Grasses attract various species of bugs. Some bugs in grass may bite and they might be found around the house.
The lawn is one of the ideal microhabitats for various species of biting bugs to settle in. It provides food, moisture, and even different small and large insects and larvae for biting bugs to bite on.
The following species of biting bugs are the most common around the house, in woodlands, on grasslands, and in gardens where there’s grass.
Table of Contents
13 Bugs in Grass That Bite
The following species are most likely to be found in gardens, on lawns, pastures, and along woodlands.
1. Chiggers
Chiggers are some of the most common species of biting bugs. Often picked up in gardens or even on the lawn, these bugs are known for having an appetite for dead human and animal skin.
Both chigger larvae and adult chiggers are known to bite.
These red bugs position their front legs to the sides so that they can quickly grab onto various hosts passing by.
This is one of the reasons most chigger bites are specific to the areas of the ankle, especially when the ankle is exposed while walking through grass.
Chigger bites are painful and often numerous. You may spot multiple red itchy skin bumps on the ankles, on your hands, or almost anywhere on the body as well.
These bites may lead to complications such as itching issues that don’t pass. Visiting a doctor might be recommended to act against these symptoms.
Trimming vegetation around the house and frequent lawn-moving are among the first preventive measures to consider against chiggers.
2. Ants
Ants are among the many common biting species to stay clear off on the grass.
Not all bites bite but those that do might do it repeatedly and in high numbers, particularly when you identify and try to destroy their nests.
Ants come in different biting and non-biting species.
Army ants are some of the most damaging species of ants that live in grass and which can also bite.
These brown to black ants are known to live on almost any type of grass, including the lawn in front of your house.
Army ant bites are highly painful. These ants become very aggressive as you try to destroy their nests which can also destroy your lawn.
Dark brown to black Pavement ants might also attempt to sting. While these ants don’t bite similarly to Army ants, they also use a potent sting when you try to destroy their colonies.
Pavement ants may be found under pavement, driveways, or other cemented surfaces, as their name implies.
They like to hide in some of the most remote areas so that they have no real enemy that can easily get to them.
3. Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are one of the most problematic species when it comes to insects that bite in the grass as they live next to homes.
Unlike many other species, mosquitoes need puddling water such as a pool or an open rainwater collector container to lay eggs in.
Having a pool exposes you to the risk of mosquito invasions in your home.
Even having a lawn is problematic as you water it frequently.
Mosquitoes may swarm along the lawn in high numbers at night. They are attracted to its initial high humidity levels and they think they might find a permanent body of water around to lay eggs in.
One of the first actions against the species is to limit lawn watering schedules to a bare minimum.
A lawn that’s watered every day for a long time will call mosquitoes. Puddling water on the lawn will also offer a place to lay eggs.
As a result, mosquitoes may be more attracted to your lawn than other bugs. You risk getting bitten by mosquitoes every time you walk on your lawn.
4. Ticks
Ticks are some of the specific types of biting bugs you may encounter in tall grasses.
Unlike other biting bugs, ticks are mostly present in areas with tall grasses. It’s here that these bugs make their way onto a host they can bite, such as a pet or a human.
Some of the likely chances of getting ticks are when you walk through tall grass, next to woodlands, when camping, or when out hiking.
This is one of the reasons many professionals only recommend staying on the trail when out hiking.
Ticks easily attach themselves to your clothes and then move on to the skin to bite. They bury their heads deep into the skin as they bite.
Bites of the species are itchy and painful, and they can lead to getting a disease such as Lyme disease.
Some of the best ways to keep ticks out of the house are to trim the vegetation around the house. You may also want to keep your pets away from tall vegetation as well.
Shrubs in gardens are also a good place for ticks to live. Make sure to clear them out of your garden or to create paths around shrubs and small trees which may host ticks around your house.
5. Fleas
Fleas are some of the most common species of bugs that bite and that also live in grasses and shrubs.
These bugs prefer humid grasses or partially shaded shrubs which offer sufficient humidity.
They latch on to passing animals or humans eventually jumping their way to bare skin where they can bite.
