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whitelotusaz

Tiny black, gnat like bugs infesting concrete walls outside

whitelotusaz
11 years ago

I am wondering if anyone else is seeing these little black bugs in their yards? They are tiny, black gnat like bugs but they crawl fast especially in the sunlight, they actually act like ants. They don't seem to fly. They are covering the concrete walls and rocks outside, but not really near the plants as far as I can see. Any ideas on what they might be? Sorry, too tiny to take a picture yet.

Comments (55)

  • quinnsellars
    11 years ago

    It sure sounds to me like the minuscule black ant that is on a lot of my plants esp my lemon/limes. I have tried several diff means to get rid of them but as I was reading about them they don't really do much damage to the plants. The black gnats that fly I have every spring in my guesthouse and in the main house but not as much as in the former. They are ridiculous! I bought 2 zappers 2 years ago and that's how I deal with them. I don't exterminate. I spray the doorways and lintels about once every 3 months but i def don't exterminate. I live in cottonwood in sunlakes and the amount of exterminating my neighb do is ,I m o, disturbing. For outside pests I also purchased lady bugs twice in spring and then in late spring I got 3 praying mantid nests. The biggest problem I have, if you want to call it that, is the little webs that will spring up all over the outside walls. I spray them down(with water) or sweep them off. If I don't they will cover everything.

  • tomatofreak
    11 years ago

    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)

  • sh4unz0r
    10 years ago

    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.

  • huntszoo
    10 years ago
  • beth_rvp
    8 years ago

    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.

  • wnelson50
    6 years ago

    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

  • Tim Bargenquast
    6 years ago

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

  • iandyaz
    6 years ago

    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.

  • HU-753491728
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    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

  • Montana Anderson
    4 years ago

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



  • Makaila Vincent
    4 years ago

    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.



  • Destiny Harmon
    4 years ago

    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.

  • HU-550461378
    4 years ago

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

  • HU-279686780
    4 years ago

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

  • HU-521204085
    4 years ago

    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.

  • kraushausaz
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    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 

  • Bethany Teti
    4 years ago

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

  • Bethany Teti
    4 years ago

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

  • PRO
    Lynette Manzanares
    4 years ago

    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.


  • Tahnee Cracchiola
    4 years ago

    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.





  • Tahnee Cracchiola
    4 years ago

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

  • Monica Lindburg Coulter
    3 years ago

    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.

  • Jotie Orquiz
    3 years ago

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

  • Shelley Bliss Kaplan
    3 years ago

    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

  • HU-869661743
    3 years ago

    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.


  • Shelley Bliss Kaplan
    3 years ago

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

  • Danielle DiBlasi
    3 years ago

    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.

  • Vallery Coleman
    3 years ago

    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

  • Rylin Ash
    3 years ago

    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.

  • Alice McCann
    3 years ago



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

  • HU-438925870
    3 years ago

    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.


  • HU-973949107
    3 years ago

    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.

  • Greg Smith
    3 years ago

    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 ?

  • Greg Smith
    3 years ago

    Where do you live ? I’m in eastern Connecticut

  • HU-973949107
    3 years ago

    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.

  • Greg Smith
    3 years ago

    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.

  • Margaret Stawicki
    2 years ago

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


  • Danielle DiBlasi
    2 years ago

    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.

  • HU-470801792
    2 years ago

    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

  • Dara Dillree
    2 years ago

    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

  • HU-428487096
    2 years ago

    These are what mine look like



  • Victoria Rodriguez
    last year

    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?

  • kraushausaz
    last year

    You might try using a bug identifier app.

  • HU-150452231
    last year

    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

  • M G
    last year

    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?

  • Mikey
    11 months ago
    last modified: 11 months ago

    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


  • Allee Miller
    11 months ago

    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


  • Alex Right
    22 days ago

    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.

  • Alex Right
    9 days ago

    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.

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