September 30, 2005

Hoosiers feeling the bite of tiny, black bugs this autumn

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University entomologists are getting a rash of calls about tiny, black-colored insects that are putting the bite on Hoosiers.

Tim Gibb, an integrated pest management specialist at Purdue, said the mystery bugs are insidious flower bugs and that their appearance this fall is likely a result of the high soybean aphid populations this summer.

"We know that these insects bite when it is warm out and usually bite people who are perspiring slightly," he said. "But why they bite is still a mystery."

There's little danger in the insidious flower bug's bite, but it is annoying, Gibb said. Some people may experience localized swelling and itching similar to a mosquito bite and others may feel the bite, but have no reaction, he said.

Insect repellents may offer some protection, but they aren't 100 percent effective. The insects can fly and will make their way through screens into homes. Gibb said the best way of dealing with these pests is preventing their bites by covering up bare skin.

"We expect these bugs to continuing biting until we have a cold snap that will knock them off," he said.

Writer: Kay Hagen, (765) 494-6682, kjh@purdue.edu

Source: Tim Gibb, (765) 494-4570, gibb@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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