Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I feel very desperate as to how to get rid of these annoying little bugs. First of all, I have to tell you that I am hundred percent sure they are not fleas nor bed bugs. I know this since I have used extensively, bombs and other chemicals, that would have already wiped them out.
Also I collected some samples and showed it to the local bug inspector companies and have been told the same thing. That they are not bed bugs or fleas. What they could tell me was that they could be "black nuisance bugs", but he was not very sure about it.
Let me try to briefly describe them. They live on my clothes and they bite me during day or night. You feel them moving which makes it very hard to fall in sleep. The only solution I could find was to get up and take my clothes off and just shake or pound them to make them fall on a white surface. They actually do fall when you do that. And whey they fall, they do not jump around or move, they just stay put in one place and you can just pick them up and they would still not move on your hand. (I know they are not fleas.) Currently my only solution was to keep vacuuming the house and try to catch them the way I described, but I keep finding them again and again.
By John E
How long have you had these bugs? Do they fly, walk, jump? Are they maybe in the dryer or something? I had a nasty bout with fleas and spent 3 grand on chemicals boms exterminators (I know you said they were not fleas), but what did work was salt. I threw salt around the house all over (we wore shoes for 3 days) then vacuumed. That was it - they were all gone!
I found salt works with all bugs. This should at least kill the eggs, then stop the cycle of what ever they are. I'd also try dishsoap in a upside down margarine lid on the floor to maybe catch them? or like a home made fruit fly trap if they fly? Something else I'd try is doing the laundry at the laundromat, or changing detergent. Borax and salt was actually the recipe for fleas, so maybe add some borax to your laundry to stop the cycle there.
You do not say where you live. That might be helpful. I would try to find out what these things are; I have never heard of "black nuisance bugs" - sounds like something this fellow made up to me. Do a search on the internet. Phone your public health office. Contact your Department of Agriculture or a university science department. Are these insects breeding in your home or coming in from outside? These are all things you need to investigate to be able to get rid of them.
You have Carpet Beetles! Heat on clothing and bedding will get rid of them until a new bunch of eggs appear. Vacuum carpeting a lot and regularly, also shampoo with a steam cleaner monthly. Don't loan ANYTHING from your home to any friends or family members, as you will be spreading the joy from your Beetles will be on any item.
These are a new breed of insect mites. CDC website has over 100 posts for help. Doctors, exterminators, and allergist clueless. Birdmites.org has some tips on helping to fend mites off.
Nothing kills them including foggers, fumigators, and exterminator spraying.
Black, white, dot to powder dust size. Hard do mot move when not on a human.
Wash clothing weekly, change daily use hottest temp over 40 mins.
Oils with mint, menthol, and mineral oil mix on skin can help.
Getting rid of without a continuous killing spray is impossible.
Get reinfected at places you went. Get on those in a 3 to 8 foot radius of you. See up to 10 people all scratching, rubbing, and wiping eyes, face, scalp, and body. Epidemic must happen to address issues.
Worst part is in scalp.
Bird of rat mites. Look for bird nest in eves of house or attic.
Or just roosting birds. Do u or neighbors have chickens?
Do u cats that bring dead birds or mice onto ur property ?
Even if the dead animals r left outise u can get them on ur clothing when walking by. Mice or rats under ur house?
Go to birdmites.org.
These r very difficult to get rid of.
They are scabies. I have had them for a long time now, the seven year itch mite and very hard to get rid of. Good luck.
I am having trouble with bugs. We have extremely tiny black bugs, compared to coffee grounds and black pepper. Our dog had fleas in the summer, but I think we took care of the problem.
I did notice black stuff inside the air conditioner in the bedroom which when wiped almost looks like the bugs, but thousands all stuck together. There is also a huge patch of grass in the neighbor's yard that is completely dead. Could it come from there? I am not sure if these are fleas or other bugs. You cannot see them move, but can pick them up with tape and get several. They seem to be everywhere.
I have bombed the house 5 times, 4 gallons of different sprays, flea carpet powder, DE, salt and borax, salt and vinegar, and even hairspray.
