my opinion, the respite is short-lived and only useful in conjunction with an antihistamine.

Other skin applications

Skin application products can offer relief, including Stingose, SOOV cream, and Benadryl Anti-Itch Relief Cream. Tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil, aloe vera gel, calamine lotion and paw paw ointment are also worth trying when applied directly to the bite. As with the aforementioned hydrocortisone, these products can offer ease but, in my opinion, not nearly enough to use them without an antihistamine. Others who have suffered from these bites will understand the desperation one feels when dealing with these demons!

Other things to try… especially if you do not have an antihistamine available…

What else can I tell you?

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