Mosquitoes, house flies, fruit flies, drain flies, and carpet beetles are all examples of tiny flying insects found in homes. , as well as clothes moths.
Throughout the year, particularly during the warmer months, you’ll find small black flying insects in your home.
At first glance, these insects resemble fruit flies. However, they are not.
This guide will explain what these small black flying insects that resemble fruit flies are in your house.
Additionally, this guide discusses other tiny flying insects that invade homes, the reasons for their appearance, and how to eliminate tiny flying insects in your home.
Continue reading.
What Are The Tiny Black Flying Bugs In House That Are Not Fruit Flies?
These small black insects that are not fruit flies or mosquitoes are fungus gnats.
Fungus gnats resemble small mosquitoes. These small flying insects breed and live outdoors in moist soil beds, compost piles, decaying organic waste such as foliage and rotting wood pieces, and mulch beds.
They may also target a nearby children’s sandbox if the sand is stale and moist. Fungus gnats are one of nine bugs that can be a nuisance in sandboxes.
When fungus gnats enter homes, they look for damp areas. As a result, their primary hiding places are the bathroom, laundry room, kitchen, and basement.
If you have indoor plants in your home, fungus gnats will congregate in the soil beds of those plants.
In moist soil beds, fungus gnats lay their eggs. Fungus gnat larvae feed on the roots of seedlings and small plants.
Fungus gnats are either black or brown in color. They have visible slender legs with two antennae atop their heads and measure between 1/16 and 1/8 of an inch in length.
When they are stationary, you can also see their backs have Y-shaped veined wings.
Fungus gnats have poor flight abilities. They do not buzz around your home in the manner that fruit flies or mosquitoes do. They are also referred to as blind mosquitoes due to their erratic flight patterns.
When their numbers increase, you’ll notice fungus gnats crawling on the kitchen and bathroom floors, as well as on the soil beds of indoor plants.
Are Tiny Flying Bugs in House Attracted to Lights? – What Really Attracts them?
Fungus gnats are tiny flying insects that are attracted to light in the house. As a result, it’s common to see them flying around the glowing light bulbs in your bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen when they’re in your home.
They’ll fly into your home during the early morning and evening hours, when your home’s lights are turned on. They’ll infiltrate via open doors and windows.
There is another way for fungus gnats to gain access to homes.
When you introduce fungus gnats into soil beds via potted plants, you bring these small flying insects into your home.
Increased dampness in your home is another factor that attracts fungus gnats. Fungus gnats will conceal themselves in damp areas near leaking pipes in your bathroom, kitchen, basement, or laundry room.
They will lay eggs in these moist locations. Under sinks, bathroom vanities, bathtubs, and drains are also prime locations for them to hide and breed.
Not to mention that the soil beds of your indoor plants are the most common location for eggs to be laid.
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Is Fungus Gnats Toxic To Plants?
Adult fungus gnats are not harmful to or destructive to plants.
However, fungus gnat larvae do.
Female fungus gnats lay their eggs in moist potting soil near plants or in organic debris.
The larvae of fungus gnats resemble a worm, are whitish in color, and have a tiny shiny blackhead. They lack legs.
After hatching, the larvae feed on the roots of the plants.
This is extremely detrimental to plants, particularly seedlings.
Apart from roots, the larvae feed on mulch, foliage, soil-borne fungi, and organic matter.
Additionally, fungus gnat larvae can attract ants to the soil.
What Do Adult Fungus Gnats Eat?
Adult fungus gnats are capable of feeding on dead insects. However, their primary food source is mold and fungi that grow on moist surfaces.
That is why moist areas attract these tiny flying insects. Wet and moist surfaces breed mold, which attracts insects such as mold mites.
It is quite common to see these insects feeding on molds that grow in the grouts and floors of bathroom and basement tiles.
Food scraps in trash cans, stale vegetables and fruits, and the scum that accumulates around leaky pipes and drains all provide food for them.
Can Fungus Gnats Bite Humans?
Neither humans nor pets are bitten by fungus gnats. They also do not transmit any diseases.
The only issue with fungus gnats is that they are a nuisance, especially when they are present in large numbers inside your home.
