Ahhhhh, a voice of reason! Nearly every year, we have several days of some insect that looks much like a flying ant. They invade the kitchen, but no other room. They never appear to chew on a plant - or eat anything else for that matter. We put up with them for their short vacation because we know they'll leave. There is no good reason to poison every living insect, especially if, like the ones we've mentioned here, they do no harm. One of these days humans are going to look like some of the mutant creatures invented by Hollywood for sci-fi films. ;O)

Sorry to bump, but it appears I might have the same issue one year later. I got a good shot with my macro camera and hope that someone might be able to identify these guys since I have thousands of them.

those are false chinch bugs

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05603.html

Did you ever get a better idea of what this was? I am currently have the exact same problem that you describe and none of the responses here match what I am seeing.

I Live in oceanside about 2 miles from the beach. They are everywhere outside. They crawl, can not fly. Literally millions Some are large like ants some are small almost cant see. They will be gone in 2 week or so

I live in La Mesa and have millions of these also. See them everywhere.

Those look very similar to the bugs that were attacking my Lycium barbarum.. I got rid of it because of that and a few other reasons, but I haven't seen them since I got rid of it.

Did any one ever find out what they are? This is my first time seeing them I feel like our yard is infested. How do I get rid of them?

-Laura

I wanna know too I just saw them all over the front of my house.

Anyone know what these are? They infested my backyard couch and since we threw it out there are millions of them covering the ground and walls where the couch once was. They move a bit scattered, in opposite directions. There are so many they look like a flowing Black Sea.

yeah theres a MILLION covering all of the sidewalk as i was walking home.. i couldnt step anywhere to avoid.. the sidewalk was black and covered.

Does anyone know what they are? We have so many of them on the walls outside our house

Apparently this is a persistent mystery. I have these and I can't figure it out either!

Swarmed with these late April early May central Arizona 2019. It has been interesting watching them seemingly migrate across the property over the course of a week I do see them feeding on the stalks of cut London rocket which is a mustard looking plant that is drying out. I think they've lost their main food source and habitat. they seem to accumulate around anything with a hint of moisture. The false cinch bug ID seems like the most promising lead so far.

Yes I remember this also happened in 2001. A lot of rain, more mustard weed, hence the proliferation of the false chinch bugs.

https://cals.arizona.edu/yavapai/anr/hort/byg/archive/falsechinchbugs.html 

Hi soapy water will get rid off them ,use dawn specially,please share share and help more home owners.

Hi soapy water will get rid off them ,use dawn specially,please share share and help more home owners.

I'm in NM. I had my bug lady treat for them a few weeks back. She followed up with me today and I let her know they had disappeared after about a week. She called them Elm Seed Bugs/Beetles. I googled the name and thought she might be mistaken but then I saw a comment from several years ago where there was a pic with a micro camera, and they look very similar! I'm not sure if she killed them or if they moved on. They were never interested in my plants, maybe the grass. Like other comments, they were all over my CMU walls and stucco. They also seemed to congregate in shady areas where side gate closed at my house wall.

Hi All...I have them everywhere in my backyard. I've been searching the internet all day. Pics attached of one I captured. I, too, came to the conclusion they are Elm Seed Bugs/Beetles, but waiting on confirmation from my local Do It Center in Camarillo. They seem harmless (for now). They like the dead mustard weeds for sure.

Looks like a False Cinch Bug for sure now that I compare images.

I live in Las Vegas and I’m having the same bugs. I don’t have any vegetation and there have to be millions of them. They are all outside in the desert landscaping (rocks) and are annoying.

I also have these .have you found a solution to them.. I've tried all spray bug 😟

I just saw so many little tiny light gray bugs. Running around like ants all over backyard door and concrete So upsetting! I had to spray water on backyard door
I just put peppermint oil around and sprayed bug spray. Hope they leave soon So upsetting
Never saw these type of bugs in Las Vegas before

I just went out and had those tiny gray bugs running all over my brick wall and the rocks - thousands of them. Hoping the dogs don't track them in the house. They are awful and were everywhere.

Mine are finally gone!! Bug man helped and told neighbor he needed to spray too The bugs did not bother my dog. Very annoying

Depending on where in the country you live, these can be springtails or these can be booklice. So far as I can tell, they don't bite or carry diseases they just like moisture and humidity but yet they can go in the house also. I sprayed the ones I saw was read but it says you can also sprinkle talcum powder or boric acid.