Fleas are often found on the lawn but are most often found in the wilderness, in tall vegetation.
Most people pick up fleas when out camping without knowing it.
Setting up a tent in areas with tall vegetation or rubbing against tall vegetation when walking are common methods you may get fleas yourself.
Cats and dogs can also carry fleas indoors after they’ve been around tall vegetation themselves.
Tall grass on the lawn is a place for fleas to hide in. While this is not their first choice, fleas might spread on tall lawns which still get plenty of moisture.
6. Spiders
Spiders are among the typical species people avoid when outdoors.
They can also get indoors, especially looking for food or moisture.
Most spiders live outdoors, in tall vegetation, or around leaf litter. They use leaves on the ground as a hiding place.
Various species of spiders also set up their spider webs in tall grass or short vegetation. Garden Spiders are among the common species spotted in the grass.
Some of the most common biting spiders in grasses also include The Brown Recluse and The Hobo Spider.
These are species that may bite when roughly handled or may even bite without provocation.
Wolf spiders and other types of jumping spiders may make it onto bare skin patches easier as these are species known to jump a few times their height.
The Black Widow Spider, one of the most venomous species of spiders in the United States is also known to have a highly painful bite.
Like other species, these spiders can be picked up when walking in tall vegetation or when you simply want to relax on the lawn.
Trimming vegetation and maintaining a clean yard which also limits the number of insects around are some of the first preventive measures against spider bites in the grass.
7. Gnats
Gnats are some of the smallest types of flies that bite. They are also called No-see-ums in some parts of North America, as result.
These small flies are common in the summer. They become very active in the evening or early in the morning, particularly in areas with extra humidity.
Gnats may fly around the lawn if you water it in the evening or the morning.
Female gnats can bite as they need a rich blood meal to lay eggs.
You may get bitten by flying gnats on the lawn, at home. Even more, you may get bitten in the house as gnats fly in attracted to lights.
Gnats are among the typical species that thrive in high humidity. You may not be able to eliminate them if you water your lawn daily or if you like to camp in damp areas.
Some of the most secluded camping places in tall vegetation might seem like sheltered places for camping, but they also attract gnats.
Alternatively, gnats might also make it indoors looking for tall potted plants you might have on a terrace or in pots.
These flies may use the damp soil in pots to lay eggs in and they may bite you if these plants are in rooms you live in.
8. Horse Flies
Horse flies are another common species that resemble gnats both in behavior and habitat.
These types of biting flies are found all around the US. They prefer some of the most humid areas with plenty of vegetation for breeding.
As with gnats, it’s the female Horse Flies that are most likely to bite. You may encounter these flies when camping near water.
You may also see these flies looking for a blood meal indoors if your home is located next to a lake or a river.
Horse Flies need warmth and humidity in their habitat. They may settle in the garden if there’s sufficient vegetation for them to hide in.
A moist soil in the garden is also ideal for these flies to lay eggs in. A garden with tall legumes, flowers, shrubs, and trees that are frequently watered is among the ideal places for these flies to breed.
9. Deer Flies
Deer Flies are typical biting types of flies that can be found in tall grass and vegetation.
These flies have a gray or dark brown color and they are among the multiple flies that can also bite humans.
All types of animals can be bitten by these flies. It’s the female Deer Fly that bites.
The insects search for exposed areas of the skin. Unlike other types of flies, deer flies prefer moving mammals or humans as opposed to resting animals.
The female flies along the animal or human searching for an exposed area of the skin to bite.
Once bitten, it starts feeding on the blood that comes out of the skin.
A female deer fly will continue returning to the moving victim for secondary bites if not full.
Male deer flies are often seen resting on grass, shrubs, and plants.
The male deer fly prefers to feed on pollen without any biting risk.
Biting females are also responsible for laying eggs and they prefer to do this in a body of water. As a result, Deer Fly bites are specific to vegetated areas close to water.
A body of standing water around the lawn may also attract these flies to your house.
