Identifying Flying Insects
Summary:
Properly identifying flying insects you find in your house can give you clues about problems you may be having with moisture or insect infestations.
A reader asks: We recently had a leaky pipe in the wall between our kitchen and bathroom. The leak was repaired about six months ago. Now, we are seeing these very small fly-like insects with wings crawling on the kitchen floor. They came from behind the refrigerator which is where the old leak occurred. The sheet rock was dry but we had these bugs all over. What are they?
A reader asks: We recently had a leaky pipe in the wall between our kitchen and bathroom. The leak was repaired about six months ago. Now, we are seeing these very small fly-like insects with wings crawling on the kitchen floor. They came from behind the refrigerator which is where the old leak occurred. The sheet rock was dry but we had these bugs all over. What are they?
Dear Reader: Sounds like it may be termites or the winged stage of one of many types of ants. We suggest collecting a few termite samples in a bottle and have them identified by your county extension agent. Proper and correct identification is key to getting fast control and it may tell you something about what might be happening inside sealed walls.
 |
Termites and ants look very different. Ants have a very defined pinched waist, while termites do not have the pinched waist. Ants have clear wings and the veins are very visible. Termites have milky colored wings and the veins are less defined.
The flying insects you had with the leaky pipe were probably fungus gnats or Phorid flies. Once the water problem was corrected they had no acceptable breeding environment and should have died off quickly. If they are still present you probably still have something leaking.
Comments
Rachel
15 Aug 2009, 13:27
15 Aug 2009, 13:27
i was just home on the couch when a bug came to me and bit me. it looked
like an ant but it was flyin!!it really hurts what do i do?
shelly
17 Aug 2009, 08:50
17 Aug 2009, 08:50
just built our house and now we can't even sit outside and enjoy our new
deck!We noticed these fleas that actually look like they fly instead of
jump.We don't get any bites but now there in the house too!I keep Frontline
plus on the dogs,we bombed the basement twice,sprayed the house,vacuum and
make sure my dogs are clean and bedding.We do have woods close,we built out
in the country.I've lived in the country before never seen fleas like this
before.Any suggestions?
Cheryl
18 Aug 2009, 16:01
18 Aug 2009, 16:01
Does anyone know what a flying insect my husband calls a 'witch
doctor'....they seem to be almost wild and attack like when I go from
building to building out here at our new place. Since I was stung by a wasp
a couple of weeks ago, I'm especially freaked when I go out now and they
buzz by me and around me.
Renee
24 Aug 2009, 09:50
24 Aug 2009, 09:50
I have what I believed to be a fruit fly, but after reading description of
one, is not a fruit fly. They are very small and light in color. I have
removed vegetables, garbage cans and they are still there. In my kitchen,
hanging on the window of the kitchen and in my bathroom, in the shower, on
my medicine cabinet, and in my medicine cabinet.
Jessica
25 Aug 2009, 22:32
25 Aug 2009, 22:32
I have a possible pest problem. I work at a day care and would like to get
it taken care of. They are a large flying insect, very quick moving, so it
is difficult to tell what they look like. I would guess them at the size of
my pinky, 2 1/2 inches long and 3/4 inch in diameter at least and light
brown. When they land, I can't get close enough to look at them, so there's
no way I could take a picture or catch one. They start flying around when I
get around 5 feet away, darting all over the place. The body looks like
it's one solid section, not different appedages except for the head, with a
pointed tip that faces down on the rear end, but again they move so fast.
My first guess was a hornet, but I've never actually seen one. The pictures
I found on the net don't look like this. I don't know what else it could be
and I would like to get rid of them if they are harmful, especially to the
kids. I would guess there are three. Any ideas or suggestions would be
great!
Leanda Chmielewski
28 Aug 2009, 17:12
28 Aug 2009, 17:12
I have this tiny flying bugs in my house. I can"t figure out what they are.
They like to stay on windows and when they are not flying they look like a
baby beetle. They don"t live very long. Can any one help me identify what
this bug is and where they are coming from?
Jimmy
29 Aug 2009, 11:16
29 Aug 2009, 11:16
This morning when I was taking our dog outside, I seen a flying insect that
I have no idea what it is. It looks like a wasp but it was flying around
the ground. It was blue and it was brown around the bottom area. There is
about twenty of them buzzing around the yard just in one area. Any info
that you have would help. Thanks
anonymous
03 Sep 2009, 15:45
03 Sep 2009, 15:45
The above bugs sound like rainbows compared to whats going on at my house.
It all started about two weeks ago, where after getting a baby kitten, we
came home to a window full of about thirty flies right next to the litter
bok window. The next day, after killing all the flies, we found maggots in
several places in our home, all on the bottom floor. We got rid of ALL of
them over a period of two days. A week after this, we came home to three
windows with about 20 flies in each, and NO MAGGOTS whatsoever throughout
the whole home. We have blocked off all means of entering and gotten rid of
all known places of breeding. Sir we are in hell and we need a way out. The
flies are a bright greenish blue color and about a centimeter in size.HELP
US!!!!!!!!
annonymous continued
03 Sep 2009, 15:54
03 Sep 2009, 15:54
Oh and by the way, the ID is not relevant to me. All i need to know is a
cheap, fast and human friendly way to get rid of these stupid devils FAST.
