Biting gnats causing problems in Fort Bend County

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A few minutes outside and a Missouri City woman's eye was suddenly swollen while another's arm was inflamed and red.

Both say they were attacked by an aggressive form of biting gnats.

Sugar Land resident Gretchen Yax said, "I don't even see them. We joke and we called him the 'No See Ums' because we don't see them on us and all of a sudden your ear is swollen."

Yax noticed the influx of gnats at her children's baseball game in Sugar Land recently. She was bit several times including on her arm.

Yax said, "I got bit on the arm to ear and twice on my neck. Did it swell up? My arm looks like it was broken the next day. "

Over in Missouri City, Pam Ross avoids going outside too much because of the pesky bugs. Her neck is still red and healing from the bites.

Ross said, "I swell up and it itches like crazy worse than a mosquito bite and it takes about a week to go down. "

The Fort Bend County Health Department says they received some complaints about the pesky gnats. However, since the bug is unlike a mosquito who carries disease, the county doesn't spray for the gnats.

Some people think the rash of gnats is worse now because we experienced a mild winter. What's worse is that regular bug repellent seems to attract the gnats, so people are turning to natural home remedies to keep the gnats away.

A popular home remedy being shared is made of:

-vanilla oil

-lavender oil

-lemongrass oil

-mixed with water