Black bugs

[AGActaeonia]

I mentioned an infestation of black bugs a couple months back. Began seeing them when we brought two house-palms in-doors. Potted, we bought them from a Wal-mart Garden Center.

They're not, nor have they ever been used with the kids in a vivarium-setting to answer the pending question of those whom don't remember my referring to them before.

Once we brought them in, we began noticing black bugs. I've not seen any on the plants themselves, but seen them coming from the pots the palms are kept in. They seem to congregate wherever there is trash or discarded food (crumbs on the kitchen floor, for example) which I notice when I sweep from the kitchen corners. They also seem to make an effort to get on my girlfriend's shoes (a waitress at a local restaurant). She pounds the heels of her work-shoes on the floor and we can literally see them tumbling off the bottoms.

It's gotten to a point where we find them in food containers. Boxes of cereal, pasta, anything which isn't air-tight. They're there. Despite our best efforts to seal food in zip-lock bags and tupperware containers, it's still not enough. There are just double and triple the amount found in foods we've not yet gotten to.

On a positive note, I've found none anywhere near or on the kids [snakes]. They seem to be most attracted to the garbage and food (seems to be pasta the most often. Uncooked spaghetti noodles and lasagna and so forth).

Any ideas what they may be or how to best get rid of them short of a bug-bomb?

EDIT // We've since removed the palms from the inside of the home and put them outside. The insects seem to be multiplying wherever they're finding food, as somewhat smaller, gray in color miniatures are found with them from time to time.

[ioctoberdrums]

i had a similar issue with some plants i bought from a garden center and i was told there mold gnats i think. once i removed the plants to the outside patio, they went away. i still find them occasionally, but only here and there.
try those sticky fly traps that you hang from the ceiling.

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[angrybananapeel]

I'd move.

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[BlackLava]

eww i think i would stop eating and toss all the food and feel crawling sensations all over the place like they were crawling on me

the husband thinks they might be one of these:

Confused flour beetle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Destructive flour beetle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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	Toss To Throw

[AGActaeonia]

According to the girlfriend, they look like neither of those pictured, but it's certainly a good suggestion. Thank you, BL.

I was thinking something similar, like weevils. I've seen something like them before. They infested an ivy plant that I transplanted outdoors and changed my mind, a few weeks later bringing it inside again. They literally covered the ivy to the point that the plant looked to be moving, and would die in droves, littering the floor like scattered dirt beneath the plant. I ended up pitching it. The only difference is that I never found them near food.

I believe a guest referred to them as "Aphets."

As for moving... Lol... February 1st, this lease is up. No food's comin' with us this time.

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[BlackLava]

you think one of the snake mite remedies might get rid of them?

	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks

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[AGActaeonia]

Originally Posted by BlackLava

you think one of the snake mite remedies might get rid of them?

Were they actually infesting an enclosure, or so forth, I would imagine so. I'm none too familiar with snake mite remedies (having never experienced an infestation), thus I'm unsure how to apply the description of use to them seemingly making a go at it in my pantry.

The girlfriend believes that they're tri-segmented, like an ant, and more a rich chocolate brown color.

I presume that sealing off incoming food-stuffs will dwindle their numbers, but it's hard to say at this point.

I'm personally indifferent, to tell the truth. Get a bag of pasta or a box of cereal, put it in a container. *Shrugs*

So long as they stay away from the snakes I couldn't care less.

	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks

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