PLease write me back ASAP because thoughts of actually moving out are in
the process. This is getting very frustrating and aggrivating now. PLease
please please help us.
Sherri Ratliff
06 Sep 2009, 12:55
06 Sep 2009, 12:55
I have these small gnat looking insects with wings in my kitchen. Mostly
over and on the stove area. They started in a cabinet beside the stove
where I keep seasonings. Can't get rid of them after clearing the cabinets.
Fogged the cabinets with raid, but to no avail they continue to come back.
They are slow moving but can fly a short distance.
Any suggestions on what will eliminate them would be great.
Any suggestions on what will eliminate them would be great.
kymmy
06 Sep 2009, 13:34
06 Sep 2009, 13:34
my sister and her baby have recently move into their own home... outside
there is a large bush which i believe is a blackberry bush.. it is
completely swarmed with bees and or wasps.. cant tell the difference theses
days.. whilst looking out the window we spotted a very large insect that
looks and acts in the mannor as a bee.. but it was alot larger and had a
large yellow bottom as it were.. the yellow section is at least a third of
the size of the insect.. it is large enough that we saw it lose its balance
and fall.. bouncing off the leaves and fall to the ground.. it came back up
a moments later unharmed... we alse seem to only see the one insect.. what
is it? and is it dangerous?
Ree Ree
14 Sep 2009, 19:03
14 Sep 2009, 19:03
What kind of insect is gray with a hard shell, flies, crawl walls and move
very slow and also have about six or more legs. See outside on my sidings
and on my windows. Sometime they are in my upstairs bedrooms.
Tracy
19 Sep 2009, 17:03
19 Sep 2009, 17:03
I just went out to our utility shed to paint it. I began itching, looked
down, and all over my legs were tiny blackish-brown bugs. At first I
thought fleas, but I noticed they could fly (had wings). I looked at the
shed and millions of them were crawling all over the wood siding. We have
had rain showers on and off for one week. Help! What are they and how do
I treat this infestation. Don't want it to get into our home.
mary
19 Sep 2009, 19:27
19 Sep 2009, 19:27
I live in Illinois, and we have been swarmed by these little tiny look
like some kind of gnat, they don't bite but they swarm from about 1 in the
afternoon till dark. They are terrible, we can't even go outside, would you
know what they are?
Shelly
22 Sep 2009, 19:20
22 Sep 2009, 19:20
We have a pest problem. Not only do we have the regular house fly, but
also these tiny flies that look like baby flies. They seem to multiply in
large groups. One day there were gone and now they are back. How are they
surviving? How do we get rid of them?
Gabriele Marie
05 Oct 2009, 13:09
In Mississauga, Ontario, we have these very small flying black bugs, and they have been stuck to the top of our balconies, on windows, screens, walls and doors, also when opening the door, they sem to love the dining room light. I have to clean them out daily. What are they, why are they here, and how do I get rid of them? Thank_you
05 Oct 2009, 13:09
In Mississauga, Ontario, we have these very small flying black bugs, and they have been stuck to the top of our balconies, on windows, screens, walls and doors, also when opening the door, they sem to love the dining room light. I have to clean them out daily. What are they, why are they here, and how do I get rid of them? Thank_you
HELAINE
07 Oct 2009, 18:48
07 Oct 2009, 18:48
I LIVE IN SOUTH FLORIDA. WE HAVE THESE FUNNY LOOKING COCOON TYPE INSECTS
(SMALL, GRAY AND SORT OF FURRY), THAT ARE STUCK (LIKE GLUE) TO OUR OUTSIDE
WALLS, FRONT DOOR, AND SCREENS SURRONDING OUR POOL. WHAT ARE THEY ?
Elizabeth Henley
08 Oct 2009, 00:08
08 Oct 2009, 00:08
I think these are baby flies. I have a leak in my up stairs bathrm. Thant
is leaking onto the hallway leading to my 1st floor back door Iput up the
fly strip and have caught many everday more come. I think i need to take
the tile up in the hallway as well as remove the tub surround and redo.
however in the meantime what can I use to get rid of them as I start the
rentervation. in the bathroom??? HELP.
Robin Edwards
26 Oct 2009, 22:30
26 Oct 2009, 22:30
I live in Florida. In the last week I have noticed tiny browish flying
bugs. They show up around dark. There are tons of them. They don't bite
but are are really annoying. They get in your hair and on your clothes.
They are also attracted to light. Once they are inside they generally die
on the window sills. What are they and how can I get rid of them??
Perry
25 Nov 2009, 23:56
25 Nov 2009, 23:56
The answer to Cheryl's question from August 18th, 2009. A "Witch Doctor"
is a Dragon Fly. We in the south have always called them a witch doctor
and I don't know why, but it is a dragon fly!
Perry
26 Nov 2009, 00:02
26 Nov 2009, 00:02
Sorry, it's not "dragon Fly" it's only one word, "Dragonfly"
lynn
30 Jan 2010, 19:49
30 Jan 2010, 19:49
I have small flying insects in my home,at frist they would hide and i could
never find them..Now they fly around,(they look grayish white.)I just
killed one,And there were white spots,I had to get a magnifling glass to
see them..(and there eggs)...i am a farm girl and have seen a lot of
bugs,but not this one...i live in a small city in Virginia..there about 1/2
inch long..I want to no what they are and how to kill them....