Yep. Very Bad News. Noseeums, aka Ceratopogonidae. I fart in their general direction.
Found the following here:
Creatures of Dominican Republic
Noseeums (No-see-ums) in Dominican Spanish: Mayes (found near the sea) and Gegenes (found in the hills)
These nasty little creatures are true bloodsuckers. They are known as Punkies, Black Gnats, and Black Sand flies. (In Spanish: Moscas de Arena, Chaquist?es, Zancudos Negros). These loathsome flies come from the family Ceratopogonidae. They are teeny, tiny, biting, persistent little buggers that are, in my opinion, worse than mosquitoes. Less than ? inch long and can get through a normal window screen with no problem. No problem for them but big problems for their unawares meal that just may have your name on it!
Since the noseeum cannot be seen (maybe this is why they have this nickname??) and the immediate bite can't be felt, they can make your blood a feast before you really know what's happening. Walking along ever so innocently one can easily stir up a swarm without knowing. If you're lucky they will swarm. In a swarm they can be seen, a dark foreboding mass. The only problem with this swarm is they can enter any open body cavity (i.e. the mouth and nose). If you happen to find yourself in a swarm I strongly suggest that you close these openings. That is, unless you want to be choking on their little, bitter tasting carcasses (yes, I know the taste well). If you have been swarmed move along quickly and get out of their territory, as they don't like to travel very far from their home. So, I say, when you see a black cloud of flying bugs coming toward you..RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!
These blood sucking mini vampires usually live in shrubs and ground cover. Along the water, marshlands and areas where it is damp. But they can be found just about anyplace. Even in the soil around your home or in your favorite potted plant. They are unlike mosquitoes as they do not need water to produce their offspring. Moisture will do just fine for them and their babies.
The female, the only gender of these vicious little buggers that sucks blood, will get you before you know what is happening. She needs the protein in your blood for her to be able to pro-create and be mommy to the next generation of these relentless creatures. She will find you by smell. As with any persistent woman out for blood, it is not easy to hide. This unrelenting female will suck the blood of anything that has this red substance flowing through their veins.
After taking the blood, of course they need to leave you a little gift so you remember them. Left behind is a little red blotch that is extremely itchy. Try not to scratch these red spots as they will just get itchier and could get infected. (This happened to me a month of weeks ago, got an infection from a bug bite, scared the MRSA had returned...)
The red spots can plague you for a few hours up to a week or more. Usually there are many blotches and you can look like you have some sort of disease before they turn from bright red to a light fading pink. Rest assured the blotches will disappear in time. All that will be left behind is the memory of what these minuscule, almost invisible vampire-ettes can do to reek havoc on your nerves and flesh. You will for sure remember to watch out for them in the future, even if you can't see them.
Be sure to use some type of insect repellant. Something with DEET is best. It is said that if you do not want to put those chemicals on your body that you can use Catnip, lavender, cedar, or even patchouli oils. Don't wear light colored clothing as this attracts bugs. They say (do you know who they are?) that eating too many bananas can attract biting bugs. If you eat garlic or eat lots of hot peppers (bugs and humans alike won't come near), take vitamin B or brewers yeast, this is supposed to help also. To ease the itch rub parsley, lemon balm, or the inside of a banana peel on the spot. (*NOTE-these are all things I have read and some I have tried myself. Use what is best for you. These natural remedies are not tested and may not work for you. I just like learning of the natural ways to rud myself of bugs and their after effects. This is probably why I always have bites on my body)
Interesting note - these tiny insects are found in abundance in amber. Seemingly attracted to the color of the fluid. The DMS extracted from these pesty creatures has been very helpful.