These do bite. I am afraid to go out or have someone over. It has been about 2 months now. Everything in my house was cleaned with dog shampoo, vinegar, Windex and even bug stuff.
By Murphy from Woodbury, CT
I have these things also. In Central Texas. Got rid of them for a while but they reappeared. The Hot shot bedbug and flea fogger I got at the grocery store completely killed them off for awhile. But I only do that when we will be gone overnight, and I didn't figure out their life cycle, so they will probably be immune now.
I will just have to get more aggressive with vaccuming and laundry. I think I am going to put dirty clothes in a large garbage can on the back porch till I do the laundry. Have tried borax in every laundry load,and including sprinkling on the area rug then vaccuming a few hours later, now going to sprinkle salt each time I add dirty clothing and towels. let em eat that!
Too many possibilities where the infestation comes from. Most likely the post office where I work. There were rats and they were exterminated,but now probably mites from that. The tubs the mail comes in are nasty, and the mail handlers probably too. One guy transfered to our post office and he sneezes and blows loudly all the time, I think he has bugs in his nose. Also went to San Deigo Cali last fall before it started. Maybe I brought them back.
I had a vaccume cleaner and a steam machine repaired at a vaccume shop and also one repaired for my mothernlaw. Could have come from the shop,they had unclaimed vaccums everywhere. I used to be more aggressive with sulfur pellets on the yard, but I got a little lax there. I think these things eat the sulfur,now, but the snakes don't like it. So I put some more out a few weeks ago. You do that before a light rain,and all the pest will be gone. I usually use a spreader and start closest to the foundation or porch and circle around the whole place until the yard has sulfur every where.
I bought a good spreader this year with large rubber wheels. It was convenient (the Scotts brand) with a snap in fertilizer bag. So when I used the fertilizer up, I just made a slit in the bag and added my sulfur pelets in there. Oh, it worked so easy and it came with a switch to make the path narrow when you need to not get it all over the place. The bag closes up at the bottom when you remove it. I do recommend that spreader if you do your own yard, like I do.(we have chiggers her you know, but not with the sulfur treatment). We don't have fire ants in our yard either. I hope they don't eat these other pests.
Occasionally I use "home defense" around the perimeter and inside perimeter of our house. I bought the one with the battery operated sprayer for around $20. There is no odor & it works pretty good.
My next door neighbor has chickens, got them last year, a while before my problem started. She is very clean though. So if she has bugs, I think they were there before she moved in. Her place is very well kept inside and out. The neighbors on the other side have dust mites, and who knows what? I still love them (what rate you gonna do?). They moved in 5 years ago, and I kept it out of my house that long.
My mother in law has a dog. She does not take to the vet and I have to treat her lawn and get her dog store bought drops and spray her carpet. She's 90, and I have seen raid cans in her home. So the weird little bugs that bite might have come from her place?
We have chimney sweep birds, that nest in our chimney every spring. Dogs inside which I don't like (I sneeze and gag), but my husband wants them in, so he wins. That inside thing used to be only in freezing weather, but he retired and thinks the animals are his babies now. Cats too. Got a ferrel cat last year, he doesn't seem to scratch, but the outside only cat does, since we got the other ferrel inside and outside cat. We have had the outside cat since 2006 and never had bugs from or on her.
My neighbor has a dog she only combs fleas out. I use all the stuff for that. Every animal gets drops, which we have to switch brands depending on how they work. That neighbor & I walk our dogs together; so there you go, the uncombed ones jump onto us. Last spring I used flea shampoo,and the vet switched us to revolution, which worked better, and I added flea collars on all the pets.
That combo worked, in spite of the neighbor not using any pesticides. Seems they bite me & that one cat and get in the dogs ears. I treat that all the time, by cleaning the ears with solution and then putting a little mineral oil in ears. There is no black ear mite residue, but I have removed what looked like a tick or large mite.
I made a homemade air cleaner with a fan and furnace filter. It helped a lot, but my husband doesn't like it on, so he keeps turning it off. Remember he does not get bit. They probably live on him, and only eat me.
