10 Tiny Black Bugs In Florida Homes No One Talks About

Yearlong sunshine and high humidity make life easy for bugs for many bugs and pests in Florida homes.

This guide will reveal ten tiny black bugs in Florida that are common in the homes of the sunshine state.

You’ll learn to identify these bugs like a pro, find out where they hide in your Florida home, and the quick hacks to eliminate them.

Let’s get into these little black pesky pests.

Biting Midges

Biting midges are the tiny black biting gnats that are widespread biting bugs in Florida, especially in coastal areas of South Florida.

Biting midges, also known as punkies, bite humans to feed on their blood.

Midges grow up to 1-3 mm in size. They’re gray and they turn reddish after the bloodmeals.

Their wings are transparent with dark patterns. 

When at rest, the wings cover their entire bodies giving them a stocky grayish appearance.

Biting midges are also known as no-see-ums because they’re hard to see.

So, when they bite you, you can’t figure out what’s biting you. 

Their sharp blade-like mouthparts rip open the skin to draw the blood. That make their bites very painful. 

Red welts and intense itching ensue after the bite that can last for days. But midges’ bites don’t cause any diseases.

Biting midges bite many outdoor enthusiasts in the summer when they camp near water bodies. 

Bites occur mostly during the dawn and dusk.

However, these biting flies can also be present in the residences, especially when there’s a habitat in the property that supports them. 

Biting midges multiply on the same habitat where mosquitoes do.

Adult biting midges lay their eggs on the damp soils, stagnant water, and decaying organic matter near water bodies.

So, if you’ve got a lush green garden or yard with a swimming pool in Florida, then you can have a biting midges infestation. 

They’re also a big problem in barns and farms where there’s livestock, manure, leaf litter, decaying organic debris, and dense vegetation.

Glowing light bulbs can attract biting midges inside the house.

They can sneak inside the house through the windows to reach the light source. 

To get rid of biting midges, it’s essential to destroy their habitat where they breed.

Removing decaying organic matter, keeping the outdoors clean, eliminating stagnant water, using insecticide sprays or diatomaceous earth on the wet soils kill adult midges and their larvae.

While outdoors, use a skin friendly DEET based repellant to keep these little biting flies away from you.

Fungus Gnats

Fungus gnats are non-biting gnats that breed in the damp wastes and wet soil beds of potted plants and gardens.

These small black flies are common in Florida residences, especially when there’s a damp waste problem in the house.

Fungus gnats look like mosquitoes. They’re 2.5 mm in size, slender, and not strong fliers.

They’ve an erratic flight pattern and when fungus gnats fly, it seems like they’re jumping bugs.

Despite not being biting flies, fungus gnats are a terrible nuisance inside the homes.

They enter homes in large numbers and lay eggs in the sink drains’ sludge. 

When the fungus gnat infestation spikes up, they can even spread in dry areas of your home, like your bedroom and living room.

Fungus gnats also their eggs inside appliances that are damp from the inside. 

Dishwashers and coffee making machines are the two common kitchen appliances where fungus gnats can breed.

They can also sneak inside refrigerators. But the extreme cold inside the fridge kills them.

That’s why you might notice little dead flies inside your refrigerator. 

Glowing light bulbs also draw fungus gnats inside the house.

If there’s a gnats infestation at your outdoors, you’ll notice fungus gnats near windows trying to make their way inside.

But here’s the best part.

Getting rid of the fungus gnats is easy.

All you’ve to do is remove the wastes, clean the drains, and use repellants like peppermint essential to eliminate them. 

Scattering natural gnats killers like diatomaceous earth on the soil beds, compost piles, and trash bins is a good alternative to insecticide sprays. 

Keeping sticky traps near potted plants and in places where you’ve noticed fungus gnats activity also helps in removing them. 

Rice Weevils

Florida has a big pantry pest problem. There are two pantry pests that infest kitchens in Florida homes are the rice weevils and flour beetles.

You’ll find out about the flour beetles in a minute. 

But rice weevils sneak inside the kitchen by being present in grains bags that you purchase from the grocery store.

Big grain houses and grocery stores always have a weevil problem. 

They sneak inside the grain bags in the shelves. 

Infestation starts when you bring the bags home and pour the grains in the storage containers without checking for rice weevils or their larvae in the grains.

Weevils are a type of beetles. But unlike other beetles, they’ve got a long snout.

They use the snout to insert inside the grains to draw the nutrients.

Rice weevils are either black or reddish-brown. And they’re oblong shaped, growing up to 2-3.5 mm in size. 

Rice weevils don’t contaminate the stored grains. They’ll lay eggs in the stored grains. 

When the eggs hatch, the infestation gets bigger.

Moisture also draw the rice weevils. 

So, you can also notice weevils in the bathroom if too many of them have multiplied inside the kitchen. 

Too many rice weevils in the stored grains causes the grains to become stale. You can also notice a bit of stench from the infested grains too.

Thoroughly cleaning the kitchen, keeping repellants like bay leaves or cinnamon sticks on the pantry shelves, and storing food in air tight containers are the best way to keep weevils away.

