Minute Pirate Bug Control: How to Get Rid of Minute Pirate Bugs

This page is an expert guide on removing minute pirate bugs using the products and methods our experienced pest control specialists suggested. Follow this guide and use the recommended products. We guarantee you will successfully remove minute pirate bugs from your property.

While minute pirate bugs, also known as flower bugs and oris species, are often praised for their role as beneficial predators against harmful pests in gardens and crops, they can become a serious problem. These tiny, black-and-white insects feed on soft-bodied pests, which is great for pest control, but when pest populations drop or cooler weather arrives, they start looking for warmth and shelter within homes.

Though tiny, they pack an irritating bite for their size, which many describe as a sharp pinch. These bites don’t transmit disease, but they can cause itching, redness, and discomfort, especially when the bugs are present in large numbers. Once inside, they serve no beneficial purpose and can be difficult to control without proper treatment.

Though they serve a role in agriculture, their biting behavior and tendency to wander indoors make them a pest worth managing to maintain comfort in residential spaces. With a combination of habitat management and targeted treatment with the following products in this article, you can keep these biting bugs from becoming a seasonal headache.

Identification

Before you can proceed with a treatment program, you must be sure that your pest is indeed a minute pirate bug. Misidentification can lead you to use the wrong treatment products and waste time and money. Below are some characteristics of minute pirate bugs to aid in identification:

• Minute pirate bugs are small predatory insects that measure between 1/12 to 1/5 inches long with a flattened, oval-shaped body and a piercing, sucking mouthpart.  
• Adult minute pirate bugs are typically black to dark brown with distinctive white markings on their wings, which form an X-pattern when at rest.
• The nymphs, or immature stages, are wingless, teardrop shaped, and range in color from yellow to light brown or orange-red, gradually darkening as they mature. They also have red eyes. 
• Anthocoris may look similar to minute pirate bugs at a glance, but they’re their own distinct group of beneficial insects with unique features and roles. Slightly larger and more slender than orius (true minute pirate bugs) species, anthocoris are usually solid black or brown and have a more elongated body, lacking the black-and-white wing pattern that makes minute pirate bugs easy to spot. Anthocoris species are slightly larger and more slender than orius (minute pirate bugs), typically measuring 1/8 to 1/5 inch.

Use the description and image above to help you properly identify whether the pest you notice is a minute pirate bug. If you are unsure, contact our experts; we will help you identify the pest you are facing.

Inspection

You can proceed to inspection once you have confirmed the infestation is minute pirate bugs. During this phase, you will locate the areas where minute pirate bugs are infesting and observe the conditions allowing them to thrive. This information will help you determine where to apply pesticide applications.

Where To Look

Minute pirate bugs are commonly present in agricultural crops like alfalfa, corn, soybeans, peas, strawberries, cotton, and tomatoes, as well as in gardens, pasture lands, orchards, and even greenhouses, where they’re especially effective in crops like cucumbers and bell peppers.

These pests are also frequently found on or near flowers and ornamentals, as both adults and nymphs consume pollen and plant juices when prey is scarce.

Both the adults and nymph stages of this pest hunt and feed on various small soft-bodied pests such as spider mites, thrips, aphids, psyllids, whiteflies, mites, small caterpillars, and the eggs and larvae of these insects. 

While minute pirate bugs are primarily outdoor pests, they may come indoors during the late summer and fall. They sometimes come indoors hunting their prey or when outdoor temperatures begin to drop.  

What To Look For

You may notice a significant drop in pest populations like thrips, aphids, and mites, especially around flowers or infested plants. You may also spot tiny, fast-moving black insects with white wing markings on leaves or blooms.

Minute pirate bugs cause no plant damage, as they feed only on pests, not vegetation. However, their bites to humans though rare can be a sign of their presence, usually occurring when they accidentally land on skin. These bites can be seen as red, itchy welts. 

Treatment

Before you begin any type of pesticide application, you will need to wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when mixing or spraying.

Many broad-spectrum insecticides can kill minute pirate bugs, including pyrethroids, organophosphates, and carbamates. Active ingredients like permethrin, bifenthrin, malathion, carbaryl, imidacloprid, chlorpyrifos, and certain natural ingredients are effective choices against minute pirate bugs.

