Biting Midges - The biting midges (Ceratopogonidae), or “no-see-ums,” are very small, grayish colored flies about the size of an ordinary pinhead. These flies feed on blood and produce very painful, burning bites. The larvae are aquatic or semiaquatic, including fresh or salt water, and can be found in tree holes, decaying plant materials, and sandy or alkaline soils. Typically the ones people may complain about are Culicoides spp. but certain species, such as Lepotconops torrens (Townsend), severely attack man in many parts of the United States, particularly the south and west. The bite usually produces a temporary swelling that may blister, rupture, and produce an open lesion that may exude moisture for weeks. In the past, after a heavy rain, residents near the lower mountain range on the northwest side of the Valley have called the District to complain about biting midges, indicating their presence in the Valley.