Question
We live in central Utah. It is usually dry, but have had a very wet spring. There are these tiny bugs, the size of fleas or smaller.The wings lay on thier back when they are biting. It almost looks like they are sucking. They leave big itchy bumps. They seem to be out all day. But worse in the evening. Do you have any idea what they are? And what repellent works. They bite our heads and scalp the most. Thanks.

Answer
Kayla,

You almost got the name right - these are called biting midges or no-see-ums or punkies. They develop in wet soil and can be a severe problem for livestock that are kept in pastures that don't drain well. Here's a link to a condition in horses called "sweet itch" caused by biting midges http://www.livingwithbugs.com/swe_itch.html but of course they bite people too.

Insect repellents that contain DEET or picaridin (the new alternative to DEET) work pretty well for biting midges but are probably not as effective as they are against mosquitoes. Since biting midges are not strong fliers often moving a short distance will get you away from their activity. Here's a link to information about insect repellents http://www.livingwithbugs.com/mos_repe.html that may be useful. I'd probably try the picaridin-based products first. Also, if you plan to spend a lot of time in midge-infested areas you may want to treat clothing with permethrin (see bottom of that page).

Jack DeAngelis, PhD
Extension Entomologist (ret.)
My website about home and garden pests: http://www.livingwithbugs.com