You don’t need to throw away infested grains and cereals.

Either heat them or put them inside the freezer for a day to kill the weevils, their larvae, and their eggs. 

Wash the grains to remove the dead weevils.

Flour Beetles

Flour beetles are common pantry pests in not only Florida, but across the States.

These beetles infest grains, flour of all types, and baked foods too.

Flour beetles enter homes by being present in the food packets that you buy from the stores.

Either the adults or the larvae can be present in the packets. 

When the flour beetle larvae in the grains mature into adults, you start to notice these reddish-brown bugs, that can look black, on places like kitchen cupboards, shelves, and counters.

Flour beetles are oval, 3-4 mm long, and have a distinctive head. 

Their numbers peak up abruptly when you ignore their presence in your kitchen. 

And they become to easy spot in your entire home, especially near the windows and windowsills.

Flour beetles contaminate the stored food by feeding on it.

The dead adult flour beetles on the stored grains and flour, the fecal pellets, and cast skin cause a pungent and nauseating smell in the grains.

It’s better to throw away the grains and flour that flour beetles infested. 

You can eliminate flour beetles by using the methods to get rid of rice weevils. 

Prevention is better than the cure when it comes to dealing with pantry pests. 

It’ll be best not to use any insecticide sprays in the kitchen pantry to eliminate these pests.

Drain Flies

Drain flies are little moth-like slender gray flies that breed in the same habitat as fungus gnats.

But their presence in the house can indicate that there’s a terrible sewer problem or drain blockages in your home.

Florida, where there’s too much of dampness and humidity, drain flies are a big nuisance in Florida homes.

These flies will can enter not only through the windows, but also from the sink drains.

The gunk blocking the sink drains are their primary egg-laying grounds inside the house.

That’s why drain flies are also known as sink flies because they emerge out the drain holes of the sink and shower drains.

Outdoors, the drain flies will lay their eggs in places like catch basins.

Many homeowners discovered a broken sewer line problem on their property when they tried to find out the source of drain flies.

So, a plumber can fix the drain fly infestation in the house.

However, it’ll be best to clean choked drains and remove decaying organic debris from your home and property to eliminate drain flies.

Florida Carpenter Ants

Florida has 218 ant species.

Out of all these ants, it’s the red and black carpenter ants, which are also known as the Florida carpenter ants, invade Florida homes the most.

Florida carpenter ants have black abdomens and reddish-brown heads and thoraxes.

The worker Florida carpenter ants grow between 5mm – 10mm in size.

Like the termites, carpenter ants also bore into wood. They drill inside the damp and decaying wood to lay their eggs and build their colonies.

Infestation can occur in swarms when the winged ants invade houses to establish a new colony.

But if there are carpenter ants at your outdoors, then they’ll sneak inside the house looking for food and shelter.

The habitat of Florida carpenter ants is as same as the habitat of a standard black carpenter ants.

At the outdoors, Florida carpenter ants will build their nests in decaying wood, like firewood and tree stumps, moist areas like damp soil beds and mulch beds.

They’ll sneak inside the house through the thin gaps and cracks on the home’s foundation walls, windows, doors, and crawl spaces.

They can also use the pathways of ducts and utility lines to invade homes.

The Florida carpenter ants can bite in self defense. But they don’t actively seek humans to bite.

To build their nests, carpenter ants look for places inside the house that have moisture problems.

So, damp floors and walls, places where there’s a lot of water usage like bathroom, kitchen, and basement are the common places where they’ll build their colonies.

Damp window sills, doors, and decks are also easy targets for carpenter ants to nest.

Getting rid of carpenter ants can be a tricky affair because they build multiple nests inside the house. 

Finding the nests and eliminating the queen ants in the nest are vital for removing carpenter ant infestation.

So, it’ll be best to hire a pest controller to control them.

Black Carpet Beetles

Black carpet beetles in Florida are menace to both stored food and natural fabrics. 

These beetles are oval-shaped, 3-5 mm in size, and they’re able fliers.

Black carpet beetles enter homes during the spring to lay their eggs. 

The adult female black carpet beetle can lay up to 100 egg inside the house. 

They target stored foods and products such as carpets, rugs, and clothing made from natural animal fibers like wool, silk, leather, feathers, and fur.

The adult beetles don’t cause any damage.

It’s the carpet beetle larvae that is the real threat to these products.

The larvae, which is tiny blackish-brown worm with tan stripes, hairy bristles, oval-shaped, and grows up to quarter of an inch in size, are the ones that inflict damage.

The carpet beetle larva chew on the natural fibers and create threadbare holes on them.

They’ll also leave behind there fecal deposits and shed skin on the fabric.

Synthetic fibers are immune to carpet beetle larvae damage. 

But synthetic fibers blended with natural fibers is vulnerable to carpet beetle larvae damage.

Carpet beetle larvae can crawl inside the closets and drawers and target the clothes made from natural fabrics.

Stained fabrics also attract them. 

Therefore, dirty bed sheets with food stains or sullied clothes kept in the laundry bins also draw the attention of the larvae.

