SANIBEL, Fla. — People on Sanibel Island are facing an itchy problem: "No-See-Ums", those tiny, almost invisible insects that deliver a painful bite, are thriving on the island in larger numbers than ever before.
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The Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) has reported a record number of calls this year, about the pests.
"Hurricane Ian is what seems to have increased our population," explained Chris Lechowicz, Director of Wildlife and Habitat Management at SCCF.
"Saltwater went over our freshwater wetlands and inundated them, turning all the freshwater into brackish water. And 'No-see-ums' breed in brackish water, so that increased the amount of breeding area they had."
The island's standing water has become a haven for these insects, especially in areas still saturated with salt from the hurricane. "We have had a lot of rain this summer," added Lechowicz. "These areas that don’t normally have standing water now have a little bit of water, and the salt in the ground is giving 'No-see-ums' more area to breed."
Fishermen Jonathan Dillon and Brendan Bingham, who have felt the effects firsthand, remarked, "It's definitely worse than it was last year for sure. Yeah, they're just like the worst insect."
Unfortunately, this surge in "No-see-ums" isn’t going away anytime soon. Lechowicz predicts that it could take up to a decade for the salt in the ground to fully wash away and the "No-see-ums" population to return to normal levels.
However, "No-see-ums" play an important role in the ecosystem.
"There’s all kinds of small animals, especially shorebirds and reptiles, that eat insects. They eat mosquitoes and they eat 'No-see-ums'," said Lechowicz.
For now, SCCF advises using insect repellent with DEET, especially around dusk and dawn when "No-see-ums" are most active.
