top of page

How to Treat Midges (No-see-ums)

Without getting into a lot of technical information about midges, at a minimum you should know that they behave very much like mosquitoes.  As you most likely discovered, some of these guys do bite.  Like mosquitoes, only the females bite.  What you may not be aware of is that they breed in water, just like mosquitoes do.  Therefore, the first thing you need to do is find and eliminate obvious breeding areas.  These things are very tiny, so the larvae that they produce are so tiny that you probably cannot even see them in the water.  Therefore, you need to remove all sources of standing water around your property.  They can breed in a container of water the size of a bottle cap, so you need to make sure that there's absolutely no standing water anywhere on your property.  I do not have a video on midges, but I do have a video on how to eliminate mosquitoes naturally which shows you a little bit about where to look for standing water.  I will give you a link to that video.  While doing this is going to help a lot, keep in mind that they may also be breeding in water that you cannot see, that is being covered by grass.  This is why you may often see them swarming in areas of your lawn.

 

After you eliminate all the standing water around your yard, then you need to treat with a pesticide.  Actually, you need to treat with a combination of pesticides.  This is where it might get just a little pricey because midges are very hard to treat.  These guys are attracted to light, so if midges are getting into your house, then you need to treat the exterior of your home.  I have a video on how to do that and I will give you a link to it.  You are going to do it just a bit differently than I show in the video.  You will treat the same areas, but the pesticide is different.  Also, you can treat with tank sprayer or a 20-gallon hose-end sprayer.  Treating with a tank sprayer costs less because it used a lot less pesticide, but it's a lot slower too.  If you decide to use a 20-gallon hose-end sprayer, please watch my video on how to use one correctly.  DO NOT USE THE HOSE END SPRAYER THAT IS SHOWN IN THE VIDEO.  The sprayer in the video will not allow you to use the IGR.  You must use a 20-gallon hose-end sprayer or a tank sprayer.

 

I recommend that you use Bifen IT with an insect growth regulator (IGR).  Treat all the areas shown in the video for the tank sprayer, using Bifen IT and an insect growth regulator.   The IGR will stop the midges from breeding.  This is important because midges are very hard to kill with a pesticide alone.  You need to mix 1 ounce of Bifen IT with 1 ounce of Tekko Pro IGR per gallon of water.  In addition to treating the exterior of your house, you should also treat around all ornamental plants.

 

Next, you need to treat the lawn.  The video on how to use a 20-gallon hose-end sprayer will show you how to do this.  The most effective way is to use the same products that you did to treat the house, even though the IGR is expensive.  Remember that there may be breeding areas under the lawn that you cannot see.  To prevent new adults from emerging, you need that IGR.  If the IGR is too costly for you, then you can just use Bifen IT.  However, you need to retreat just as soon as you start to see any activity again.  You want to kill the adults before they can lay more eggs.  You may need to treat every two weeks for two or three months to eliminate the infestation.  So, even though the IGR is expensive, it's probably more cost effective and less labor intensive to just use it.  Basically, just spray your entire yard, making sure that you apply enough pesticide on the lawn so that it reaches the ground.  After that you will need to treat just with the Bifen IT every 60 days, because midges from adjoining properties will reinfest your lawn.  If you keep treating on schedule, you can maintain control for some time.  If the problem becomes annoying again, just repeat the original treatment.  You do not need to treat in freezing weather.  As soon as the temperature gets above freezing, you need to resume treatments immediately.

​

Pro tip:  If you use a hose end sprayer, it's a good idea to also purchase an expandable garden hose and quick connect fittings.  These hoses are light weight and very flexible, thereby making it much easier to do the treatment.  The quick connect fittings make removing the sprayer from the hose much easier when you need to refill the sprayer cup.

 

Video on how to treat mosquitoes naturally:  https://youtu.be/DIoCHo96LJc

 

Video on how to treat the exterior of your house:  https://youtu.be/Yozv3s-Qwlw

​​

How to use a 20-gallon hose-end sprayer:   Easiest Way to Use a 20-Gallon Hose-End Sprayer. Secret Method.

 

Battery operated sprayer:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B3MKYWD/?coliid=I1WHD5A3RF25H9&colid=3VDXA5DFBKQ98&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1

​

20-gallon hose-end sprayer:  Amazon.com : Chapin G390 Hose End Sprayer for Water Soluble Materials, 20 Gallon, 32 Ounce Tank, Finger Control and Backflow Prevention, for Spraying Lawns, Weeds, Insects, Fertilizers, Translucent White : Patio, Lawn & Garden

​

Expandable garden hose:  Amazon.com : 100 ft Expandable Garden Hose - Kink Free Flexible Water Hose with Thumb-Controlled 10-Function Nozzle, 3/4 Solid Brass Connectors, Retractable Latex Core - Lightweight Expanding Hose : Patio, Lawn & Garden

​

Quick connect fittings:  Amazon.com : Lifynste 3/4 Inch Garden Hose Quick Connector Fittings, Easy Connector Fitting, Male and Female Set, (6) : Patio, Lawn & Garden

bottom of page