Other species of gnats, on the other hand, bite. These are commonly referred to as no-see-ums or biting midges.
No-see-ums are tiny, can be difficult to spot, and are most active during the summer months. When no-see-ums are on your skin, they resemble a speck of dirt.
They prey primarily on mammalian blood, which includes human blood. No-see-ums bites cause a burning sensation and itchy red welts on the skin.
Why Are Fungus Gnats Attracted To You?
Numerous people complain about fungus gnats crawling on their bodies, particularly in their noses. This is because fungus gnats are constantly on the lookout for moist areas to breed.
If you have a wet body after showering or sweating, you may attract fungus gnats if you live in an area with fungus gnats.
When Do Fungus Gnats Lay Eggs?
When female fungus gnats reach the age of 17-19 days, they lay eggs.
Female fungus gnats, on the other hand, can lay eggs in a shorter period of time if the weather is warmer.
Warm weather also promotes the development and reproduction of fungus gnats.
Thus, the warmer the climate, the more generations of fungus gnats there are in a year.
When Are Fungus Gnats Most Active?
Fungus gnats are most active in the warmer months, from late spring to early summer.
During this time period, flies’ eggs such as house flies, gnats, and mosquitoes hatch rapidly. This is why you may notice an increase in the number of small flies in your homes during these warm months.
However, fungus gnats can remain active indoors throughout the year if they are not eradicated. They can also be active all year in areas with pleasant and temperate climates.
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For instance, in California’s temperate climate, fungus gnats are active all year, including the winter months.
Small Flying Insect Identification – 5 Types
Five Species Of Tiny Flying Bugs That Infest Homes
Apart from fungus gnats, there are five flying insects that frequently invade homes.
- Mosquitoes
- Flies in the house (Housefly) and fruit flies
- Flies in drains (Drain Flies)
- Beetles of the carpet (carpet beetles)
- Moths that eat clothing (Cloth Moths)
Numerous factors contribute to these insects infiltrating homes. From being attracted to light to reproducing and laying eggs, each of these bugs has a variety of reasons and methods for infiltrating your home.
Some of them may be unintentional intruders as well.
Let’s delve deeper into each of these flying insects in your home and determine what factors contribute to their presence.
Mosquitoes are present in homes for one reason. And the reason for this is that your home, and in some cases, your neighborhood, provides ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes are spread by three primary vectors –
- Stagnant water
- Clogged drains
- Moist debris and wastes
Mosquito eggs are laid in these locations. Additionally, once the eggs hatch, you can see the tiny wiggling mosquito larvae inside.
Stagnant water in your yard, as well as trash cans and old tires, provide an ideal breeding environment for mosquitoes.
Wastes that clog drains, catch basins, and sewer lines serve as ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. The damp wastes provide sufficient moisture and food for mosquito larvae to develop into adult mosquitoes.
Not to mention that ponds in your yard and even poorly maintained swimming pools can harbor mosquitoes.
Mosquito-borne diseases are uncommon in the United States. However, mosquitoes that transmit diseases such as dengue fever are found in the United States as well. The Asian tiger mosquito is one of them.
To eliminate mosquitoes from your home, you must eliminate mosquito breeding grounds on your property.
These two Are the Most Common Flying Insects in Residential Areas
House flies always appear unexpectedly and out of nowhere in the home. In the summer, they congregate in swarms.
Many people discover houseflies and fruit flies in their homes despite their efforts to keep them clean.
Thus, where do they originate?
The source of a housefly infestation can be found in the most unlikely places in your home.
Indoors, the source can be found in any room, including the kitchen, bathroom, attic, or garage.
House flies lay their eggs in even the tiniest cracks in walls, floors, doors, and windows. That is why determining the source of infestation can be quite challenging.
Not to mention that they lay eggs in decaying organic matter in your yard, clogged drains, and garbage piles.
Trash bins left in your yard for days on end provide the ideal breeding ground for house flies. They’ll lay eggs in the junk cans, and when the eggs hatch, you’ll notice crawling white maggots.
These maggots feed on the waste produced by adult houseflies when they lay their eggs.
Housefly eggs hatch quickly during the summer months. That is also one of the reasons for their appearance so abruptly.
