# What are the bugs in my house? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 21, 2004, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bugs-in-my-house/230297 "2004-02-21T00:28:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BlackPheonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BlackPheonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackPheonix)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bugs-in-my-house/230297/1 "2004-02-21T00:28:20Z")
Okay, this is going to be very vague but I’ll try and describe them best as possible. I have these tiny little bugs in my basement, originally they lived in my aquarium (on the water). They’re small (the float and are barely visible to the naked eye), reddish or brown, fat little abdomens and small heads and square in dimension. I know they’re somehow aquarium related because lots of people on fish forums have they’re in their tanks. I’ve tried everything to kill them but they always come back. Judging by the number of spiders in the basement I’d say the population is fairly big. They must need humidity to thrive because I can’t find any upstairs and the basement is moist in areas. I’m about ready to let them be since they don’t seem to be bothering with the rest of the house (after about a month). The aquarium is gone, btw. ---
**Author:** ![Sisyphus\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sisyphus\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sisyphus_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bugs-in-my-house/230297/2 "2004-02-21T00:38:30Z")
Maybe [this thread in this forum](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=240877) is relevant? Doesn’t springtime bring invigorating new life to light? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BlackPheonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BlackPheonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackPheonix)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bugs-in-my-house/230297/3 "2004-02-21T06:35:34Z")
> [@Sisyphus' Stone](#): > > Maybe [this thread in this forum](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=240877) is relevant? > > Doesn’t springtime bring invigorating new life to light? 😃 Nope, they ain’t bed bugs… as in, not in my bed. They’re also incredibly small even when full grown. Yes, its strange, but I’ve watched their little bug-families 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bugs-in-my-house/230297/4 "2004-02-21T07:41:52Z")
I’m probably wrong but the fat abdomen thing makes me think of baby cockroaches. You may see them because the don’t know how to hide yet like the adults. Eeeeuughh! ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bugs-in-my-house/230297/5 "2004-02-21T13:31:20Z")
I suspect you are dealing with mites, not actual insects. Can you tell if they have only two body segments (sort of tick-like)? Some water mites are semi aquatic, they mostly live in the water, but can also be “terrestrial” at the same time if their water source dries up. Mites are truly the most persistent and unavoidable creatures on earth. [http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artdec99/mite.html](http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artdec99/mite.html) Do these look like them? ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bugs-in-my-house/230297/6 "2004-02-21T13:33:22Z")
[![](http://lakes.chebucto.org/ZOOBENTH/mite.gif) ](http://lakes.chebucto.org/ZOOBENTH/mite.gif) This is another type… ---
**Author:** ![BlackPheonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BlackPheonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackPheonix)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bugs-in-my-house/230297/7 "2004-02-21T17:37:30Z")
Yep, two body segments. They must be mites, in fact they might be baby spider-mites or something like that.