What are no-see-ums?
No-see-ums are small, flying insects with a painful bite that can be very annoying while fishing from or close to shore. No-see-ums are not the same thing as mosquitos, but like mosquitos they are found throughout Florida, including all of the Florida Keys. They are abundant year round, but are less noticeable during very cold or windy days.
No-see-ums are also called sand flies and biting midges. Unlike mosquitos, you feel their bite almost immediately and they can cause your skin to react with an itchy bump. They tend to come out in low light conditions around dusk or early morning, and are especially annoying to fishermen due to their habit of hanging around mangroves, and other structure that saltwater fish like.
How do you get No-see-ums to stop biting you?
There are three main options for repelling no-see-ums and get them to stop biting you: Avon Skin So Soft
- Bug Spray with DEET. Normal “bug spray” or conventional mosquito repellant likely contains DEET as the active ingredient. You know it when you smell it, and it is effective against no-see-ums. Many fishermen don’t like to use DEET because it can damage plastics on the boat, including your sunglasses.
- Avon Skin So Soft. Quite by accident, Avon developed one of the best bug sprays when they launched this product in 1961. Ever since that day, fishermen in the Florida Keys have sworn by it. It’s known to protect against no-see-ums and mosquitos, while leaving your skin soft and smelling great. Avon has caught on to the craze and has even developed their own line of bug sprays under the brand name with additional benefits such as SPF sunscreen.
3. Natural oils such as lemon and eucalyptus. There are some natural products that have been shown to be effective against no-see-ums. Eucalyptus and lemon oils can be used by themselves or there are commercial products such as Repel (and many others) that offer it ready to go.
