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-   -   Little Black Bugs in my kitchen (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=339681)

  • Apr 9, 2009, 06:26 PM
    ihatebugs
    Little Black Bugs in my kitchen
    We recently have had little black bugs almost look like little droppings but the bugs actually move by our kitchen sink window . I'm freaked out because we clean them up to find more the next day we used a clorox bleach cleaner solution and well that did not work, Help me please
  • Apr 10, 2009, 01:26 PM
    henry malory

    Bugs are coming from your flour ,meal ,cereal,suggest putting them in air tight containers and or refrigerate these items.these are meally bugs
  • Apr 11, 2009, 12:04 PM
    Catsmine
    That sounds more like small beetles coming in the window. Look outside to see if there's some mulch that needs turning after the winter or some leaf debris that they could be nesting in and feeding on. If the window stays closed some insecticide along the sill and down the slide wells might help as well.
  • Apr 12, 2009, 06:14 PM
    gnahcd
    I believe that while Henry may have the wrong name, you cannot discount his guess on a solution.

    A picture would be best, but without a better description, I would guess that the problem is cigarette beetles or drugstore beetles or rice weevils. These are stored products pests that are easily resolved by throwing the infested product - cereal, flour, rice - out. Fresh uninfested products can be stored in insect proof containers. Infested products that can still be used like dog or bird food can be frozen to kill the insects.

    I believe Henry meant to say mealworms, which can be pantry pests and do grow up to become little black darkling beetles. Mealybugs are the soft white fuzzy insects that are often found infesting apples, oranges, and houseplants.

    This is not to say that Catsmine is wrong. He/she is basing his/her guess on the location - window sill vs cabinets. We need more information. A picture or better source description would help. Carpet beetles are also a possibility.

    A proper identification is important to determine the best and least toxic method of control especially where proximity to food prep areas is a consideration. If you can't post a picture, take a sample to your local agriculture dept or agriculture extension office.
  • Apr 13, 2009, 01:48 PM
    Catsmine
    The location is what leads me to disagree with henry. If they were inside cabinets or pantry closets I would suspect stored product pests, but in April on the windowsill makes me think the first place to look would be outside. The fastest way to determine which they are is to look on the windowsill from the outside. If they're coming in there should be some on the outside as well as in. Carpet beetles normally have a rounder body shape than the "dropping" shape you mentioned, but they are a possibility.
  • Apr 17, 2009, 12:15 PM
    linda61
    Regarding ihate bugs, any one know what they are? They are not from food. They look like specs of pepper laying on the counter or sink and then suddenly you see them move and they walk kind of fast. They do not jump or fly. But if I had to compare them to anything I have see, I would have thought at first glance they are flea off my dog, but not a flea. They hang out on the kitchen window and in the sink.
  • Apr 17, 2009, 02:09 PM
    Catsmine
    Linda, you could be describing any of several species of insect/arachnid, from spider mites to darkling beetles to fungus gnats, each of which requires different control measures. All the controls, however, can be described in a few steps:

    1) Identify the critter
    Collect a sample of several insects, either in a clear container or with some invisible tape on a white notecard.
    Get it identified at a reputable exterminator, your county Dept of Agriculture extension office, or your local university biology dept.
    2) Figure out why they're in your kitchen and how they got there.
    3) Block their access and disrupt their habitat
    4) Apply pesticides to kill the ones already there

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