AboutEd Saugstad Expertise Will accept most questions in general entomology, including those related to medical entomology, taxonomy, ecology, arthropod surveillance, and pest management.
If you are requesting a 'mystery bug' identification, PLEASE either attach an image to your question, or post an image on a web page (such as Flickr) so that I can look at it, as verbal descriptions frequently are insufficient for a definitive identification.
Experience 21 years in the U.S. Army as a medical entomologist; duties varied from surveillance of pest populations (including mosquitoes, cockroaches, ticks, and stored products pests) to conducting research on mosquito-virus ecological relationships and mosquito faunal studies. Ten years as a civilian analyst for the Department of Defense, primarily on distribution of vector-borne diseases worldwide. Limited experience on surveillance of agricultural insects in North Dakota and Indiana.
Organizations Entomological Society of America, West Virginia Entomological Society, Society for Vector Ecology, National Speleological Society, West Virginia Association for Cave Studies.
Publications American Journal of Public Health, Contributions of the American Entomological Institute, Japanese Journal of Sanitary Zoology, Journal of Economic Entomology, Mosquito News, and Mosquito Systematics.
Education/Credentials B.S. in entomology from North Dakota State University in 1963, M.S. in entomology from Purdue University in 1967.
These small bugs are visible in the bathroom. They are in the window sill in the bathtub on the floor. Could they be flying or hopping ??.
I have attached a picture of four of these critter.
Could they be Bird Mites ??
Thanking You
Sarab Sandhu
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Answer Dear Sarab - These are beetles, not mites. Their general shape and appearance is consistent with them being in the family Dermestidae, which among other things, includes carpet beetles. Adult carpet beetles often are found at windows as the attempt to escape to the outdoors. They are pollen feeders, and do not damage anything in the house. it is the larval stage that earns them their name, feeding on a wide variety of organic materials primarily of animal origin, including wool, silk, fur, feathers, hides, other dead insects, etc. If you have carpets that include any wool, you should check the edges for the presence of larvae (see http://tinyurl.com/daun2s and http://tinyurl.com/krry5a for representative images) or signs of chewing damage. if you find any, see http://tinyurl.com/yun78p for control recommendations.
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