Tiny bug in bathroom - Ask Extension
I’ve got these tiny little bugs, the size of a pen tip popping up around my bathroom. Kill 5 and another 5 are there an hour later - I can’t figur...
Knowledgebase
Tiny bug in bathroom #460849
Asked June 08, 2018, 9:54 PM EDT
I’ve got these tiny little bugs, the size of a pen tip popping up around my bathroom. Kill 5 and another 5 are there an hour later - I can’t figure out what type of insect they are.
County Colorado
Expert Response
That looks like one of the "small brown scavenger beetles" of the family Lathridiiae.
They feed on molds and are harmless to household furnishings. They are associated with sites that have high humidity and can sustain the growth of molds.
In homes they are usually found in/near bathrooms and basements. They also sometimes have a spike in newly constructed homes that are made of wood, as the drying lumber temporarily increases humidity behind walls, allowing some mold growth. However, given the very dry climate, suitable conditions for these insects often disappear as the building dries out. Increasing circulation to dry out the interior can sometimes more quickly elminate the conditions that sustain these insects.
They feed on molds and are harmless to household furnishings. They are associated with sites that have high humidity and can sustain the growth of molds.
In homes they are usually found in/near bathrooms and basements. They also sometimes have a spike in newly constructed homes that are made of wood, as the drying lumber temporarily increases humidity behind walls, allowing some mold growth. However, given the very dry climate, suitable conditions for these insects often disappear as the building dries out. Increasing circulation to dry out the interior can sometimes more quickly elminate the conditions that sustain these insects.
