A noseeum is a tiny insect you rarely see, but you can definitely feel! They go by many names around the world including a midge, a biting gnat, a mite, a sand fly, and a punky. There are more than 4,000 species of biting noseeums around the world and more than 500 of these are found in North America.

You can find these little pests in areas with high humidity and around lakes and swampy areas. They are widespread in the U.S., especially on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. They are also present in the summer months in the Northeast and the Southwest. In Florida, there are over 45 species and they are a year-round nuisance.

A full grown adult noseeum is typically smaller than 1/8” and they are a light gray color which makes them very difficult to spot. They are similar to mosquitoes as they feed primarily on nectar. But, the female noseeums need a blood meal in order to produce eggs and reproduce.

They tend to attack in the early morning and evening hours. The bites can sometimes burn and they usually produce a small welt. You may not even know you were bitten until the itchy welt arrives! If you are allergic to noseeum bites, watch out for swelling, blisters, and welts. In extreme cases, a doctor’s visit is warranted. The good news is they do not currently carry any human-transmitted diseases.

So, these little bugs are just super annoying and can wreck a fun outdoor experience. There’s nothing quite like swatting at bugs you can’t even see and still coming out with a bunch of welts. It feels like a losing battle! BUT, there is a solution - the Mozzie Style jacket and pants are made with a mesh that blocks noseeums. The hole size on the mesh is small enough to keep them away from your skin effectively blocking bites. The Noseeum grade fabric was difficult to find, but we wanted to provide a solution against these annoying little nightmares. The other option is a good fan. Like mosquitoes, noseeums are poor flyers so sitting in front of a fan would deter them as well.