What is the name of these biting insects in the UK?

Question

They are little tiny flies (only a few milimetres long), they are only out in the summer or warm weather and there is always swarms of them. Usually they are found on fields.

A bit of a silly question I know but every time I play football at our home ground I am always bitten several times and just wondered what they were called.

Many thanks

Answer 1

Very tiny black ones are corn lice - I don't know if they bite but they seem to get everywhere, usually later in the summer around harvesting time.  If its clouds of tiny flies that usually come out in the evening when the wind drops and hover around, then that's midgies - nasty little biters!  Similar to mosquitos

Answer 2

Could be midges. Northern England and Scotland is full of the,. They look like mini mosquitos.

There are also 'thunder flies'. They are encountered in the Midlands. They seem to come out when there's thunder in the air. You can feel it when they bite, but they are very small, thin and black.

Answer 3

corn lice

Answer 4

mosquitos??

Answer 5

Gnats....

Answer 6

Midges?  Horrible itchy things.

Answer 7

Gnats.

Answer 8

Midges!!! Yes the little beggars do bite and they only live a day.

Answer 9

Ahem! The plural of "mosquito" in English is "mosquitoes" (FYI)

Answer 10

midgy

Answer 11

Fruit flies