I have them as well. Every time I come out to sit on the porch I have to sweep the furniture and spray. 3 hours later they are back. What are they and how do you kill

I've been seeing them for a couple days inside my house but I have concrete floors which seems to be a constant with everybody. I was afraid they were coming from inside my new kitten but I think they come from the concrete. I've been vacuuming him up as soon as I see them. Was kind of worried they were bed bugs now not so much.

Tiny tiny bugs on my outdoor countertop. When zooming in, kind of looks like an ant body. Thoughts? Thanks!!

My deck is infested with them. If I leave my sliding door open they get inside. They are very sharp and crawl fast. I wish I knew what they are called.

I just saw millions of shiny black long slender micro bugs of some kind all over my property. All over everything. Plastic jugs, lawnmower, trailer, everything. I noticed what happened when I picked up a rake all over my hand. Hundreds of them.

Never saw this. What the hell are these? I'm call health department. Plus bug dude. This is like a sci fi movie.

I am seeing the same thing. First time I ever saw them was a couple of weeks ago after a rain. All over everything just like you describe. Very weird and alarming What is going on ?

Where do you live ? I’m in eastern Connecticut

I live in Newpaltz NY. The day I saw them it got cold that night and they all died. Some disappeared and some died on the spot. They shrunk from the cold and became black speckles. Very strange yet scary cause not knowing if they are a threat to humans.

That describes exactly what I‘m seeing.

Never seen bugs come out when that close to freezing. Hope the snow and below freezing temps get rid of them. They are so small they could get inside house and be a real pain. I’m going to do some homework.

Stay tuned.

I have tons of these bugs on my concrete wall. How to get rid of them?

I got rid of them with bleach but they kept coming back and then I read that they are trying to get the moisture from the concrete so they're going to just keep returning.

Sounds like my problem. A guy in the thread earlier said springtails bugs. And it looked similar to the bugs all over deck and outside house

They are black pepper mites. They come from birds. All birds, ducks, geese, carry lice. I live on a pond and there are lots of ducks and geese. They have them on the windowsills they come through the cracks in the floorboards they like bathrooms and kitchens cuz they like to be near water, so they are always underneath the vanity.

Try white distilled vinegar or cleaning vinegar.. vinegar

has worked for me. I washed my clothes with a little bit of vinegar white distilled of course, I steam clean the floors steam cleaning windows. Vinegar really does work. the best it's the cheapest way because I've done pesticides, terminex.

look up black pepper mites they're also called bird mites

FYI, they do bite persons on hydrocodone (I imagine other narcotics as well).

good luck

These are what mine look like

we have tiny triangle shaped black bugs with a couple red stripes smaller then an ant, they are all over our patio and backyard, does anyone know what they are?

You might try using a bug identifier app.

Im trying to figure this out also they have a hard shell some are glossy with a gold stripe on there back they started invading my apartment i think they come from the desert landscape at my apartment im in Henderson and have ask other people nobody seems to know are even heard of them they love crawlingon the stucco then squeeze there way thru my window

Houston area - black super fast tiny black bugs. Like Alice McCann posted above in 2020. Not those grey ones… any answer on what they are? Pest control was just here to spray and said June bugs. After he left, I’m thinking, isn’t that a grub worm? So hunting for what they are. Never had those in 14 years living here. Anyone?

I have them too. They're everywhere running all around. On the concrete in the back and on the sides of the walls and on the neighbors too

They are tinyyy and have little antennas. My friend said they look like a premature long horn beetle but I'm not sure. I live in lake Elsinore CW

Springtails? They are harmless, so they say. Same problem here.. the photo makes them look cute, but they give me the heebie-jeebies!

https://www.orkin.com/pests/springtails

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springtail

Oh, those tiny speedsters! I've had a similar invasion on my concrete walls. Seems like they enjoy sunbathing. I did a bit of digging and found they might be springtails or soil mites. I tried a soapy water solution to discourage them, which helped a bit. At least they didn't cause any harm to my plants.

Oh, those tiny speedsters! I've had a similar invasion on my concrete walls. Seems like they enjoy sunbathing. I did a bit of digging and found they might be springtails or soil mites. I tried a soapy water solution to discourage them, which helped a bit. At least they didn't cause any harm to my plants.

However, if these bugs bother you, check out https://www.richlandpestbee.com/stinging-insect-control/white-faced-hornets/; I heard they can help. Let me know if you crack the mystery of these tiny crawlers!