You may not be able to see them, but you can feel them days after they've left their mark.
Kristina Caltabiano has minor scarring on her legs weeks after being attacked by midges at a backyard party.
The 23-year-old endured sleepless nights trying to resist the urge to scratch the welts and wondering why many of her friends walked away unscathed.
Is there anything, besides putting on spray, she could have done to prevent the maddening itch?
'Luck of the draw'
Biting midges thrive in warm, coastal habitats and are most active around dawn and dusk.
Like mosquitoes, biting midges have an elongated sucking mouthpart. They are smaller in size and can get through flyscreens.
Martin Shivas is a medical entomologist with Brisbane City Council's mosquito control program.
He says their attraction to some people over others is "the luck of the draw."
"People give off subtly different levels of different chemicals and it's the mix that they're attracted to," he said.
"The main one is carbon dioxide ... that is pretty much a universal attractant for mosquitoes and midges.
"But they're also attracted to the whole suite of chemicals that we give out through our skin, as well as body temperature."
Unfortunately for Ms Caltabiano, her mix of chemicals draws midges.
"I used spray-on Aeroguard a couple of times in the night and couldn't feel myself getting bitten," she said.
Preventative measures
Ms Caltabiano's first mistake while at her friend's party was wearing a short summery dress.
"If you're outside, certainly the first thing I would always do is wear long sleeves and long trousers," Mr Shivas said.
"Some mosquito species can bite through clothing, but midges certainly can't, their little mouth parts are too short."
"The main pest species breed in the intertidal zone, especially associated with mangroves," Mr Shivas said.
"Warm, humid, still conditions are perfect for them.
"If you live near mangrove-lined creeks, there's a good chance you'll have a major problem."
Mr Shivas says the most effective active ingredients in insect repellents are DEET.
And as midges can get through flyscreens, he recommends spraying those screens with a water-based residual insecticide.
He also says midges are not strong flyers and struggle with windy conditions.
"Just having fans on; they tend not to like the strong airflow and will leave you alone," he said.
"There's all sorts of things that will control mosquitoes and midges in the house ... a whole range of automatic insecticide dispensers."
The dreaded itching
The itching sensation associated with the bites is an immune response to chemicals in the saliva of midges.
"People can develop a degree of immunity to bites with repeated exposure," Mr Shivas said.
"It's probably why the severest reaction to bites are often seen in children, tourists and new residents to midge-prone areas."
Ms Caltabiano said it took about two weeks for her bites to stop being itchy.
"The best thing I tried was calamine lotion," she said.
"I attempted to take antihistamines and use antiseptics creams, but the relief wasn't strong enough.
"The red marks have scabbed and caused minor scarring that still shows."