House flies also tend to enter homes during this time period in search of food and places to lay eggs.
Flying inside your home through open doors and windows are house flies.
Additionally, they can enter through small gaps and cracks in walls, window frames, and drain holes. Bugs take advantage of the crevices on the windowsills.
Additionally, you’ll notice numerous bugs attempting to enter through windows.
Houseflies excrete their feces wherever they sit. When feces become stale, they take on the appearance of a cluster of tiny black spots.
Therefore, while eliminating houseflies, keep an eye out for these tiny black spots. The areas of your home where you will find those black spots will be around cracks and gaps.
These cracks may be the source of your home’s housefly infestation.
Houseflies do transmit disease because pathogens from the most unsanitary areas adhere to their legs and bodies. Houseflies regurgitate and feces on the food on which they perch.
According to Penn State University, housefly pathogens can cause 65 different diseases. Cholera, dysentery, anthrax, and tuberculosis are just a few of them.
Drain flies are tiny flying insects that enter homes through clogged drains. These flies are brownish-gray in color and closely resemble moths.
These flying insects are an annoyance in residential areas. They lay their eggs in clogged drains.
Thus, drain flies are attracted to drains in kitchen and bathroom sinks, bathtubs, bathroom floors, basements, and laundry rooms.
Drain fly larvae are small grayish worms that feed on waste and scum that accumulates on the interior sides of drainpipes.
When the drainpipes become inactive, these larvae can emerge from the drain holes in search of alternate food sources. They’ll feed on the mold that grows on the bathroom floor’s grouting and on any other damp surface.
Drain flies can lay eggs outdoors on compost piles, rotting wood piles, garbage cans, foliage, and even damp soil beds.
Drain flies are not particularly agile flyers. Rather than flying, they hop.
Their numbers rapidly increase if your drains are not treated. And they can quickly spread throughout your home.
Drain flies, like fungus gnats, can enter electrical appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, and even washing machines.
Drain flies gain access to electrical appliances via their vents and openings. That is why, if your home is infested with drain flies, you will notice frozen dead drain flies inside the refrigerator as well.
Drain flies breed in clogged sewer lines and catch basins. It’s unsurprising that drain flies are also called sewer flies.
Carpet beetles are some tiny flying insects that nest inside homes.
These tiny oval-shaped black or brown beetles are nocturnal. They search homes for materials made of animal products.
Why?
This is because the larvae of carpet beetles feed on these products.
As a result, objects made of leather, silk, wool, fur, and feathers are prime candidates for carpet beetle egg-laying.
Keratin is found in animal products. And keratin provides food for the larvae.
As a result, the larvae of these beetles will cause damage to carpets, leather upholstery, leatherback books, silk clothing and fabrics, taxidermied animals, expensive fur coats, and even cotton fabrics.
They will chew through these materials, leaving holes in them.
Adult carpet beetles will also lay eggs in food storage areas such as the kitchen pantry. And the larvae of these beetles will feed on the dry food that has been stored. As a result, they are a potential pantry pest.
These larvae are also attracted to dirty clothing and fabrics stained with sweat and food droppings. As a result, the larvae will spend days chewing on the dirty clothes in the laundry basket.
Dirty bedsheets stained with food droppings also serve as a breeding ground for carpet beetle larvae.
That is why these carpet beetle larvae are also classified as bed worms.
Adult carpet beetles cause no damage or harm to the structure of your home. The larvae of these beetles are responsible for the damage.
The carpet beetle larvae resemble a small brownish-black worm covered in hairy bristles.
The bristles’ hairiness may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals, such as children and the elderly.
The cloth moth is a flying moth that enters a home for the same reason that carpet beetles do.
Cloth moths also make their way into homes to lay eggs on wool, silk, fur, and leather.
However, unlike carpet beetles, cloth moths are restricted to areas such as wardrobes and closets where clothing and linen are stored.
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Clothes moths are frequently mistaken for grain moths. Grain moths are pantry pests that do not lay eggs in areas where clothing is stored.
Cloth moths come in two varieties. The webbing cloth moth is the first, and the case-making clothes moth is the second.
