If you’ve started noticing tiny bugs on your windowsill and you’re beginning to wonder about them – pay attention.
Just because they are small doesn’t mean they are harmless or irrelevant! If you’re starting to see lots of bugs on your windowsill, it might be a warning sign of a large infestation.
Tiny bugs on your windowsill could be any number of things, but common culprits are clover mites and carpet mites. Clover mites are plant-feeders, while carpet mites eat any natural fibers, as well as dead skin and other foods. You may also see booklice on a windowsill.
What Exactly Are Those Tiny Things? Identifying The Bugs On Your Windowsill
If the bugs have started to encroach on your windowsill, this suggests that either they are feeding on something there, or you have a lot of them and they are starting to explore and expand their territory.
The first thing you need to do is try and identify them. A magnifying glass and a bright light may help here. Take a close look at:
- what color they are
- what shape their bodies are
- how many legs they have.
Mites are closely related to spiders, and should have eight legs, not the usual six that other insects have.
Clover mites often leave a little red mark when squashed.
Carpet mites look somewhat like brown ladybugs. Both species are very tiny, with carpet mites often around 4 mm in size and clover mites up to 7 mm.
Booklice are little gray critters that are minute and look a bit like dust on the sill. These feed on mold, and love environments that are humid – which windowsills often are. They will eat any small amounts of algae or fungi growing there.
Note that there are many other kinds of insects and lice that might inhabit a windowsill, so spend a bit of time checking out pictures in books or on the internet in order to get the correct identification.
Once you have identified the bug, you can set about trying to get rid of it. There are various methods that may help, depending on what the bug is.
How Do I Get Rid Of Bugs On My Windowsill?
Booklice
If you have booklice, you may be able to get rid of them by cleaning your windowsill and drying it out. This will get rid of the mold, which will get rid of the mites – because they’ll have no food to eat.
Clover Mites
Clover mites can be controlled by removing plant matter from within 24 inches of the house. Clover mites struggle to cross borders such as gravel or wood chips, so this will prevent them from returning.
To deal with the actual mites, you may need a chemical spray that will kill them. These can be purchased online. You may also want to call a professional company out. Clover mites are fairly harmless, but have been linked with allergies.
Carpet Mites
If you’re dealing with carpet mites, things get more complicated. Carpet mites can cause a lot of damage in the home because they eat natural fibers, including carpets and clothes – so if you’re noticing holes in your favorite sweater, these may be the culprits.
Carpet mites aren’t necessarily easy to get rid of because they often hide in dark spaces, and the ones you see on your windowsill won’t represent the main infestation. You’ll need to locate them, and then use your vacuum to get rid of the ones you can see.
You can then sprinkle Boric acid on the carpets to kill the mites, eggs, and larvae. Don’t let pets near the acid. It can be vacuumed up after a few hours. Next, steam clean your carpets, wash all infected clothing at the hottest temperature you can, and then watch for any signs of the infestation surviving.
Are They Window Mites?
The bugs might be called window mites by some people, but there’s no official species called “window mite.” It is possible that they are wood mites, especially if your windowsill is made of wood that is aging and the paint has started to crack and peel.
Wood mites feed on rotten wood, and will eat away at a windowsill that is past its best. However, they are not particularly problematic and don’t really bother humans. If you want to get rid of them, you can use an anti-mite spray, but be aware that they may come back unless you remove their food source.
Replacing the windowsill and removing the rotten wood should help to stop a re-infestation from occurring.
Does Bleach Keep Bugs Away From Windowsills?
Most bugs don’t like bleach, and if you apply bleach to your windowsill, they will move away from it, at least temporarily. The strong chemical will burn them and will also remove any smell of food which may be attracting them in the first place, so yes, bleach can get rid of bugs on a windowsill.
However, it is not a long-term solution, and you are likely to see the bugs return quite quickly, especially if they are still finding food there. Carpet mites are attracted to the ultra violet light, so they are likely to return as well, even if they aren’t finding food.
Bleach can remove the food source for booklice, because it will get rid of the algae and fungi they are feeding on, and leave a sterile surface. However, if the window gets damp again over time, the mites may return.
There’s no evidence that bleach will work on clover mites, although it may deter them. Carpet mites tend to be actively living in clothes and fabric, so although wiping your windowsill with bleach will likely put them off it for a while, it won’t deal with the actual problem, and they will return when the chemical evaporates.
Will The Tiny Bugs Go Away On Their Own?
It’s unlikely that the bugs – of any kind – will remove themselves unless you take action. Something has drawn them to the windowsill in the first place, and while sometimes infestations clear up without human intervention, you usually have to take some steps to upset their eco-system.
Is This Something I Should Worry About?
It depends on the type of bug, to a degree, but you should certainly do some research and learn what the risks are. While many mites and insects are harmless to people and pets, they can cause major destruction and may cost you a lot of money if you ignore them.
Carpet mites, for example, might chew their way through expensive clothes and furnishings, especially if the infestation is allowed to grow. Clover mites can cause allergies in people, and even once the mites have been removed, you’ll have to make efforts to also get rid of their shed skins and shells.
Booklice seem to be harmless to people, so you may decide to leave a small colony alone. However, you should always research what kind of tiny bug is inhabiting your windowsill before you decide not to worry about it.
Conclusion
Mites of all sorts might decide to take up residence on your windowsill, either attracted to the light or to the potential condensation there. If you see tiny bugs crawling around your sill, you should spend a bit of time identifying them, and then decide if they pose a threat.
Once you’re armed with knowledge, you can decide whether to leave them alone or get rid of them, and how.
This text didn’t help you identify your tiny black bugs? Check out these articles also:
Tiny Black Bugs in Your Home? – Here’s what they REALLY are
Tiny Black Bugs in the Bathroom? What They Are and What to Do!
Tiny Black Bugs In Kitchen? What They Are And What To Do!