I found a site for my local ag university. I'm calling them tomorrow to see if I can send a sample for some help. When you rub your hands or wherever you feel them biting, with hand sanitzer, eventually you'll feel a little grain and you can wipe that on a paper towel or kleenex and see them.
Tonight I just kept rubbing my hands and finally they actually fell onto the kleenex. there are a lot more on you than you think. They do not like clove oil and it helps to put some drops of that and a few drops of lavender oil in alcohol and spay yourself and everything. Also some tea tree oil in baking soda sprinkled over area rug and vacuum. I bought a dyson, because of the dog hair. I put it outside after use, because I know the bugs can escape with a bag less vacuums cleaner. I have seen a nest of these things in some dog hair that wandered under the sofa. They also will die with direct application of windex,so i buy that at Sams club. I ain't running out of Windex!
I made some clove oil by boiling whole cloves and poured the solution in a jar. I left it on the kitchen counter and there are no bugs around that. So I put one on the back of the toilet and same there.
I shampoo with Paul Mitchell tea tree shampoo and conditioner daily. Bath with Dr Teal's eucalyptus & spearmint epsom salt, sulfur soap, and oil down with Dr Teal's. I use "shea Moisutre" shea butter Camomile & argan oil Baby eczema therapy and clean my face with Burts Bees deep cleansing cream and use the Clinique sonic face brush.
I have used sulfur 8 directly on any itches and rubbing that in will cause one to become a grain I can remove. The Wi dex is sprayed all over the bathroom; including in the tub before I bathe or shower and after.
They also turn loose if you rub vicks on your skin. So I guess they don't like eucalptyus. I am thinking maybe get a mister with eucalpytus oil or a humidifier, with any kind of eucalyptus oil or paste in that tray where the steam comes out, will help. However, I know you need to keep the moisture down, because I see the larger ones in the bathroom. They look like pepper on the floor, and stick to everything. Only turn loose when windexed. I think if you covered yourself with Desitin that would smother them, but then they would return.
What also helps me, is I take garlic pills (the cheap ones from walmart) And evening primrose oil (that's expensive, but parasites dont like it, so I buy that at the health store,and take that). All that stuff helps get the population down, but as long as the animals are allowed inside, I think they will still thrive.
If I sound "matter of fact" about it all, that's just because the panic only affects your health, along with the lack of sleep. I know if I have a sickly house plant, the bugs invade it,so keep that in mind. Take your vitamins, especially C!
If your nose itches, put tea tree oil on a qtip and spread it around in the nasal cavity. That needs to be done through out the day for a while, then you can go to once or twice a day. I even use some of those alcohol wipes inside the nose to clean it out. alternate the alcohol, saline nasal rinse and tea tree oil. Believe me that works way better on a sinus infection than any nose spray the doc will prescribe. And kinda gently squeeze, squish around, or press on the mid part of the nose.That seems to make it open and clear out some. It just takes determination, and diligence, and a year of non stop attacking. I also take probiotics and/or eat yogurt. No serious sinus infection this year. When I really think I can't beat allergies, I will resort to taking zertec, but get off of it when I get better.
Can someone please help me? I have just moved out of home into a small flat, as I am young you can kind of imagine what my flat is like. It is tidy, but not amazing and I keep finding these bugs everywhere. They are tiny, and when I say tiny I mean tiny, the only way you know they are on you is if you feel them tickling your skin and you have a close look.
My flat mate and I have both noticed them on the couch a lot and that seems to be where they all go. This couch is from my flat mate's father and was in his shed and was cleaned before we got it so I don't think they can keep coming from there as I have scrubbed and vacuumed it heaps.
I really hate bugs and have great pride in keeping my house clean so as you can probably tell I am getting sick and tired of these bugs. I'm not sure if they bite, I think they might do and just leave a small mark. They are black and not round at all they are more long and slight squirmy, but so very very tiny. They are everywhere, we have already tried bombs and fly spray. Someone please help me.
