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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Black mites in UK kitchen

27 replies

behappy38 · 08/06/2024 11:15

Can anyone please identify this? That’s a teaspoon in photo for perspective. I live in south of England.

I’m finding little black mites in my kitchen. They are fast. I moved into my flat in August and they were in kitchen, but disappeared over winter. They reappeared in April.

I find them around my sink and on kitchen surfaces, and inside my wooden chopping board and crawling on plastic chopping board in the cupboard. They disappear under the kitchen tiles on the wall and into the lining around the sink.

Once they were in my bathroom (in the bath) and a couple of times in my living room (crawling up wall and over table)

I keep all my food in Tupperware.

Not sure if I brought them with me in my things when I moved in or if they were already here. I was a lodger before and remember seeing a couple of mites in my flat mates cupboard. Perhaps they got into my things and came with me.

I assumed they were weevils but I wouldn’t expect them in the lounge. They are fast whenever I go near them. I’ve not actually seen them near a food source yet. Unless there’s traces of food on chopping board. I don’t have a dishwasher. I don’t leave food out and I wipe down surfaces often, but I don’t use strong chemical cleaning products. Google says either booklice or carpet beetles or weevils but they don’t seem a match. Mine are not in food and they are black. Sometimes there are smaller one too, perhaps the babies. Thank you

Black mites in UK kitchen
Black mites in UK kitchen
Black mites in UK kitchen
OP posts:
Thread gallery
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Lucanus · 08/06/2024 11:23

Body shape looks like booklouse. Not a mite. Not normally very fast though. Are they squishy?

SilverBranchGoldenPears · 08/06/2024 11:26

Looks like the bed bugs we had. They’d race up the curtains! Awful. We paid a lot of money to Rentokil to come out and fumigate the whole flat, who said it was normal to have them all over and not just in beds and that they’d obviously been there when we moved in.

behappy38 · 08/06/2024 11:36

Lucanus · 08/06/2024 11:23

Body shape looks like booklouse. Not a mite. Not normally very fast though. Are they squishy?

Thank you. Not squishy, more crunchy (ew). I have a video where you can see them better but don’t think mumsnet allows videos

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behappy38 · 08/06/2024 11:38

SilverBranchGoldenPears · 08/06/2024 11:26

Looks like the bed bugs we had. They’d race up the curtains! Awful. We paid a lot of money to Rentokil to come out and fumigate the whole flat, who said it was normal to have them all over and not just in beds and that they’d obviously been there when we moved in.

Eek! I haven’t found any in my bedroom yet praise the Lord but perhaps they are just hidden…I hate the thought of loads of chemicals sprayed in the flat but I guess that might be my only option in the end.

Im going to do a mega clean of kitchen and remove all mold or mildew I can see, remove any crumbs, and keep the dehumidifier going, in case they are mites attracted by mold / humidity/ food

OP posts:
behappy38 · 08/06/2024 11:45

Here is the video of it

Before you continue to YouTube

https://youtube.com/shorts/jxr1-rSXSUM?si=7W1qqS28G-8xGd67

OP posts:
RainBow725 · 08/06/2024 11:46

Interesting. I have had these for the last few weeks - near my sink too. They seem to be coming in through a tiny crack in the window ledge. I have sprayed Raid into the crack. That seems to have stopped them. Some dead ones for a few days and now they have stopped - fingers crossed.

behappy38 · 08/06/2024 11:48

Lucanus · 08/06/2024 11:39

Does it look anything like this? https://www.ukbeetles.co.uk/cortinicara-gibbosa

a bit yes, but black. Very fast

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Loubelle70 · 08/06/2024 11:52

Could they be plaster beetles? I had them. They are very small....have a hard shell/skin. Youll need to keep hoovering, sort any damp out, and if no joy, exterminator

behappy38 · 08/06/2024 12:28

Loubelle70 · 08/06/2024 11:52

Could they be plaster beetles? I had them. They are very small....have a hard shell/skin. Youll need to keep hoovering, sort any damp out, and if no joy, exterminator

Did your plaster beetles look like this? https://youtube.com/shorts/jxr1-rSXSUM?si=m0W0ARmQV7BnaEpp

thank you

Before you continue to YouTube

https://youtube.com/shorts/jxr1-rSXSUM?si=m0W0ARmQV7BnaEpp

OP posts:
behappy38 · 08/06/2024 19:19

Here are some better pics

Black mites in UK kitchen
Black mites in UK kitchen
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Loubelle70 · 09/06/2024 06:49

They're carpet beetles xxxx

Lucanus · 09/06/2024 08:38

Does look like a book louse. Nothing at all like a carpet beetle.

behappy38 · 09/06/2024 09:10

I think I have both plaster beetles (black and crunchy) and book lice (transparent / light brown and squishy).