They were given their names not because of their differences in appearance as adults, but because of their differences in appearance as larvae.
When they reach adulthood, there is a slight difference in appearance.
Adult webbing clothes moths are brownish yellow in color and have a head covered in tiny reddish bristles.
In comparison, the adult case-making cloth moth’s wings have dark color patches. Additionally, they are beige.
Both are the same size, reaching a maximum length of 12 inches.
Cloth moths are nocturnal and prefer to hide in dark places. As a result, they’ll hide in your wardrobe and closet until they lay their eggs.
Clothes moth larvae resemble a small white worm with a reddish head. They are about a half-inch long.
Both clothes moth larvae feed on the undersides and folds of clothing and fabric.
The larva of the webbing cloth moth will leave a silken web on the portion of the fabric it chews. Additionally, the larvae will defecate on the clothing. As a result, you will notice small black droppings near chewed areas.
In comparison, case-producing larvae spin a tube-like case on their abdomen. It carries the case wherever it goes.
Clothes moth larvae cause damage to both natural and synthetic fibers. Additionally, they can climb onto your bed.
As with carpet beetle larvae, clothes moth larvae are classified as bed worms due to their proclivity for infesting beds and soft furnishings.
The larvae of both clothes moths and carpet beetles feed on the keratin found in animal products.
Adult clothes moth larvae, like adult carpet beetles, do not cause damage to your home. Neither of them is known to bite humans.
Wasps, unlike the other insects on this list, are not typical home invaders. However, due to their proclivity for nesting on your property, wasps become uninvited intruders into your home.
Wasps construct nests in lofty locations such as high on trees, roof shingles, and eaves. Certain wasp species also build their nests underground.
If wasp nests exist on your property, they are likely to fly into your home. Apart from open doors and windows, wasps enter homes through vents, attics, and chimneys.
Wasps are not naturally aggressive. They can, however, become ferociously aggressive if they believe their nests are being attacked.
That is why wasps sting individuals who approach their nests. Additionally, you risk being stung by wasps if you walk through an area with wasp nests.
There are two types of wasps that can infest homes. Yellow jackets and paper wasps are the culprits here. Paper wasps are more likely to enter homes than yellow jackets.
Yellow jackets and paper wasps, on the other hand, can build nests in your home or property if they can find an appropriate location.
Eliminating wasps can be a risky endeavor, as you will need to remove the wasps’ nests. And this puts you at risk of painful wasp stings.
As a result, it’s best to hire a pest controller to do the job.
How To Get Rid Of Flying Bugs in the House in 9 Easy Steps
This section will teach you how to eliminate these tiny flying insects from your home. And what precautions you can take to keep these pests out of your home.
Bear in mind that these are not effective methods for eradicating wasps and their nests in your home.
Let us begin.
Outdoors, in your garden and yard, these flying insects breed in large numbers. These insects lay their eggs in locations such as –
- Organic matter that is deteriorating
- Waterholes
- Bins for trash
- Eliminate decaying organic matter such as rotting wood, tree stumps, decomposing mulch beds, and foliage.
Gnats and a variety of other insects such as roaches, ants, termites, and centipedes breed in decaying organic matter.
Waterholes in the yard and objects such as old tires can accumulate stagnant water. And stagnant water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Therefore, fill those waterholes and remove any non-essential objects that retain water.
Prevent your lawn from becoming overwatered. Overwatering increases the amount of moisture in the yard. And flying insects, particularly mosquitos, require it to survive.
Clean out your garbage cans. Garbage left in trash bins for days begins to rot. Additionally, it attracts flies. There, in the decaying waste, the flies laid their eggs.
After removing trash from the trash bins, it’s a good idea to disinfect the trash bins to keep bugs and flies away.
Drains that are clogged, both inside and outside your home, are a breeding ground for drain flies.
The waste that obstructs water flow in drains provides an ideal breeding ground for drain flies.
There are numerous drain cleaners available to unclog drains. However, there are alternate routes.
Boric acid and hot water should be combined and poured into drains. Both substances will unclog drains. Additionally, it will eliminate adult drain fly eggs and larvae found in waste.