The best way to prevent a carpet beetle infestation in your house is to prevent the adult beetles from entering.

You can do that by sealing the gaps and cracks on the walls, windows, doors, and by installing window screens with fine mesh during the spring till the end of summer.

Vacuum cleaning the entire home, especially your kitchen and clothing storages, disposing off the infested foods, steam cleaning the carpets, and washing damaged fabrics in hot water can get rid of the larvae.

The common or varied carpet beetle, which is an oval brownish bug with white spots, poses the same threat as the black carpet beetles.

Southern Black Widow Spiders

There are 59 species of spiders in Florida. 

But if you’re a Florida resident, or planning to move there, then you must beware of the southern black widows.

These are shiny black spiders with a red hourglass mark at the underside of their abdomen.

An adult female black widow spider grows up to 10 mm. The males are smaller, growing only up to 3-4 mm in size.

Southern black widow spiders are venomous. They’ll bite if you try to handle them or if they feel threatened.

Your pets in the house are the most susceptible to black widow spider bites if they try to chew or paw them.

But black widows are harmless, shy, and they don’t dwell in places where there’s too much of human footfalls.

These spiders will sneak inside the house when the weather outdoors becomes unfavorable for them.

Outdoors, the black widows will hide in the crevices between rock or wood piles, in the wall voids, underneath plant pots and decks.

The clutter of garage, basement, attic, and storage rooms are their common hiding places inside the house.

These spiders hunt crawling insects. So, the black widows build haphazard webs near the ground level in their hiding places.

They’ll hang upside down by exposing their red hourglass mark.

Like most spiders, the southern black widows are also nocturnal that hunt during the night.

But it can be hard to detect them because you can’t spot them during the day.

Failing to get rid of these spiders will certainly cause an infestation.

These spiders will lay hundreds of eggs at a time and pack them in egg sacs. 

That leads to a black widow infestation in the house.

Do not try to get rid of the black widow spiders on your own. It’s risky.

The black widows will get aggressive and can bite you while you’re eliminating them.

It’s always a good idea to hire a pest controller to eliminate black widow spiders from your property. 

Another black spider which are common in Florida homes is the huntsman spider. 

But it’s not tiny like the black widows. It’s big growing up to 5 inches or 12 cm in size including the leg span.

Water Bugs Or Oriental Cockroaches

If there’s any bug in the list that a Florida resident doesn’t want in the house, it’s the water bugs.

Water bugs is a common term that residents of Florida use to describe oriental roaches.

These filthy roaches are dark brown that makes them appear as black, an inch in size, and inhabit damp areas. 

So, the most common places inside the house where they’ll hide are underneath sinks, bathroom fixtures, and inside the basement.

They also love to hide inside the drains and sewers. 

Water bugs will lay eggs in them. And the baby roaches will feed on the wastes in the drains and sewers.

Water bugs sneak inside homes through drains in your shower and sink. That’s why they’re also known as drain roaches.

The gaps in the walls and windows are also the common entry points for them to enter homes.

Oriental cockroaches are harmful bugs. 

There are pathogens in their bodies and legs that they can transfer to your food, countertops, and utensils which can cause food poisoning and dysentery. 

Using a roach spray on the oriental roaches will kill them on contact.

However, to remove the roach infestation you’ll need to deny them moisture, food sources, and hiding places.

These pests are hard to remove. You’ll need repeated treatments that have elimination, insecticidal, and natural methods.

So, you may want to leave it on the hands of the professionals, especially when the infestation is heavy.

Silverfish

Silverfish are little bugs with tear drop shape and have scales on their bodies. 

They’ve got six legs, a pair of antennae, three appendages at their abdomen, and they grow up to 1/2 an inch or 12 mm in size.

Silverfish are moisture bugs that sneak inside homes looking for moisture sources.

Outdoors, they leave under tree barks, underneath wood piles, plant pots, and in decaying organic debris.

When they run of moisture sources, or when the weather outdoors become too hot or dry, they move inside the house.

Being moisture bugs, they’ll look for any thin gaps or cracks in places like bathroom, kitchen and basement.

They’re nocturnal bugs. So, you won’t find them during the day.

However, you might notice them scavenging for food at night.

Silverfish will feed on molds and other dead insects inside the house. 

Silverfish don’t bite. And they don’t cause any diseases either.

But they can inflict damages on books and clothes. Silverfish feed on the glue of the book bindings and can chew on the clothes too. 

Getting rid of silverfish is easy. And you can do it without using any pesticides.

Vacuum clean the infested places to remove silverfish from the infested areas.

You can also use diatomaceous earth on them to kill them. 

However, keeping them away is the key to prevent silverfish infestation. 

The best way to keep silverfish away to seal any gaps and cracks on the walls, windows, and floor to prevent them from entering and hiding in your home.

You can also use peppermint essential oil spray on the windows and other possible entry and hiding points to keep them away. 

Controlling the dampness in the house by fixing leaky pipes, and reducing the humidity inside the house by installing a dehumidifier also help in making your home silverfish-repellant.