Tiny flies

Vicky123

Not sure if this is the right place, I'm battling persistent tiny black flying things, they are always by the front door on the tiled floor or the glass panel beside the door. I've been using fly spray which kills them instantly and spraying bleach around the area then steam cleaning the floor, sure enough the next morning there is about 20-30 dead ones on the floor. They aren't moving towards the kitchen at all but always facing the front door. What are they and how can I get rid of them permanently. The outside bin is sanitized monthly and there is no sign of them near it. I hate using fly killer every day.

hollie.weimeraner

Hi, do you live in the countryside? We used to get hundreds of tiny little black flies when we lived in Lincolnshire. These always occurred around this time of year when the crops were being taken in and were referred to as thunderbugs. They were a real PITA but there was nothing we could do about them unfortunately.

Vicky123

No, I live in the suburbs, never seen these things before but I have seen normal flies swarming around the bin as it gets close to the 2 weeks before being picked up.

ColinFishwick

Could be gnats I get them to although not as bad as previous years. They live in wet compost I believe I got mine from compost made from garden waste from a shop. The fly all over house but live in compost

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=804

starshapedbrick

If you have any flour or dried grains stored in the house it might be worth checking for flour bugs. They eat the grains and then are attracted to light. Had an issue with tiny bugs years ago and tracked it back to an infested bag of flour.

TheCyclingProgrammer

They could be fruit flies or perhaps fungus gnats. The latter are attracted to damp soil (e.g. in pot plants).

trailingspouse

I've no idea what they were, but one year my daughter (aged about 3 at the time) was wearing a yellow skirt, yellow and white striped T-shirt and yellow sneakers, and she came running to me because she's noticed she was covered in little black flies. They were even in her hair (she was blonde). They seemed to be attracted to the colour as there were definitely more on the yellow bits of the T-shirt than on the white bits.

I wonder if there might be something colourful that's attracting them?

carlislelass

trailingspouse wrote: »

I've no idea what they were, but one year my daughter (aged about 3 at the time) was wearing a yellow skirt, yellow and white striped T-shirt and yellow sneakers, and she came running to me because she's noticed she was covered in little black flies. They were even in her hair (she was blonde). They seemed to be attracted to the colour as there were definitely more on the yellow bits of the T-shirt than on the white bits.

I wonder if there might be something colourful that's attracting them?

Thunder bugs. Love bright colours

Vicky123

I have some cracks in the tile grout by the front door and think they may be nesting under the tile, when they are out they are all heading for the front door as though they want to get out, possibly because the whole area is now heavily sprayed but there's no plants in the house and very little fruit which is at the other end of the house. I'm really phobic about insects so it freaks me out seeing more of them every morning but at the same time we are all fed up breathing the fumes from the repellent. I can't wait for some really cold weather, hopefully that'll see them off.