Help! teeny little black bugs came thru my screen last night and were biting me!?

Question

They are dark, roundish, and have tiny silvery wings. They are smaller than a pin head but their bite is painful! I can kill them by squishing then easily with the tip of my forefinger. When I sat outside on my deck today a dozen or so bit me and I had to go inside. What are they? Can I spray my screens with something? I live in northern Illinois.

Additional Details

They're not fleas. They are smaller. (I know what fleas look like and what flea bites look like from when I had pets).

I guess the thought of bugs flying thru my computer screen and biting me makes these buggers seem not so bad!

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

I'd guess either noseeums (yes, that is a real name LOL) or another bug called Minute Pirate Bugs. I was out the other day and was swarmed by what I thought were noseeums, but really they were too big to be those, so I did some research and turns out they had to be these irritating pirate bugs. Normally they dont' bite people and eat other bugs, but for some reason at the end of summer and start of fall they start biting people. They don't do it for blood and dont' inject venom. In fact, from what I read experts have no idea why they do it! I was getting chewed up by the darn things the other day in the late afternoon in full sun. They were all OVER my arms and they hurt! I tried OFF and it was hard to tell if it helped or not. Supposedly they only do this for a week or two, but still, they are truly unpleasant!

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

You got it! I was laying on bed reading and they started biting. They were all over my arms, back in my hair, bed. and the ceiling. I bet I killed 50.
The bit kind of burns but does not leave welts or anything. They were getting me at the park yesterday too.

Answer 2

LOL when I read this question I thought you were talking about your computer screen!

Source(s):

Now THAT would be a problem!

Answer 3

Sounds like fleas. They reproduce more rapidly than you can believe. Get rid of them now!

Answer 4

sounds like a bug we call no seeums they come thru screens.
They are common in southern florida and tropics. havent seen them where you live but with todays transportation system bugs can hitchhike to anywhere

Answer 5

If you can squish them with your finger they're not fleas. It would be hard to identify them without a picture but it really doesn't matter what they are. The way to deal with them is the same...

Spraying the screen would kill the ones that pass through it but not quickly enough - they'd still be able to bite you before they die. I suggest spraying all around the perimeter of your house with an insecticide. Just spray everything within a couple feet of your house and your deck and also spray on your house from about the ground to about two feet up and all around your screen. That should take care of anything trying to enter your house. Just keep any pets or little kids away for about 24 hours to make sure they don't get into it before it dries. Once it's dry it will only hurt the bugs.

Just go to anyplace like Walmart or Lowe's or anything with a garden department and they will have a selection. Just get something you can spray and that will kill many types of bugs (not specialized for say ants or bees or termites etc). Good luck!

Answer 6

There is a spray just for screens and last for days. I think the bug you are referring is a flea beetle. The wire mesh screens are too large. You can replace it with the smaller mess plastic type. Most hardware stores can rescreen them for a low cost, or you can do it yourself.