Photo: University of Nebraska Extension-Lancaster County/V. Jedlicka
(Douglas County, NE) - Landlubbers beware! An armada of Minute Pirate Bugs may land on your arm or leg, and the results may be painful. The insects, often called no-see-ums are tiny, and considered beneficial because they're eat aphids. Douglas/Sarpy County Extension Entomologist Jody Green says they do not carry disease and do not feed on human blood, but when they land on skin, they pack a pretty big bite. She says they're not really biting, they're just probing skin, but it still hurts and can lead to a rash.
Green says the no-see-ums are very common around harvest time and notes there's not much that can be done, other than cover bare skin.
Green does recommend using mosquito repellant this time of year, due to the threat of West Nile Virus.