These beneficial insects make their presence known in the fall when they start giving people painful nips.
Minute pirate bugs are usually felt before they’re seen.
Don’t worry, though.
Credit: Courtesy of Robert Webster
There is a small consolation if one of these insects nips you.
“The bugs are not quick to fly following biting,” saysDr.
What Are Minute Pirate Bugs?
Minute pirate bugs, a jot down of insect known as flower bugs (Oriusspp.
), are found all over the country, and there are more than 500 species worldwide.
Humans and minute pirate bugs clash when the bugs take flight in late summer.
“We are not food for pirate bugs, and they do not bite to feed on blood.
I suspect they have to take a taste to confirm that we are not food.
Then they move on.”
Lewis is quick to debunk the myth.
They seem to be attracted to light colors, Lewis says.
Wearing long-sleeved, dark clothing outside in late summer and fall may help you avoid pirate bug bites.