By Tara B
To All Suffering from the black speck like bugs that don't appear to move. These are called black pepper mites and they are a modern day plague. Many originate from actual birds who were their original hosts. Once the infected bird dies, these mites search for a new host. Usually those are other animals, but humans do just fine as well.
Check out birdmites.org for a proper forum where other suffers write in & exchange ideas. I've personally used Dr. Browns peppermint liquid soap (antiseptic) for washing my hair, body & home. $20 big bottle of concentrate and lasts! Another amazing source of relief is from a man named Richard Kuhns. He has a much better debridling soap that has helped cure this problem for many. I'm ordering from him next, as the peppermint soap has worked for the past year (on my head) but I need something stronger. The debridling soap is actually in micro particles so it kills those horrific bugs on their own size level.
So sorry you've been suffering! I'm still suffering too ~ determined to conquer this problem!! Prayers for you getting better soon!! God bless.
My boyfriend and I have been dealing with this very tiny black, biting bug for almost a year now. We both have been treated many times for scabies which as you can see we still have the problem. We did the scabies cream at least five different times, yet still have the lil creatures from hell.
I have Googled many times trying to find out just what they are and how to get rid of them. Some people suggested maybe they are bird mites, but idk if they are or not.
All I know is bleach doesn't kill them and neither does any cleaner I have tried. I take bleach baths. I tried lavender baths, even lice killer baths and they are still about to drive me to the edge. It's hard to live a normal life walking around itching and feeling something crawling, but you can't see it. Not to mention the sores that leave scars on your body. Please someone tell me what they are and the resolution to end this nightmare.Dealing with Bugs
Step 1
Put the bugs in a sealed plastic bag.
Step 2
Call an exterminator or go to a place where they sell pesticides.
Step 3
Vacuum often and throw out the bag in a sealed garbage bag outside.
Step 4
Make sure you vacuum in the folds of material in upholstery and drapes.
I can help you with some solutions for the biting and itching from the bug bites.
I have flea bombed my house and also have bombed my house with bed bug bombs. I am running out of ideas. My family and I are getting bitten, one here and there. Does anybody know what it is and what I can do to stop this?
By Nicole
Food grade diatomaceous earth, which can be purchased at Home Depot will solve your problem.
Use a paint brush to "paint" the powder along baseboards and on the legs of your bed.
Bugs can't build up a resistance since the powder dries up their exoskeletons.
Very safe to use around pets
I think that you should try to figure out what kind of bug it is - fleas, or bed bugs, or something else. Indiscriminate spraying of pesticides is one of the reasons why we have bedbugs nowadays. You may be getting reinfected over and over as well, or may be spraying pesticides all over the house, and not targeting the insect that is actually doing the biting. Anything that will poison an insect will also poison a human, so be aware that you are inhaling poison as well as the bugs inhaling it.
They are black, oval, and crunch when you kill them. They can climb up walls and get everywhere and they move slowly. Any ideas what they are?
By Kayleigh
They might be carpet beetles. Look closely down between the fibers of your carpet and see if you see any bugs or larvae.
I have these little black bugs in my condo. There doesn't seem to be a lot of them. They crawl on the floor coming out from the baseboard. I see them in the bathroom, hallway, and living room. They are not in the bed, but I get bites not all together. There is one on my arm, or my leg, or chest, not at the same time. I don't know if these bites are related. They are small and black and look like a little black bean that craws around on the floor. What kind of bugs are these? and how can I get rid of them?
By Rodney
they look like carpet beetles, vacuuming daily helps to get rid of them, google them and see what other things one can do to eliminate them
Believe it is of the beetle family some sort of a carpet, fungus or grain eating variety. Relatively harmless as an adult. More destructive as larvae but usually a sign of bigger fish to fry. Find their source of food and remove if you want a resolution. I.E. find and prepare water leak for fungus beetle, find old dog biscuits or steel oats not being used in pantry may be sources.
I live in Ohio and get bitten (hard) by these little black insects in the spring and fall, especially when the farmers work in the fields and stir up soil or crops. I believe they are no-see-ums, aka midges, and repellents for them are the same as for mosquitos.
