If tiny black bugs are crawling around your windows, it may be time to break out the vacuum, visit your local hardware store, or call an exterminator.
Finding bugs near your windows does not reflect anything bad about you or your home. Windows are easy access points for bugs to invade. A few bugs may easily be solved with common household wares, but more than a few could require expert help.
Whether it’s one or a swarm, bugs in your home are no joke. It is in your home’s best interest to identify these bugs and how to get rid of them ASAP.
Here are some of the top offenders for windowsill bugs and how to handle them with a little help from Jerry
, the car insurance
shopping and brokerage app. Ants
If your bugs have three distinct orb-like body parts making up a head, middle, and backside, two antennas, and six legs, you’ve got ants. Ants like to live and move in colonies so even just one could be a sign of many more.
A stray ant or two may make it in your window if they’ve wandered in from your yard or garden looking for food. A group or trail of ants could be signs that they’re trying to nest somewhere in your house. Ants will target the wood in your house, creating holes and tunnels to lay eggs and build their colonies.
How to get rid of ants
The only way to get rid of an ant infestation is to get rid of the nest. Though ants may be the easiest (and to some, most obvious) little black windowsill bug to identify, they can be the hardest to get rid of on your own. If you suspect an infestation, contact an exterminator for help.
Potential gross alert: Finding dead ants that you didn’t kill is a clear sign that you may be dealing with an infestation. When an ant dies, the other ants will remove it from the colony. The dead ant you just found in your house could mean the colony is there, too.
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Flies
If your tiny black bugs have wings, then you’re dealing with a type of fly. Flies found near your windows may have just gotten stuck inside by accident, but an infestation could create health risks in your home.
Gnats
A gnat looks like a cross between a mosquito and a fruit fly. They could have ended up at your windows because they’re attracted to nearby food or house plants. In the early summer months, gnats come inside looking for a moist environment.
Gants can be annoying like fruit flies—but they can also bite like mosquitoes. Gnats like moisture and mold, so if they’ve gathered near your windows, it could be a sign that the wood is water-damaged.
How to get rid of gnats
The simplest way to get rid of gnats is to take care of whatever might have attracted them in the first place. Make sure any open food is properly stored and put away. Clean your windows and check them for mold or dampness.
A lot of household bugs do not like the smell of peppermint. Try diluting eight drops of peppermint oil in eight ounces of water and spray your house plants and windows with this safe, natural repellant.
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Phorid flies
Also known as scuttle flies, these humpbacked tiny black flies prefer crawling around your windowsill over flying.
Phorid flies may seem harmless at first glance, but they can carry and transmit human diseases. Take care of them before you have an infestation on your hands.
How to get rid of phorid flies
The best way to get rid of phorid flies is to clean, clean, clean! These disease-carrying flies love decaying matter and waste, so stay on top of garbage removal, pet messes, and dirty dishes.
Just like with gnats you can try treating your windows with a natural peppermint oil-repellent. Dilute eight drops of peppermint oil in eight ounces of water.
It may be time to check on your gutters. If your gutters aren’t draining properly, they could be contributing to nearby moisture sources that bring these tiny black bugs back to your windows.
Key Takeaway Get rid of phorid flies and keep other bugs at bay by cleaning thoroughly and regularly.
MORE: How to maintain a house
Mites
If the black bugs crawling around your windows have one orb-shaped body, eight legs and no wings, you’re looking at a type of mite. Mites are more annoying than they are dangerous.
Clover mites
Look a little closer at your unwanted guests. Clover mites are smaller than a pinhead and look black from afar, but are brown or red up close. They are most attracted to windows that receive a lot of sunlight.
If the tiny bugs crawling around your windows match this description, let your bug worries go. Clover mites are both common and completely harmless. The worst thing that these tiny bugs can do is leave a red streak if they’re squashed.
How to get rid of clover mites
Grab your vacuum to take care of clover mites and avoid leaving any of those pesky red streaks. Empty your vacuum and take out the trash immediately after vacuuming any type of bug.
If you keep seeing clover mites, try picking up some diatomaceous earth from your local hardware store. Diatomaceous earth is a safe, natural powder that you can use on perimeters and entryways to kill bugs that cross it while entering your home. You can dilute it in water and spray it or you can dust it in a fine layer across creases, gaps, and window cracks.
Carpet mites
Carpet mites are larger than clover mites and have a hard, oval shell. They can be black or brown with black and white splotches. These mites love animal fibers, leathers, and are often found in carpets, as their name implies.
If carpet mites are on your windowsills, they could be interested in some curtains, nearby furniture, or they could have come from a new item that was already infested. Carpet mites won’t harm you but they can inflict major damage to furniture upholstery, blankets, clothes, and other fabric items.
How to get rid of carpet mites
If carpet mites make it from the window to a piece of furniture or fabric, treat the area with boric acid and vacuum within two hours. If you fear they’ve spread to more areas than you can handle, call an exterminator for help.
Diatomaceous earth will also work on carpet mites, especially if you use it on windows near gardens or foliage. Spray a solution or dust the powder around the window edges to take care of any trespassing bugs within 48 hours.
Key Takeaway Diatomaceous earth is a safe, natural remedy to help get rid of windowsill bugs and keep them gone for good.
Why are there bugs on my windowsill?
Most bugs are attracted to light, heat, and humidity—and your home provides all those things. Windows are an easy access point for bugs to enter your home. They could also be attracted to furniture, plants, or left-out food near your windows.
How do I prevent windowsill bugs?
Prevent tiny bugs from crawling around your windows by keeping up with cleaning and applying perimeter treatments to your windows.
Here are some easy cleaning tasks to help prevent windowsill bugs:
Properly store and put away food
Vacuum regularly and keep window areas clear of clutter
Wipe down windows and windowsills with a bleach solution to kill any mold or bacteria (but be careful with your clothes and skin!)
Here are some easy perimeter treatments for your windows:
Spray a chemical treatment from your local hardware store around the outside edges of your windows
Spray or dust diatomaceous earth around the inside edges of your windows
Spray your windows with a peppermint solution (made of eight drops of oil to eight ounces of water)
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