Bleach works in a similar manner. Bleach combined with hot water and poured down drains kills drain fly eggs and larvae.
Additionally, it is an excellent method for eliminating drain roaches that live and breed in clogged drains.
However, use bleach with caution. And only use it in severe cases of clogging.
Bleach can be harmful to your skin if it is handled incorrectly. Additionally, bleach is corrosive and may cause damage to drains.
As a result, avoid using bleach more than once or twice.
Eliminate eggs and larvae by spraying a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water on woodpiles, soil beds, and compost bins.
And the cherry on top? Additionally, the mixture is safe for plants.
Combine one part hydrogen peroxide of food grade with three parts water. Combine the ingredients thoroughly and pour into the spray bottle.
While cleaning the yard, spray it in areas where you’ve noticed excessive dampness and wastes. Additionally, spray it on the soil of container plants.
On wastes, soil beds, and trash bins, hydrogen peroxide kills gnats and gnat larvae, mosquitoes, and flies.
Additionally, spraying a solution of white vinegar and water works. However, many people dislike the pungent odor of white vinegar and opt for a peppermint oil spray instead.
Peppermint oil repels flying insects and pests such as roaches, kissing bugs, and ants.
Additionally, diatomaceous earth kills the larvae and eggs of these flying insects.
Sprinkle diatomaceous earth in areas where gnats and house flies lay eggs, such as your yard, soil beds, woodpiles, and compost bins.
Diatomaceous earth acts as an evaporative desiccant. By removing the moisture from their bodies, it kills the bugs and their larvae.
As you are probably aware, house flies lay their eggs in cracks and gaps in walls, door frames, and window sills.
Carpet beetles can also enter through wall cracks.
Therefore, use a silicone-based sealant to caulk these crevices. Restore walls and floors that have sustained significant damage as a result of excessive dampness.
Damaged walls and floors are not only a breeding ground for flying bug eggs, but also for roaches and termites.
Let us be honest. These methods do not completely eliminate flying insects from inside homes.
They take time, and you may need one or two repetitions to completely eliminate them.
Until then, sticky traps will assist you in eliminating these adult flies from your home.
Place the traps in areas where you frequently see flying bugs and where they can lay eggs.
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Therefore, locations near refrigerators and beneath sinks, as well as the basement, bathroom, and laundry room, are ideal locations for traps.
These are damp locations. Drain flies and house flies frequent these areas. Additionally, they can lay eggs in cracks that develop in these areas due to the high humidity.
When flying insects land on these sticky traps, they become trapped. Maintain the traps in the early morning.
Discard the traps that have been infested with bugs and replace them with a new trap. Continue this procedure for at least a week, or until no flies are visible in your home.
Additionally to fly traps, use pyrethrin-based sprays to kill flies and gnats in your home.
Utilizing both traps and pyrethrin-based sprays effectively eliminates these buzzing annoyances in your home. The spray can be used both indoors and outdoors.
If you’re looking for a natural way to get rid of gnats and flies, a vinegar trap made with apple cider vinegar and a few drops of dish soap is an excellent option.
In a bowl or jar, combine equal parts apple cider vinegar and liquid dish soap. Additionally, you can add a tablespoon of sugar to the mixture.
Keep the bowl in areas where you see the most gnats and flies. The vinegar and sugar will attract flying insects, which will congregate on the mixture.
However, they will be unable to escape due to the sticky dish soap in the mixture.
Keep the mixture in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Remove the flies from the mixture and replace it with a fresh apple cider vinegar trap.
Cleaning the areas where you store your clothes is critical to eradicating any larvae of clothes moths and carpet beetles that may be hiding there.
Vacuum clean the areas where your clothes are stored. Additionally, before re-hanging your clothes, keep mothballs or cedar balls on hand to repel any insects, particularly cloth moths.
If you’ve noticed an excessive number of larvae in various areas of your home, particularly your kitchen, you’ll need to thoroughly clean it.
Flying insects are attracted to light. You cannot live with your lights turned off in order to keep these insects out of your home.
The solution is to use window shields with a fine mesh. Install window shields on all of your home’s windows. Install them during the spring months, as this is when these insects become active.
