Bugs are unwanted guests in our homes, especially during the summer season. However, it is important to figure out whether they are safe, especially if you are not well informed about the bugs and insects.
You may see little black bugs in your house furniture, walls, carpet, and many other places. There’s no need to go full-on demolisher mode as these bugs are probably of little to no harm to you and your family.
Common household bugs include ants, carpet beetles, weevils, flour beetles, pillbugs, or termites. They each have different sizes, characteristics, and weaknesses that you can use to identify and control them.
If you are worried about pests and don’t want to try and tackle the problem alone then hire a
professional. The Busters Group is fully equipped to deal with large-scale pest problems and
issues. Call them today to discuss how they can help you.
How to Identify Little Black Bugs in House
You can identify tiny black bugs in your house by using your senses. Your eyes can easily spot these beasties, no matter how small they are. Do not try to disturb them at first. Just observe them trace where they feed and lay their eggs.
If you unintentionally mash the tiny black bug with your shoes and observe a black or brown smear, you probably have carpet beetles in your house. On the other hand, if you see bees flying in the air, you might be looking at a springtail. You might have fleas or bed bugs in your houseroom if you have small insect bites or develop any skin irritation.
Common Types of Little Black Bugs That Invade Our Homes
1. Black Carpet Beetles
Carpet beetles are the most common insects that invade our homes. This beetle family has spherical bodies with shiny and hard shells. Adult beetles have four wings.
These bugs have rounded bodies similar to the ladybugs. An adult beetle is normally an eighth of an inch in size. However, fully-grown insects have a unique white, yellow, and brown color on their wing covers. These beetles cannot reproduce quickly.
The bugs in the house carpets take in pet foods or fibers of carpets and clothes. They have a unique ability to digest keratin, the protein usually found in hair or fur. Carpet beetles also like wool and silk, and cereals.
Carpet beetles are harmless to humans and do not cause any disease.
2. Grain Insects
There are seven different types of grain insects. Although they are very small, they are highly destructive because they feed on your grocery, slowly lowering its quality. They can easily arrive at your house with grains and flour you bring from the store every month.
Grain insects will affect the quality of the food products you store. Therefore, you should control or destroy them before they invade your homes.
3. Weevils
Weevils are pantry insects that have long snouts. They are oblong and narrow, having shiny and hard shells with diagonal ribbed patterns and dot-like impressions. They also have antennae.
Weevils are unwanted guests that usually arrive at your house inside the food products, including grains, cereals, pet food, pasta, and other dry foodstuffs.
Another common type of weevil insect is rice weevils that attack seeds of several crops, including maize, wheat, and rice.
4. Ants
Ants are one of the most common house bugs like flies. Their color varies from brownish to light red color depending upon the species. However, most ants appear black to the naked eye.
They are usually very small in size, i.e., 2 to 15 mm. They are harmless to humans and pets, but some of them can be seriously damaging and lead to food waste or structural issues at some point. If you have ants in your house, make every effort to control them and promptly come up with a pest control solution.
5. Pill Bugs
Pillbugs are small, usually a quarter to ⅝ inch long. They have an exoskeleton of seven individual plates with seven pairs of legs. They are pretty harmless for human beings.
Pillbugs are active at night, so you will not be disturbed by them during the day. They feed on decaying fruits, veggies, and house potted plants.
6. Flour Beetles
There are three types of flour beetles: black flour beetle, red flour beetle, and confused flour beetle. They can live up to 18 months. They can reproduce very quickly.
Flour beetles affect grain products, flours, seeds, and cereals. They leave an unpleasant odor and disgusting taste in the affected products leaving them of no use.
7. Fleas
Fleas are notorious for latching onto pets just to wreak havoc in your house. That’s why they are the most unwelcomed little black bugs at home.
They are tiny and difficult to spot at times. Moreover, they are the little black bugs that bite in house, especially during warmer months. It can be annoyingly painful not just to your pets but to your whole family.
How To Get Rid Of These Tiny Black Bugs – Most Common Methods
Common Insecticides
The most common forms of pest control to get rid of tiny black bugs is insecticides and pesticides. These products normally have chemical ingredients like permethrin, cyfluthrin, abamectin, bifenthrin, and many more.
Chemical insecticides and pesticides are used under certain conditions because they can make the environment unhealthy for children and pets if not used as directed.
Although chemical products have proven to be effective pest control, they are also sometimes controversial.
Natural Products
Natural insecticides and products are in demand nowadays. Many of these products work using natural plant-based ingredients like essential oils. Organic insecticides and natural products are as effective as chemical products when used properly.
However, some natural products are more expensive and may need to be reapplied more frequently than chemical insecticides.
Home Remedies
Following are some home remedies to de-bug your house without calling pest control:
Try Peppermint OilPeppermint oil is a tried and tested way to get rid of tiny black bugs in house furniture and walls. This trick will make your house smell more fragrant.
Mix about an ounce of water per drop of natural peppermint oil in a spray bottle, and you’ll have your own DIY scented de-bugging spray! You can also add a drop of tea tree oil to this spray mixture. Just shake well before spraying on vents, windows, and doorways to ensure the peppermint oil’s full effectiveness.
