Although they are so small, the bite of a pirate bug is incredibly painful – much more than you might expect from their size. Even though they’re not feeding on our blood, when pirate bugs bite they are actually probing our skin with their mouthpart which resembles a short, blunt beak. Unlike no-see-ums, they don’t inject their saliva under the skin. Also, contrary to what many myths state, they don’t urinate in the wound either.