no-see-ums

No-see-ums on a victims hand. Notice the welts! Picture courtesy of Peter Van den Bossche.

Blackberry Creek Shoo Fly Soap and Spray was originally developed as an all-natural, healthy way to effectively repel black lies, deer flies and mosquitoes. But since it's introduction I have had customers report that it also works great for all insect pests including no-see-ums.

For those of you not familiar with no-see-ums they are small biting midges...less than an eighth of an inch long. No-see-ums are primarily found around the beach. They're notorious for ruining your day at the beach in Florida...where there are more than 40 varieties...and anywhere in the Caribbean. They usually bite you on the ankles and lower legs but can bite you anywhere.

No-see-ums can bite you indoors as well and they're small enough to pass through
a window screen.

No-See-Um having you for lunch! Picture courtesy of Peter Van den Bossche

No-see-ums get there name because many are so small people can't even see what's biting you. A no-see-ums bite turns into a red welt that itches like crazy for several days and the welts can last for weeks. Most complications from no-see-ums bites come from allergic reactions that in rare instances can be severe and even life-threatening. There are reported cases where bites from no-see-ums have spread other diseases.

Recommended commercial repellents contain 30% or more of DEET. A lot of people...including myself...have second thoughts about using products with DEET. The problem is made worse when you're at the beach because many sun screens will increase the absorption of DEET when used with these insect repellents.
 

Shoo Fly Soap and Spray are all-natural and don't contain DEET or any other strong chemicals. As I mentioned earlier customers are telling us that it works great for repelling no-see-ums. But keep in mind that neither the soap or the spray is waterproof so you would have to reapply it when you get out of the water.