Tiny black bugs in grass

[BoundByBriars]

I just sat out on the lawn for a bit and after a while noticed my foot had a load of minuscule little black mite-like bugs walking about on it.

They are too tiny to photograph, a bit like those red mites you find on walls but smaller - I couldn't make out any legs or anything. Any remote touch squished them and they left a poo-like brown smear. I could see that I'd already killed about 30 in my sandals.

Then I noticed they were all over my daughter's feet too and the colouring things she'd bought out, so we scarpered!

Can anyone enlighten me as to what they are? There's far too many of them to want to sit out there again.

Anyone?

Thunder bugs?

I've noticed movement in the drier areas of my lawn - mine are tiny ants though

Have you tried a google image description/search

Do you live near land that is farmed? I ask because I do and when they bring the crops in, there are always thousands of little jumping black beetles- the farmers call them 'crop beetles' but I'm afraid I can't remember what they are actually called!

Thanks all.

No, not thunderbugs, beetles or small ants - they are tiny, like a spec of dust that moves. They’re round but too small to see any legs. I think they look like a type of mite and as they squash and make greens brown poo-like smears, I’m assuming they’re eating the grass?

I’ve tried googling but nothing like them comes up. I’ve never seen them before and there were so many, it was weird! We’re not particularly rural. Grass is very dry and patchy at the moment. I expect they’ll disappear when the weather turns, it’s just a bit of a mystery!

Harvest bugs?

The first photo on google is the closest thing to it but they weren’t red and had no obvious head and body. They sound horrendous though!

I’m hoping I don’t have to worry about infestation and my kitties.