Help! What are these bugs / mites?

Keep_pedalling

The images are not very clear but I am pretty sure they are a species of psocoptera (barklice and booklice). They are harmless and feed on mould, which is the real problem. Get rid of the mould and you get rid of the bugs. The other possibility is springtails and again they would be feeding on mould.

Not bedbugs they prefer warm dry habitats with lots of hiding places.

twopenny

Two reasons I don't think they are bed bugs is that they aren't congregating in the dark or crevices and they will normally follow the carbon dioxide you breath out.
Bathroom in spare unused room isn't their usual habitat.
Also bbugs disappear out of light crazily fast. These hang around long enough for you to photograph.
Good photo by the way   

boots_babe

Eldi_Dos said:

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.

No window unfortunately. 

boots_babe

Keep_pedalling said:

The images are not very clear but I am pretty sure they are a species of psocoptera (barklice and booklice). They are harmless and feed on mould, which is the real problem. Get rid of the mould and you get rid of the bugs. The other possibility is springtails and again they would be feeding on mould.

Not bedbugs they prefer warm dry habitats with lots of hiding places.

Very interesting thank you.  I will look into those. The location of them is one thing making me slightly doubt them being bed bugs. There isn't any visible mould, but I can certainly go round with some mould removed in there to be certain.

boots_babe

twopenny said:

Two reasons I don't think they are bed bugs is that they aren't congregating in the dark or crevices and they will normally follow the carbon dioxide you breath out.
Bathroom in spare unused room isn't their usual habitat.
Also bbugs disappear out of light crazily fast. These hang around long enough for you to photograph.
Good photo by the way   

Thank you. That's why I had similar doubts, but so far it was the only thing they looked the same as. They definitely don't hide, I was in there ages trying to take a decent photo! They weren't at all bothered. 

twopenny

Definitly doesn't sound like bed bugs then.

I had a similar problem with large house flys in my bedroom. Eventually I found a tiny gap between bedroom ceiling and attic in the very corner of a bay window. Must have been breeding up there but how they got through is a mystery. Stopped when I filled the gap.

So no window, presumably an extractor fan?

If it's not being used could you tape some cling film over that and hover up whats there now?

So tiny they could get through any gap.

I sealed every bit when I thought I had bed bugs. Round the sink, skirting, the lot. I didn't have them but the place stays amazingly clean now with nowhere for dust to get in

You could email your photo to a local varmit destroyer and ask for their opinion. That's what I ended up doing and it was their suggestion. Put my mind at rest when they said definitely nothing to worry about.

JAllen_2

If they've started appearing in your ensuite they're likely to be plaster beetles. They feed on the microscopic mold growing in damp conditions. They will die out if the room is fully dried out and ventilated.

boots_babe

twopenny said:

Definitly doesn't sound like bed bugs then.

I had a similar problem with large house flys in my bedroom. Eventually I found a tiny gap between bedroom ceiling and attic in the very corner of a bay window. Must have been breeding up there but how they got through is a mystery. Stopped when I filled the gap.

So no window, presumably an extractor fan?

If it's not being used could you tape some cling film over that and hover up whats there now?

So tiny they could get through any gap.

I sealed every bit when I thought I had bed bugs. Round the sink, skirting, the lot. I didn't have them but the place stays amazingly clean now with nowhere for dust to get in

You could email your photo to a local varmit destroyer and ask for their opinion. That's what I ended up doing and it was their suggestion. Put my mind at rest when they said definitely nothing to worry about.

No window. There is an extractor fan, which I have been looking at rather suspiciously wondering if they have somehow come in there. But it's right at the top of the wall, and the bugs are all only on the toilet seat, and then a smaller number on the floor next to it. I figured that if they were coming in the extractor fan, then there'd be at least a few up near it.

But you're right, it can't hurt to seal up the fan for the moment, so will do that next.

I had actually thought about just sealing up the door and leaving for a month. Although I could then open it to find millions of them having a party in there! More seriously, they are the size of a speck of dust, so I don't see how we can truly stop them getting out. But, if we don't get anywhere soon, then I may just have to try that. They still don't seem to have gotten out of that one room yet, so maybe sealing the door would work after all.

boots_babe

JAllen_2 said:

If they've started appearing in your ensuite they're likely to be plaster beetles. They feed on the microscopic mold growing in damp conditions. They will die out if the room is fully dried out and ventilated.

Thanks for the suggestion, it's not one I had come across. I have just looked them up, it's definitely not them, they aren't the right shape. The room isn't damp as it's not being used.

boots_babe

We found a steam cleaner and used this to thoroughly go over everything.  Less than 2 hours later they were back :-(