Midges

Midges, commonly called sand flies, are tiny flying insects that bite.

Midges prefer humid, overcast conditions and usually bite around dusk and dawn. They can get through insect screens. They tend to be less active in windy conditions.

Midges breed in moist soils, which makes treatment almost impossible. You can use organic or natural insecticides around the house such as Pyrethrum. Pyrethrum products are available from most nurseries and hardware stores.

Biting Midges

What are Biting Midges?

Like mosquitos, only female midges bite and require a blood meal to fertilise their eggs. They are attracted to human habitation resting on screens, fences and vegetation. As the biting midge is small and easily blown about by prevailing winds, they prefer dull still days with high humidity when seeking a meal.

Queensland Health advice, midges do not transmit disease to humans in Australia.

Control

Biting midges are amongst one of the most complicated pest species to control and cannot be eradicated. In comparison to mosquitos, treating midge larvae does not work due to their habitats and life cycle. The larvae exist in mud and sandy substrates which makes treatment nearly impossible. There is currently no registered chemical available in Australia to control midge larvae.

Prevention

Outdoor

Midges prefer humid, overcast conditions with minimal air movement. Anything you can do will make your house and garden less attractive to midges.

How to minimise resting places for midges:

keep your lawns short and mow them regularly
keep vegetation around your house sparse and maintained
ensure there is minimal surface water sitting in your garden (empty buckets and pots).
avoid gardening or watering in the afternoon and early morning during their peak feeding times.

Inside

Biting midges can penetrate ordinary flyscreens. During peak infestations, they enter houses looking for blood meals. Ceiling and electric fans can effectively create an area which is unsuitable for biting midges. Their activity reduces in wind speeds over 6-8 km/hr.

Spraying residual (surface) insect spray on your flyscreens will help stop midges from entering your home. Burning mosquito coils inside can also reduce numbers.

What you can do:

Anything you can do to reduce humidity, increase light, and air movement will make your house and garden less attractive to midges. You can:

avoid gardening or watering in the afternoon and early morning
use electric or ceiling fans to increase air movement within your house. This creates areas unsuitable for midges, as they are less active in wind speeds over 6 to 8 kilometres per hour
spray residual (surface) insecticide on your flyscreens to help deter them from entering your home
burn mosquito coils inside if it is safe to do so
apply topical insect repellents to your skin or an equal part mixture of baby oil, Dettol and eucalyptus oil
wear long-sleeved shirts and long trousers made of closely woven materials – a hat and gloves might also help when gardening.

Midges hide underneath the leaves of the plants and shrubs in your garden. You can apply insecticide on the leaves, following these instructions:

Apply natural insect spray/pyrethrum on a regular (weekly) basis during problem periods. Pyrethrum has little residual capacity.
Chemical insecticides containing permethrin have a longer-lasting effect. Follow instructions on the container.

To report midge infestations on Council property, please call us on 07 3412 3412 or email us at council@logan.qld.gov.au.

Top