Pirate Bug Bites: Identification and Control

Have you ever wondered what kind of insects causes those itchy bites? Orius insidiosus, also known as the insidious flower bug, is the scientific name for these little insects.

They were mostly overlooked as a pest until recently when it was discovered that their bite is rather unpleasant for such a small creature.

Slide on to know more about pirate bug bites, identification, and control of these itchy biting insects.

 

Biology of Pirate Bug Bites

Before we get to these pirate bug bites, let us get to know their biology.

Adult minute pirate bugs hibernate during the cold season in a variety of sheltered habitats, including decaying leaves and bark, trees, buildings, and other structures.

In a year’s time, numerous new generations are born. It’s possible to come across tiny pirate bugs of varying ages at any time during the summer.

When flowers and nuisance insects die off in the fall, tiny pirate bugs sometimes emerge to feast on unsuspecting humans.

Now we are done with their biology, let us get to know how to identify them.

 

Read also: How To Get Rid of Bed Bugs | Exterminate Bed Bugs

 

Tips for Recognizing the Tiny Pirate Bug Amongst Other Insects

The three stages of the minuscule (less than 0.5 inches) life cycle of the minute pirate insect. The larval and adult stages consume other insects for food.

• Oval-shaped, small, and black or black and white, these insects are only 0.2 inches in length.
• They tend to cluster around flowers or other insect-heavy plant parts.
• It takes around three weeks from the time an adult lays an egg until the young are ready to fend for themselves.
• A minute pirate bug’s immature form is characterized by a lack of wings and a small, yellow coloration.

Depending on the species, immature insects may resemble aphids or bedbugs. The region around the bug you found can help you identify it. Now you know how to identify them let us slide into their benefits.

 

Benefits of Pirate Bug Bites

• Predatory little pirate bugs eat other insects with delicate bodies.
• Tiny pirate bugs like the one pictured above have a long, narrow mouth portion that they utilize to spear prey.
• They eat tiny insects including mites, thrips, and aphids.

 

Read also: Masked Bed Bug Hunters: Facts and Identification

 

 Life Cycle of Pirate Bug

The life cycle of a little pirate bug consists of three distinct periods. The wingless nymphs that emerge from the eggs go through five progressively larger instars before finally becoming adults.

Little more than a millimeter-long, minute pirate bugs produce multiple generations annually. In warm temperatures, the entire life cycle, from egg to adult, takes around three weeks.

 

Procurable in the Commercial Market

In order to combat thrips, commercial greenhouses will occasionally buy and release Orius species or other minute pirate bugs.

Most outdoor conditions don’t call for the purchase and release of tiny pirate bugs; instead, it’s crucial to prioritize protecting the native species of predators and parasites already present.

In order to maximize the impact of already present and newly unleashed natural enemies

 

Appearance of Pirate Bugs

There are no prominent veins or cells (vein-bordered patches) near the tip of an adult minute pirate bug’s forewings, setting it apart from most other genuine bugs (Heteroptera).

The forewing tips of damsel bugs are lined with many, elongated cells (translucent patches divided by veins).

Each front wing of a plant bug has one or two closed cells at its tip.

 

Habitat

When spring arrives, minute pirate bugs are among the first predaceous insects to start feeding.

Herbaceous plants in gardens, landscapes, and wild places are also susceptible to these pests, as are field crops like alfalfa, corn, cotton, minor grains, soybeans, and tomatoes.

Both adults and juveniles use mouthparts like needles to pierce their prey’s skin and drain its fluids.

Spider mites and thrips are among their favorite foods. Also preyed upon by minute pirate bugs include aphids, psyllids, tiny caterpillars, whiteflies, and the eggs of insects and mites.

They are not harmful to plants because they consume only nectar and pollen.

 

Read also: How Fast do Bed Bugs Multiply?

 

Pirate Bugs Bite

At this point you will get to know about pirate bug bites, so read on.

Oval-shaped, black-and-white minute pirate bugs are easily distinguished by the excruciating agony of their bite in comparison to their little size (about 1/5 of an inch).

Biting is annoying, but little pirate bugs provide an important ecological function by preying on insect eggs and other pests throughout the summer.

By reducing the population of pests, they perform an important service for farmers, gardeners, and foresters.

The bite of even the smallest pirate insect can be rather unpleasant. Their narrow, flat beak is used to probe into your skin when they bite. They do not eat blood and they do not inject venom or saliva.

The reactions to the bites vary from person to person. When bitten, some people respond with swelling, as it would to a mosquito bite, while others simply turn red.

 

How to Control Pirate Bug Bite

1. Pirate Bug Spray For Inside The Home

If pirate bugs find their way into your home, they may become a nuisance if they start attacking you for food.

When humans are in a dry setting, like a house, pirate bugs are naturally drawn to the salty and moisture that they produce.

Be sure to spray the exterior of the house with Maxxthor to keep them out. Inside the house, FS MP AEROSOL should be sprayed into any spaces between floorboards, windows, and doors.

Around rest during the day, pirate bugs come out to play at dusk. FS MP is effective in eliminating targets rapidly and removing all potential hiding spots.

MULTIPURPOSE INSECT KILLER is water-based, making it safe for use on carpets and furniture that would be damaged by the harsher FS MP.

 

Read also: What Animal Eats Bed Bugs?

 

2. Quick and Easy Pirate Bug Spray For The  Yard

Use the MAXXTHOR’s 6 GALLON HOSE END to water the grass, bushes, and other plant life on the ground. Spray the mixture of water and Maxxthor (3 oz) over an area of 6,000 square feet.

 

3. Home Protection Against Pirate Bug Spray

It’s excellent news that they’re simple to treat. Simply combine MAXTHOR and SPREADER STICKER in a spray bottle and apply them to the siding in question.

Only a couple of treatments are needed to completely eradicate them, and the Maxxthor’s protection lasts for weeks afterward.

For this reason, we suggest this course of action if immediate elimination is desired.

Be sure to treat again the following fall if they return; otherwise, they may begin to use your home as shelter during the harsh winter months.

And you certainly don’t want that to happen, since once it does, some of them are bound to make their way within.

Expect to cover around 500 square feet with every gallon of water and half an ounce of Maxxthor.

Since Maxxthor is so effective at repelling insects, they will avoid areas that have been treated with it, and any pests that do get in will die fast after being sprayed.

Don’t forget to pick up some SPREADER STICKER to use concurrently in the same tank loadout.

This ingredient helps the Maxxthor break through the hard shell that the pirate bugs use to protect themselves from the spray.

Use an organic MULTIPURPOSE INSECT KILLER in your vegetable and fruit crops. Because it has been certified as safe for organic gardening, you can use it on any plant that will eventually yield food.

Remember that this formulation does not offer any residue, therefore it will be completely gone within a few days of treatment.

This is why it’s so effective on plants that produce food, but there’s also an obvious drawback: pests may re-infest quickly, so if you choose the organic route, you’ll need to treat them more frequently.

When treatments are carried out correctly, there should be no risk to you or your family. Treatments may be done with any good PUMP SPRAYER, and there is no need to treat the soil.

 

Finally

Do you ever scratch your head and wonder what kind of insect delivers that awful itchy bite? In spite of their modest size, their bite has recently been recognized as a major nuisance.

Getting to this point, I hope you have gotten to know about pirate bug bite, how to get rid of it, and why it itches so much. You can drop us your own view about pirate bug bites and how you stopped them.

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