OMG what are these tiny tiny bugs on my kitchen handles??

[ForeverQuery]

I cleaned them yesterday and they're back today! Aarrrrrghh

Posting in aibu Hoping someone knows.

Is it just one cupboard they are on ?

The whole cupboard is empty, I won't put anything in there now.
Just very annoying! Feel like ripping the whole unit out

Ugh 😩 poor you. Never seen them before.

@ForeverQuery

The whole cupboard is empty, I won't put anything in there now. Just very annoying! Feel like ripping the whole unit out

It's not just one cupboard you need to scrub clean, it's the whole kitchen.

They're some kind of mite - they're not just on the handles, they'll be all over the place but they only show up really well on dark things. Had a big infestation in a student house years ago back, and a smaller one in my last house. They're really, really common - most houses will have them in, but they're so tiny they go unnoticed. They only usually get noticed when something happens that results in a population explosion, and suddenly there's thousands of them!

Obviously you'll be driving yourself mad looking for them and cleaning/wiping/hoovering. But the best way to properly kill them off it to dry the environment - if the humidity drops enough they just dry out and die. So get a dehumidifier and keep it on all the time - you might be amazed how much water it sucks out of your room! Also, you can get enzyme sprays that kill them - have a look on Amazon. Think one I used was called something like 'Clean and Green'

So, it's not nice and you might feel itchy and creepy, but they're harmless and always around. Dry the little buggers out!

You need to throw everything away and clean ridiculously thoroughly.

When I had them they were in the screws inside the cupboard, in between my bun cases and in the clips of the containers that I had my flour etc it.

Bleach everything and dry with a hairdryer. you may need to do this a few times.

I'd rather have those than what DH found in the kitchen yesterday. A slug. On the kitchen counter nearest the back door, sliming its way towards the sink, across an empty jar that was waiting to be washed. we need a proper face here, the envy face doesn't cut it. I'm going to have to start putting salt down by the door again aren't I. Sigh.

I'm afraid the flour mite infestation we had only went when we had a new kitchen. They like in the cracks and crevices of the cupboards. You won't get rid of them by cleaning.

They are flour mites op.

They get EVERYWHERE! You need to empty all the cupboards and clean every surface l.

We had them a few years ago - in the end we had to get a pest control person out to spray them - my advice is not to leave them too long if you keep finding them

Check all your dried goods, incl gravy & oxo cubes. If you can, Chuck opened food & start again: they get in everything but cleaning will, get rid of them

They are back because you have not gotten rid of all the infested things

Good luck;!

@Silvercatowner

I'm afraid the flour mite infestation we had only went when we had a new kitchen. They like in the cracks and crevices of the cupboards. You won't get rid of them by cleaning.

I got rid of mine easily by cleaning, so keep at it :)

Can you afford to just get pest control in? I couldn't be arsed with all that endless cleaning only for them to come back.
Just get the buggers nuked with chemicals.

Have you bought flour from one of the german chains?? I know of several people had problems with flour from them so could be weavels x

Oh god why did I read this! I rarely bake so when I buy flour I use it once and usually end up throwing it out as it has mites.
Now my Saturday will be spent cleaning the cupboards.

Freeze your flour for a few days before you put it in the cupboard. It kills any weevils or eggs lurking in the packets. ☺️

I had these when I was a teenager. My bedroom was in the loft and the were everywhere, I discovered them by turning a torch on and seeing their shadow on the wall. I was too scared to tell my mum but I managed to get rid of them by cleaning everything for a full day. So I washed all bedding etc and kept it downstairs and then hoovered everything, wiped all of the walls and surfaces, hoovered again, wiped again on repeat all day. I didn’t see them again!

Are you sure this isn't just some sort of oxidation or reaction of the metal knob to something that's been in contact with it?