Step 1: Apply Tyvet Pro

Tyvet Pro Essential Oil Insecticide is a natural insecticide concentrate that effectively controls and repels various pests indoors and outdoors around residential, commercial, and ornamental sites.

This insecticide is made with a unique blend of ingredients like castor oil, lemongrass oil, and geraniol that are known to control, eliminate, and repel a broad spectrum of insects.

While minute pirate bugs are not specifically listed, this product is labeled to control true bugs, which this pest is considered.  

This product will need to be mixed with water in a backpack sprayer, handheld pump sprayer, hose-end sprayer, or fogger. 

A general application indoors and on ornamentals will use 1.5 oz. of Tyvet Pro Essential Oil Insecticide per 1 gallon of water per 1,000 sq. ft. 

Spray the top and bottom of leaves until wet, but not to the point of runoff.

For outdoor perimeter applications around buildings, apply 1.5 to 3 oz. of product per 1 gallon of water per 1,000 sq. ft. 

Apply around landscape beds, mulched areas, eaves, windows, doors, under carports, decks, and other spots where pests hide or breed. Treat decks, garbage areas, sill plates, storage sheds, tree trunks, and xeriscaped or landscaped zones, as well as patios, covered walkways, and garage doors to target pests wherever they gather aiming to contact as many pests as possible.

On sensitive surfaces such as flat painted surfaces, plastics, fabrics, vinyl, and wood floors, make an application to an inconspicuous area before making more comprehensive treatments to test for damage or staining.

Phytotoxicity may occur to treated sensitive or stressed plants at higher application rates.

Before application to the entire plant, test a small area/leaf first and watch for signs of sensitivity. Symptoms typically appear within 24 hours.

Keep people and pets out of the treated area until the spray dries.

Prevention

Once the minute pirate bug infestation has been eliminated, you should ensure these pests do not return. With the following step's you can prevent minute pirate bugs:

• Limit minute pirate bug habitats by pruning away branches and foliage with visible signs of pest activity, eliminating weeds as they appear, raking to clean up plant debris, and mowing your grass to its proper height. 
• To keep minute pirate bugs out of your house, seal gaps around windows, doors, siding, and vents with caulk or Solutions Sealator Pro Black Foam. Be sure that window screens are intact and well-fitted. This will stop pirate bugs and other invasive insects from overwintering and emerging in spring. Since minute pirate bugs are attracted to light, reduce outdoor lighting at night or switch to yellow bulbs that are less attractive to insects.
• To prevent minute pirate bugs from becoming a nuisance, reduce their food sources by managing pest populations with an insecticide like Supreme IT. Supreme IT is a bifenthrin-based liquid insecticide concentrate that is labeled to treat over 70 different pests. Keep in mind that Supreme IT is not labeled to control minute pirate bugs. For ornamental applications, mix 0.125 to 1.0 fluid ounces of Supreme IT into 1 gallon of water per 1,000 square feet of treatment area. For perimeter treatments, mix 0.33 to 1.0 fluid ounces of product into 1 gallon of solution per 1,000 square feet of treatment area. Supreme IT lasts for up to 90 days, so one application every 3 months will provide year-round protection.
• The residual with Tyvet Pro will vary due to outdoor elements, so contact control would be best as minute pirate bugs appear. 

Key Takeaways

What Are Minute Pirate Bugs?

• Minute pirate bugs are small, fast-moving insects known for preying on soft-bodied pests, but they can become a nuisance when they bite humans or enter homes.

How to Get Rid of Minute Pirate Bugs

• To get rid of minute pirate bugs, we suggest Tyvet Pro Essential Oil Insecticide.

Prevent Minute Pirate Bug Reinfestation

• To prevent minute pirate bugs, reduce their habitats by trimming plants, removing weeds and debris, sealing entry points with caulk or foam, and using yellow outdoor lights to reduce attraction. Control their food sources with a broad-spectrum insecticide like Supreme IT, and use Tyvet Pro Essential Oil Insecticide for direct contact when minute pirate bugs appear, as its residual effect may vary outdoors.