Help! What are these bugs / mites?

boots_babe

Hi,

This last week, we've started to have some tiny bugs appearing in one of our en-suite bathrooms. I call them bugs, they are tiny little black dots, smaller than a pinhead, so perhaps they are mites, I don't know.

Anyway, I've tried taking zoomed in photos to identify them, and have struggled. They are definitely not flour mites, the shape is all wrong. Oddly, I am 85% sure they are bed bugs, but have seen conflicting information, plus this isn't a bedroom!

My understanding is that if they were bedbugs, they would die quickly with no blood to feed on. We vacated the bathroom in question and shut the door several days ago. We initially tried cleaning them away - they always appear on the top of the closed toilet lid specifically, although then also a few on the floor. Mostly on the lid though, so it seems as though they originate there, then move/fall to the floor(?)

But each time we clean them off, they are back the next day. Today, I set about a thorough deep clean of absolutely everything in there with bleach. I had already removed all towels/pyjamas and washed at 60 degrees, and haven't put anything back in the room. It is mostly bare, and what remains (toilet, toilet brush, sink, floor) I have cleaned thoroughly with bleach, in every nook and cranny.

Less than 2 hours later, I popped my head in, and they are back :-((

I really need to identify for certain what they are, so I can understand how to properly stop them. They seem to be contained within this 1 room (for now), which we are keeping closed and not using, but they just keep reappearing.

They do move but haven't seen them jump, just walk. I have attached the best blown up photo I have been able to take, the problem is it gets blurry when I zoom in as much as I really need to.

Please help!

Alderbank

Google lens agrees with you - cimex lectularius (bed bugs)

boots_babe

Thanks. I've tried Google Lens on various photos, but it's come back with quite contrasting results - some of which do say bed bugs.

As I say I am thinking they are at the minute, but then it doesn't tally with what I've read about them, that they keep reappearing when there is no body to feed on. Hence my confusion.

boots_babe

Here is a video, I think slightly clearer than the photo. It zooms in as you watch through it:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/HxoYfVEUMvoH7hv77

prettyandfluffy

I think it is bed bugs.  Bleach won't work, the only effective "home remedy" I am aware of is to use steam to kill them.  If you have a hand-held garment steamer, get to work.  You will need to do all cracks and crevices and be very thorough, any towels etc need to washed as hot as your machine will go then seal them in a plastic bag.  I would bin any carpet before you start and to be on the safe side, steam again as thoroughly as you can a week later .  You will need to work out how they got there and whether they are elsewhere.

boots_babe

Thank you. No idea how they got there, so far as we can tell they are just in that room. But they are so tiny we could be wrong.

I think we may have a steam cleaner in the garage somewhere so will give that a try, thank you.

No carpet, it's a bathroom so all tiled thankfully. 

Emmia

Where is this bathroom in relation to your bedroom? Have you checked that thoroughly i.e. all the mattress crevices etc

prettyandfluffy

Have you had guests recently, or been away yourself? It only matters so you know where else in the house to check.

boots_babe

Emmia said:

Where is this bathroom in relation to your bedroom? Have you checked that thoroughly i.e. all the mattress crevices etc

It's an en suite in one if our spare bedrooms,  not the bedroom we sleep in. I do think we need to look again,  as they are just so small. 

boots_babe

prettyandfluffy said:

Have you had guests recently, or been away yourself? It only matters so you know where else in the house to check.

We got back from Cambodia and Vietnam 2 weeks ago,  another thing that made bed bugs seem possible to me . But we emptied out cases in another room, hardly anything,  well probably nothing actually,  would have gone into this bathroom.  

We have looked elsewhere but couldn't find any bugs,  but will look again. 

Eldi_Dos

If you suspect that they have been brought back from a warm climate is there a window in the en suite that could be left open?
This cold spell we are having might put a end to them.