I found some orange mold at backs of cupboard which I’ve cleaned with white vinegar. I’ve set out some peppermint essential oil to repel. I’m decluttering. And I’ve got dehumidifier going. I’ve also put some absorbent dehumidifing beads in corners. Fingers crossed!!

It seems centred on the kitchen but I have spotted the booklice prowling around elsewhere. Am going to be ON IT with removing mold / mildew and preventing damp

Black mites in UK kitchen
Black mites in UK kitchen
OP posts:
behappy38 · 09/06/2024 09:10

Lucanus · 09/06/2024 08:38

Does look like a book louse. Nothing at all like a carpet beetle.

Agreed. Do not think it’s carpet beetle

OP posts:
Loubelle70 · 09/06/2024 09:34

behappy38 · 09/06/2024 09:10

I think I have both plaster beetles (black and crunchy) and book lice (transparent / light brown and squishy).

I found some orange mold at backs of cupboard which I’ve cleaned with white vinegar. I’ve set out some peppermint essential oil to repel. I’m decluttering. And I’ve got dehumidifier going. I’ve also put some absorbent dehumidifing beads in corners. Fingers crossed!!

It seems centred on the kitchen but I have spotted the booklice prowling around elsewhere. Am going to be ON IT with removing mold / mildew and preventing damp

I had to do same OP. plaster beetles are horrendous but can get rid. If you pook closely there will be little holes in your walls in places XXXX

behappy38 · 09/06/2024 10:12

Loubelle70 · 09/06/2024 09:34

I had to do same OP. plaster beetles are horrendous but can get rid. If you pook closely there will be little holes in your walls in places XXXX

Thank you :) did you get bug spray / call exterminator or just focus on dehumidifier and removing mold?

OP posts:
Loubelle70 · 09/06/2024 10:26

I used dehumidifier and cleaned but couldnt get rid. I bought these https://safeguardstore.co.uk/nope-insect-killer-smoke-bombs/
I repeated treatment 7 days after initial treatment. Got rid completely after 2nd treatment. A professional was going to charge £325 . Did it myself for 40 ordered 2 setsxxxx

NOPE! Insect Killer Smoke Bombs

Ready-to-use insect smoke generator for the control of crawling insects, house flies and mosquitoes.

https://safeguardstore.co.uk/nope-insect-killer-smoke-bombs

Loubelle70 · 09/06/2024 10:28

P&p isnt cheap but worth of u order 2 sets

behappy38 · 09/06/2024 10:49

Loubelle70 · 09/06/2024 10:26

I used dehumidifier and cleaned but couldnt get rid. I bought these https://safeguardstore.co.uk/nope-insect-killer-smoke-bombs/
I repeated treatment 7 days after initial treatment. Got rid completely after 2nd treatment. A professional was going to charge £325 . Did it myself for 40 ordered 2 setsxxxx

Wow, never heard of them before, am glad to know they exist and I can give them a go. Did your home smell of chemicals after? Did you have to wipe away any residue from the smoke or anything? Thank you

OP posts:
Loubelle70 · 09/06/2024 10:52

behappy38 · 09/06/2024 10:49

Wow, never heard of them before, am glad to know they exist and I can give them a go. Did your home smell of chemicals after? Did you have to wipe away any residue from the smoke or anything? Thank you

There was a faint smell but you have i open windows after for a bit anyway so it was fine. No residue apart from where it is stood. I stood mine in ramekins...just incase. I hoovered and dusted day after xxx

behappy38 · 09/06/2024 13:47

Loubelle70 · 09/06/2024 10:52

There was a faint smell but you have i open windows after for a bit anyway so it was fine. No residue apart from where it is stood. I stood mine in ramekins...just incase. I hoovered and dusted day after xxx

Thank you 🙏🏻 this is really helpful

OP posts:
behappy38 · 10/06/2024 15:10

For info, a pest control person has told me psocid / booklice, and to focus on dehumidifier for now, and not to scrub too much as that creates more damp, and not to go chemical route for now, except to get an insecticide for my plant pots

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