(Atlantic) If it feels like tiny black intruders have declared war on your person lately, you’re not alone.”
Kate Olson, Cass County Extension Director, says these little black varmints known as Minute Pirate Bugs come out on the nicest, sunniest, warmest days of autumn, which is when most of us first notice the minute pirate bugs (also called the insidious flower bug). While we’re enjoying the sunshine, the pirate bugs are casting about looking for just one more meal before winter sets in and shuts them down until next spring. The distinguishing characteristic of oval-shaped, black-and-white minute pirate bugs is that when they land on your bare skin, they bite with a pain that is way out of proportion to their minute size (1/5th inch). Olson says the bite of minute pirate bugs is surprisingly painful.
People differ in their response to the bites. Bites on some swell up like a mosquito bite, some turn red, and for others, there is no reaction at all.
Olson admits there is not a lot you can do to protect yourself, although they are attracted to light colors, so you might keep that in mind as you venture out.
Olson says they hang out on light colored structures. Working on cloudy days or after dark is one way to minimize their impact.