Here is what we use:
Living in the topics we are fighting these types of bugs and bites year round. Take it from an expert there is only one way to stop them from biting and that is with mint oil. I have plenty of lemongrass planted around my yard to keep them out of my yard and home.
Avon Skin So Soft works great. Spray or rub on and it keeps the bugs away all day. Tea Tree Oil and taking a bath in vinegar also work but the Skin So Soft is the best by far. They also make a special screen wire for porches that keeps the no-see-ums out pretty well.
How do I get rid of tiny black bugs? We've had them since last summer. Recently I found out they're coming in through the window over our sink. Last summer they had infested all of our cabinets. They look like a dot and grow to almost the size of a piece of rice.
We cleaned out all the cabinets and I think they were all dead. But a few still kept coming in. Recently I climbed up and opened the window and there was a whole nest of them on the ledge and halfway up. I tried to knock them off, but them like stuck there. That's when I got bit. They must have gotten on me because after that I started to get bit, and those bites itched like crazy for 3 weeks. Now I am afraid to go near the nest. They are still coming in. We find them around the sink area and on both windowsills. Someone please tell me how to get rid of them, they're driving me crazy.
By linda5544
I think it's the alcohol. That is why it is recommended for stains, same for hand sanitizer. You could maybe try a spray bottle of isopropyl alcohol instead of hairspray. Although the stickiness might be a factor as well.
Good luck!
For about a week now something has been biting my arms and legs at night. Not just in my bed, but on my couch. They bite more when the lights are off. I know it isn't bed bugs because I have experienced those before. I know where and what to look for to find those, and nothing has turned up. 
Whatever it is can fly because it bites parts that aren't touching the furniture as well as those that are, and I never feel a crawling sensation. I have noticed small flying insects around the house. Mostly just a few fruit flies or drain flies that I have been killing off.
But, there have been a few small, dark-winged bugs as well. They look like small flies, with a triangular shape when at rest. Aside from that, a small speck occasionally flies past my phone screen or laptop screen if the room is dark. It almost looks like a dust mote, but it moves quickly. I have yet to catch anything actually on me or my bed, but my legs and sometimes arms, end up covered in red welts similar to mosquito bites. I live in north Georgia, in a rural area. I am the only person being bitten thus far.
Small biting black dot bug that can fly. Not bed bugs and they jump.
Tiny black bugs in laundry, tiny shinny black bugs on couch, some are like colored sparkles, last lint like bugs in hair black, grey white the bugs also bite and i can fell them on me I have dry skin but sometimes even my cats won't eat their food unless i wipe down the food & bowls i feel the bites & what ever they are but worse at nite. some of the tiny black bugs look like cat dander but have almost invisible little hair or 2 Ifeel them on my anis & genitalia what could the possibly be & how can I get rid of them? My husband thinks I'm crazy, the pest guy says it is bacterial I don't know what 2 thinl except I am 61 years old and i have never had bugs now i think i'm crazy 2 HELP ME PLEASE IN CANADA CAN'T TAKE IT ANY MORE GOING TO SIGN MYSELF INTO THE LOONIE BIN
Looks like old hay beetles...if they are ..they used to live in haystack...under old leaves..in moist areas..
You are definitely not the only one! I'm glad to know that another Georgian is experiencing this! I was beginning to think i was insane.
To aerynzaher in N.Georgia. Did you get any answers on the eradication of these tiny, flying bugs? I think this is the same thing happening to me and it's insane nuisance here. I thought it was related to bugs found in new construction wood (I took video of them crawling out). I just put in new Hickory hardwood floors and not sure if the timing relates to them coming from the wood or out in the field where I am. There seem to be swaths of these bugs flying in air and they will dive bomb you and the bite is like a bad pinch feeling. Your entry is 2016 and it's now Aug 2018 so prob never see this - but like others on these posts - total annoyance and considering fumigating the place to end this nightmare.
We found a small group of bugs in our office, size is 1/4"very tiny like hair, they are moving too. They are at one of our glass counters. What can we do?
By Naiery
If you want to kill the bugs, use a bug spray in the area. May require more than one application if there are unhatched eggs.
