Do you live somewhere near beaches, marshy lands, or a slowly flowing river? If yes, then the chances are that you will struggle will what we know as midge flies. These aren’t your typical flies, mainly because they are biters. Yes, they leave sore bites with redness on your skin, something that you are going to complain about for multiple days at a stretch.
Unlike most other parasitic flies, Midge flies are very hard to detect and start their infestation inconspicuously. This means that if you aren’t paying close attention, you will end up experiencing issues with them in the long run.
In this article, we will discuss everything there is to know about midge flies and how to get rid of midge flies for good.
Also read: How to Get Rid of Chiggers from Your Home?
Table of Contents
Midge Flies – Appearance
If you don’t live around swampy areas, knowing what a midge fly looks like is going to be a hard affair to understand. They are parasitic and feed off of humans and other animals for their nutrition requirements.
As for their appearance, these small flies are gray with a darker brick orange around their heads. They grow up to 1/8 inches in length and have two wings, six legs along with a proboscis for sucking out blood from their victims.
Why Do Midge Flies Bite?
You might not know this, but it is the female midge flies that bite and are parasitic. This is because proboscis is only available in the female ones rather than the male ones.
The midge flies bites because they need the proteins from the sucked blood to produce their eggs. Typically, the midge tends to bite during the daytime. However, some exceptions tend to indulge in night-time feedings too.
List of Ways to Get Rid of Midge Flies
Now that you have a basic idea and understanding about midge flies, you must know how to get rid of them. Since they are parasitic, they will feed on your blood and end up transmitting infections that they catch in the environment.
Since they are typically found in the marshes and wetlands, it isn’t even a question that you need to go above and beyond to fix the issues. We have managed to sort out some of the best tricks and tips that can help you sort out the midge flies infestation for good.
1. Focus on Good Hygiene
You might not know or understand this, but lack of proper hygiene is hands down one of the most common issues that attract midge flies. Not just your home but even yourself can end up causing risks of getting bitten by these flies.
One unique thing about these flies is that they rely on body heat and the sweaty smell to find their targets. So, if you give in to those requirements, it becomes easier for them to trace and find their target and attack them accordingly. Make sure you are maintaining personal hygiene and not staying sweaty and smelly throughout the day.
2. Opt for Insect Repellent
It isn’t even a question that if the infestation is a lot, you need to rely on insect repellents to get rid of these pesky flies. The thing about repellents is that the chemical smell in them is so overwhelming that they successfully keep the insects out of the perimeter of your house. They don’t necessarily kill the midge flies, so make sure you are aware of the same.
However, you need to be careful with insect repellents, especially if you have kids and pets around. If you don’t want to rely on chemical repellents blindly, you can always rely on the natural insect’s repellents available in abundance in the market now.
Keep in mind that the use of insect repellent is both for biting and non-biting midge flies. So, if you are concerned that they are only effective on the biting midge, you are mistaken. They take down every kind of flies with a strong repelling smell.
3. Keep Your Kitchen Clean
Another commonplace infestation of the midge flies is around the kitchen, particularly, dirty kitchen. If crumbs are lying on the kitchen counter and kitchen floor, they are bound to attract these flies, making the infestation even worse.
Two of the most common points of attraction include cookie crumbs and overripe fruits. Since these flies live off of the sugar high, any kinds of similar pungent smells will eventually lure them in, making it difficult for you to tackle them and get rid of them.
So, keeping your kitchen clean is extremely important when it comes to how to get rid of midge flies. You want to ensure that you don’t end up leaving the kitchen messy and dirty just because you didn’t get much time to sort out the ingredients.
4. Keep the Doors & Windows Closed
If you live close to areas with a lot of midge infestations, you need to focus on keeping the doors and windows closed and shut. If you can’t do that, make sure you check on screening the doors and windows. Maintaining that can prevent the midge flies from entering your home. Typically, you need to either shut the doors and windows completely or consider putting up a screen.
The screen should be fine because the flies can otherwise gain access to the houses and slip through the cracks. If possible, always keep the doors and windows locked out during dusk and dawn. If you have cracks under the doors, seal them off too.
5. Get Rid of Standing Water
Yes, standing water is where these flies reproduce and multiply. If you have sources of uncovered standing water around your house, get rid of them immediately without any questions. Like mosquitoes and other parasites, they tend to spend their time reproducing in the still water, making their infestation even worse.
From pet water bowls to pool water, you need to get rid of them immediately. If you can’t get rid of the standing water source, at least do something to cover them, so the flies don’t directly access the water.
6. Avoid Bright Lights
Like most other kinds of insects, even these small midge flies are attracted to bright light. So, if you have the patio lights switched on during the night-time, they will come down in swarms to infest that area. This is where things get more complicated. The warmth from these bright lights is what entices the flies and keeps them hooked in that position.
The best way to prevent that situation from getting worse is by ensuring that you either switch off the lights or use yellow light bulbs or dim lights. Try to keep the bright lights inside the rooms instead of areas around the main entrance or areas where the flies will have easy access to the inside of your home.
7. Try Midge Trap
Like several other natural insect traps, the midge trap is created similarly. All you have to do is find the areas in the house they are more susceptible to enter through. Once that is sorted, you need to lure them in and kill them accordingly.
Midges, besides sugar, are attracted to the combined smell of apple cider vinegar and dishwashing soap. So, you can make a mixture of the two and put it by the entrance of the house or the more infested areas. The midges will drown in the trap, making it difficult for them to get out of the bowl.
8. Reduce the Use of Fertilizer
Sacrifices need to be made. And, you need to start it with the use of fertilizers. Midges tend to feed off of nutrient-rich areas. And, since fertilizers are enriched with nutrients, they will be attracted to the excess lying around in your garden.
So, you should opt for proper fertilizer management in the gardens instead of throwing it randomly throughout and calling it a day.
If you are wondering how to get rid of midge flies, we hope this article gives you all the insights you are looking for. Keep in mind that the infestation grows and multiplies rapidly. So, ensure that you are quick on your feet with the preventive measures. If nothing works out, you can always rely on professional pest control management to help you out.
Also read: How to Get Rid of Carpet Moths? 10 Effective Methods
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to Kill Midge Flies?
The best way to kill midge flies is by using DEET insect repellents. These are the most effective way to get rid of them for good.
What Smell Does Midge Hate?
Midge flies hate the smell of tea tree oil, citronella, and even peppermint. So, spraying these essential oils can keep them in check and out of the house for good.
Does Lemon Juice Kill or Repel Midges?
Typically, just using lemon juice will do no good in killing or repelling the midge flies. However, using it in conjunction with repellents and chemicals can get rid of the flies for good.