10. Ground Bees
Some of the typical bees found in the grass are true Ground Bees. This is a distinct species that likes to burrow individual nests in the ground.
The burrowing characteristic of the species is tied to loose soil.
As a result, Ground Bees can only build nests in sandy soil or loose soil around flowers, in the garden, or on the lawn.
These types of bees are important pollinators. They are omnivores but mostly eat plant pollen, playing an important pollination role in the ecosystem as they eat.
Ground Bees can also eat insects. Many of the insects eaten by these types of bees are a pest, so Ground Bees are also beneficial to the ecosystem as a biological control agent.
These types of bees don’t produce honey and they don’t collect pollen.
Female Ground Bees have a stinger but they typically don’t sting. One instance when the stinger might be used against humans is when these bees are roughly handle or when their nest is destroyed.
A few common ways of eliminating these bees from your garden include frequent watering as well as planting more grass and plants to reduce available loose soil for nesting.
11. Wasps
There are many reasons for multiple species of wasps to be in the grass. The presence of plants and pollen for pollen-eating wasps is one of them.
Wasps can also eat other insects that live in grass, which means they are only attracted to grasses through insects.
Mud Daubers are among the wasps that may be found in the grass looking for flies and spiders. These types of predatory wasps are a common sight when it comes to spiders as they use them for mating.
Each captured spider in grass or leafage is used as food for nymphs as the female wasp lays eggs directly on the spider.
Yellow Jacket wasps are known to eat meats they can find around the trash can in the backyard.
Larger bugs such as Praying mantises or birds are among the predators of wasps.
Still, taking action against wasps is recommended when it comes to home living.
Sealing all garbage cans might be one of the methods wasps are kept away from rotting meats. It also eliminates all insects wasps are attracted to.
12. Clover Mites
Small red bugs such as clover mites are a frequent sight on lawns and grasslands.
They have a good reason to hide in the grass as clover mites feed on grasses and plants. They feed by sucking and they require many types of grass to reach their nutritional needs.
Clover mites can also feed on wildflowers and ornamental plants.
Bugs of this genus may also feed on human foods and come in contact with pet food, which means they’re also likely to carry various pathogens.
Crushed Clover mites can also be a nuisance pest problem as they leave red marks behind.
High reproductive rates are another reason for concern with clover mites. All Clover Mites are female and they lay tens of fertilized eggs at once.
While they don’t bite, clover mites might still attempt to bite anyone in their habitat.
13. Minute Pirate Bugs
Minute Pirate Bugs are among the smallest bugs in the grass that can bite. While small, these bugs have very painful bites.
Some of the reactions to the bites include large irritated red areas of the skin.
Minute Pirate Bugs may bite humans but they have also considered a beneficial species as they eat small pests.
They eat various species of mites, small spiders, and even jumping plant lice.
Minute Pirate Bugs cannot be killed by bug spray. It’s likely the species is difficult to control around homes with insecticide as well.
These types of bugs have been shown to gravitate towards bright colors and keeping them away from you while out in nature might involve wearing darker clothes.
Minute Pirate Bugs can further be encountered in woodlands or grasslands through the summer. They remain active until the first weeks of fall when temperatures start to drop.
How to Get Rid of Biting Bugs in Grass
Biting bugs are some of the most dangerous types of bugs as some may even transmit diseases. All of these bugs have different management techniques, according to each species.
Some of the most common ways of getting rid of even keeping these bugs away include the following.
Mow the lawn frequently
Frequent lawn mowing is one of the first preventive actions against biting bugs. You might not be able to keep all bugs away with short grass but chances are more bugs settle in taller grass.
Frequently mowing the lawn is recommended as this also reduces the moisture levels at ground level.
Many bugs thrive in moist habitats. Furthermore, some bugs specifically seek out high-moisture areas where they can lay eggs.
Frequently mowing the lawn also destroys bug shelters and other traces of bugs such as the webs of spiders and the burrows of ground-nesting bees.
Cover up trash cans
Trash cans don’t attract all bugs but they attract a large number of bugs. Various species such as Deer Flies are known to feed on the food waste in trash cans.