Additionally, you can use these shields on ducts and vents in the attic and chimney, which are common entry points for wasps and rodents.
Through the window shields, the bugs will be unable to fly inside your home. Installing them on the bathroom and kitchen windows is a wise choice.
This is because these flying insects prefer moist environments. Your bathroom and kitchen are damp as a result of consistent water use.
Flying insects are attracted to light from patios and doorways in outdoor areas. Installing bug zappers in these locations significantly reduces the likelihood of these insects infiltrating homes.
How?
Bug zappers attract and electrocute these insects.
Thus, having one on your patio will eliminate numerous insects that are attracted to the light and attempt to fly inside your home.
When it comes to preventing bug infestations in homes, many people overlook the role that excessive dampness plays in attracting these insects.
In homes, dampness and humidity attract flies and a variety of other insects, including harmful pests.
A high level of moisture in homes also promotes the growth of mold on the walls, floors, and furniture. Gnats and other small insects such as mold mites and wood mites feed on these molds.
You can reduce dampness in your home by repairing water leaks and resolving water logging issues.
Internal leaks, as well as leaks in the yard, cause damp walls and floors.
Clogged gutters and damaged roofs retain water, which can cause dampness to seep into the ceiling of your home.
Therefore, address these issues to reduce the amount of moisture in your home.
If the weather in your town is excessively hot and humid, use a dehumidifier to reduce the humidity level in your home.
Conclusion
The small black flying insects that are not fruit flies in your home are fungus gnats.
This post discussed the factors that contribute to the presence of fungus gnats in your home, when they are most likely to invade, and where they prefer to hide.
Additionally, you discovered five common flying insects in the house. It explains why they are in your home and the potential damage they can cause if you do not act quickly.
This guide contains a nine-step procedure for eliminating these pests.
The following is a summary of the steps necessary to eradicate tiny flying insects from your home –
- Maintain an orderly yard and garden
- Unclog and clean your home’s drains
- Using a spray bottle, combine apple cider vinegar, water, and dish soap.
- Fill in gaps and cracks in the walls, doors, and windows of your home.
- Utilize sticky traps to capture flying insects.
- Purge your wardrobe and closet of larvae that wreak havoc on your clothing.
- Install window shields to keep insects out.
- Install bug zappers on your patio and in the surrounding area.
- Reduce the amount of moisture and humidity in your home
Along with these tiny flying insects, there is another flying insect that leaves a nasty bite and invades homes. And this is what happens when you live on a farm or in a barn.
Horse flies are the biting flies. So, are you curious as to why horse flies appear in homes and what you can do about it?
How To Keep Horse Flies Away From Your Yard?
Horse flies prefer moist areas and hot weather, and they are frequently found in pasturelands near creeks in the summer.
They prefer weedy areas and long grass near homes because they can trap moisture and recreate the humid pasture habitat they adore.
Horse flies can also be a nuisance for people who frequent the beach or neighborhood pool.
Horse flies, like other fly species, will congregate around garbage in search of food. The lids of outdoor trash cans should fit snugly.
If you can store your trash in your garage, you may notice a reduction in the number of flies in your yard.
Like many other insects, horse flies are attracted to animal feces. If you have a dog, you will need to clean your yard more frequently during the summer, or you risk developing a horse fly infestation.
If you’re hosting a backyard barbecue or another outdoor gathering, burning citronella candles and lighting torches can help keep horse flies away from your guests.
Citronella oil’s smoke and scent can help keep horse flies away.
Ortho® BugClearTM Insect Killer For Lawns & Landscapes is ideal for treating your lawn, landscape, and the perimeter of your home.
Ortho® BugclearTM Ready-To-Spray Insect Killer For Lawns & Landscapes Concentrate to assist in the control of horse flies. The formula quickly eliminates insects and provides six months of control.
To keep horse flies out of your home, inspect window and door screens for tears and treat all entry points, such as doors and windows, with Ortho® Home Defense Max® Indoor Insect Killer with Extended Reach Comfort Wand®.
It instantly kills listed insects and forms a 365-day bug barrier to keep them out. Ensure that you adhere to all label instructions.
With these tips in hand, you can effectively control the horse fly population near your home.