Use Neem Oil
Neem oil is widely used as an organic alternative to chemical insecticides. It can kill more than 200 species of pests and earth crawling insects. This is one of the reasons why neem oil is the best pick for gardening and organic farming.
The wonderful thing about neem oil is that it is not noxious. It is also used in various skin care products. It is not damaging to wildlife as well.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is the best choice to get rid of flies. If fruit flies invade your home, especially the kitchen, take a small bowl and pour in a little apple cider vinegar.
Cover the bowl with plastic film or wrap and punch a couple of pencil-lead-sized holes in the plastic. The flies will be attracted to the vinegar, and they can get in but not out.
FAQ – Little Black Bugs in House
What causes tiny black bugs on my bed?
If you do not change your bedspread regularly or clean your room daily, you might get bed bug infestation. Black insects can also come to your house through clothing, luggage, and other products that serve to move.
These tiny bed bugs hide during the day in your bed sheets or even in curtains. While during the night, these bugs appear in search of food, that is, your blood.
After feeding, they go back to their hiding places. It is important to get rid of bed bugs as soon as they are seen because they can bite you or cause serious problems.
Following are some ways to stop bed bugs infestation:
• Wash beddings and covers in hot water
• Spray the advised chemical in your room corners
• Take off the mattress and use a vacuum cleaner to remove bugs and their eggs
Why are little black moths attracted to my house?
The presence of little black moths indicates clogged pipes or water leakages somewhere in the house.
Black moths usually lay eggs and breed near sewage and filth. That’s why they are commonly found around garbage, bathrooms, leaking water pipes, and stagnant water.
You can use flypaper, create traps using fish or neem oil, clean the infected area with vinegar, put cedar throughout your house, and even use chemical products to prevent black moths.
What are tiny black mites?
The most common type of black mite is black pepper mite which means a parasite that lives outside the host. These tiny bugs are usually found in bird nests because they feed on their blood.
They are harmless to human beings because they generally live the nests. They invade the human living areas when they move out due to certain reasons.
They do bite and cause itching, but they cannot survive on human blood. They are irritating but fairly easy to remove from a living space because they do not reproduce in a human host environment.
The good way to remove black pepper mites is to find their nests and kill the mites inside. The nest will probably be near your house. After that, clean the areas of your home where pepper mites were present.
The process of cleaning must include dusting, washing curtains and beddings, and vacuuming. Lastly, clean all surfaces with detergent to remove all traces.
Why Do I Have Carpet Beetles Inside My House?
Carpet beetles are small insects that feed on natural fibers like wool, silk, and leather.
They do like animal products, including pet hair. Adult carpet beetles also feed on plants and flowers. These tiny insects can enter your home through an open window or door.
They can arrive at your home as an unwanted guest with infected items like plants, fur, or furniture.
You can get rid of these tiny black carpet beetles by:
• Keeping your house clean
• Cleaning infected areas with chemical products
• Inspecting plants regularly
• Calling pest control once a year for indoor pest control spray
• Keeping dried food in sealed containers
How long does it take to get rid of drain flies?
Natural Ways to Get Rid of Drain Flies
Mostly flushing out your house drains can remove the drain fly larvae. But some of the following methods might help you to get rid of drain flies for sure:
• Boiling Water – Twice a day for about a week, carefully pour the boiling water down your drain. This method will ensure that the flies do not return overnight.
• Baking Soda + Salt + Vinegar – The vinegar mixture, salt, and baking soda make a natural cleaning solution. Pout it down your drain overnight and flush out the pipe with boiling water the next morning.
• Soap + Water + Sugar + Vinegar – Prepare a mixture of water, sugar, and vinegar along with a few drops of dishwashing or insecticidal soap and leave the bowl near the drain for few days.
The flies get attracted to the sweet solution, but its thickness will trap them.
Chemical Sprays and Repellents to Get Rid of Drain Flies
Some common pest control killers, typically for fruit flies or gnats, can get rid of drain flies.
As many of these contain caustic chemicals, check if you should keep them out of the kitchen area and be extra careful about damage to your drains.
• Green Gobbler – This popular fly killer is safe to go down drains, septic systems and even good for drain fly infestation.
• Natural Armour – This is a gel-based drain cleaner ideal for zig-zag pipes that require an expansive cleaner to catch any additional nests or flies.
• American Biosystems – Commonly used for commercial drains for clearing bacteria.
How do I stop a cockroach infestation?
A cockroach infestation is impossible to remove without decontamination or fumigation. You can also use boric acid where an infestation is visible, but if you accidentally miss some areas, a second infestation would happen after some time.
The best way to stop a cockroach infestation is by keeping your house, especially the kitchen, clean. Cutting their food supplies will significantly lessen their numbers. So, keep all food in the refrigerator, wash dishes immediately after use, take out the garbage daily.
Final Words about “Little Black Bugs in House”
Keeping tiny black bugs out of your house is much simpler if you know the kind of insect you are dealing with. If you want to keep this creepy crawlies out of your home, you can use pesticides and insecticides to prevent them from entering your house.
Keeping your home clean and clear is key, as black house bugs are mostly found in dirty and disorganized spaces. Ensure to throw out old, damaged, and expired goods because they can be the breeding grounds for more of these little black bugs.