These types of flies also attract other predatory bugs in the areas.
All trash cans should be clean and properly covered. Odors in the trash can might also attract various bugs to the grasses around the house.
It’s best to close the trash cans tightly to avoid strong odors attracting different species.
Spray essential oils
Essential oil sprays may be used both on the grass at home and on the grass and vegetation in camp.
Peppermint oil, cedar oil, and lavender oil might be some of the essential oils that keep a large number of bugs away.
A mixture of water and essential oil drops can be sprayed directly on grasses and plants in the garden.
Essential oils can be sprayed in the spring, just before most bugs start to become active.
Multiple applications are required afterward through the summer. You can spray grasses with essential oils at least once per month to keep most bugs and their nymphs away.
Wear bug spray
Spraying grasses is not a sufficient measure when it comes to keeping all bugs away on their own.
Wearing bug spray is one of the methods you can consider to keep these bugs away as well.
Minute Pirate Bugs are known for being specifically difficult to keep away. These types of bugs and their invasions may be managed with different chemicals as well as by wearing bug spray.
Minute Pirate Bugs have shown resilience to insecticides and multiple management techniques might be required against them.
Eliminate puddling water
Puddling water on the lawn or around the lawn is known to attract different species of bugs.
Eggs are laid directly in water or the immediate vicinity of water in moist soil.
Moisture management is required on the lawn, particularly with puddling water.
The base slopes are areas known to favor water accumulation. Large open objects such as barrels or buckets in the garden might also accumulate rainwater and favor various bug larvae formation.
Wear dark clothes
Many species of bugs are attracted to bright colors and bright clothes.
They follow humans wearing bright colors as they feel enticed by the appearance more than humans wearing darker-colored clothes.
Bright home colors such as white and off-white are also known to attract these types of bugs which further settle in grasses around the house.
Light sources in the home or around the house are further known to attract nocturnal bugs which may settle in grasses around the house.
Use bed nets
Bed nests are an ideal method of preventing possible invasions.
You might hear about bug invasions at your neighbor’s when you decide to act to protect your garden and your lawn.
These types of nets can also be used to cover shrubs, trees, and flowers which also attract many bugs which live in grass.
Change lawn watering frequency
Watering the lawn too much may be as detrimental as rarely watering it.
Too much water leads to puddling issues which attract bug larvae. Watering it rarely leads to cracks in the soil, ideal hiding places for different types of burrowing species.
You can find different types of bugs indoors that are also initially attracted by high lawn moisture humidity to then make it into the house through open windows.
Use bug traps
Bug traps such as those based on liquids work against all types of bugs on grasses.
From wasps to digger bees, these types of traps use a type of bait or lure plus a liquid to trap bugs.
Even sticky traps placed around the lawn can be an efficient method of eliminating almost all species that tend to settle at the grassroots.
Spray soap and water
Soap and water sprays are an efficient and cheap solution against bugs in grasses. A mixture of fragrant soap with lukewarm water is generally recommended on grasses, but in a limited amount.
A more affordable alternative to essential oils against bugs, soap and water sprays are among the ideal solutions as preventive measures.
Soap and water will not kill bugs once settled on the lawn.
However, soap and water may create an invisible repelling and fragrant barrier against bugs and insects.
Use cinnamon sticks
Cinnamon sticks are one of the natural solutions against bugs on grass.
This simple solution involves spreading out cinnamon sticks around the garden to act as a repellent.
Some cinnamon sticks may be placed around the lawn. Placing them in jars or another type of container is recommended so that you know their location when mowing the lawn.
Cinnamon sticks can also be placed next to plants and legumes in the garden as these areas are also known to attract different types of bugs.
Spread out moth balls
Moths’ balls aren’t necessarily the most natural solution that keeps biting bugs away. However, they have a strong odor and act as a type of pesticide on a small scale.
The odor and the ingestion risk of moth balls don’t recommend this solution in homes with children or in homes with pets.
Still, mothballs can be placed in no-access containers so that their odor keeps bugs away without the risk of a dog or another animal eating them.