Does anyone know what these insecst are?

They are the bane of my existance on hot summer nights. They’re so small they get through the screens and are attracted to the light in plague proportions and also attracted to sweat I think, cause they often get on our skin.

thrips, maybe?

AnneS said:

Does anyone know what these insecst are?

They are the bane of my existance on hot summer nights. They’re so small they get through the screens and are attracted to the light in plague proportions and also attracted to sweat I think, cause they often get on our skin.

That’s what I wondered, but the photos I googled looked different. Maybe this will show them better

gnats?

bluegreen said:

gnats?

Ah! Now that looks more likely. It was hard to get a good photo, but they do look more like the gnats than thrips. Thanks BG!

They look a lot like the tiny vinegar flies too.

Happy Potter said:

They look a lot like the tiny vinegar flies too.

I looked them up too but they seemed too fat :)

Happy Potter said:

They look a lot like the tiny vinegar flies too.

No different to those…I get vinegar flies too sometimes but these are a bit bigger and darker. Following BG’s ID suggestion I googled them and one of the descriptions was:

“Fungus gnats occasionally become a nuisance indoors when adults emerge in large numbers as mosquito-like insects from potted plants or flower boxes containing damp soil rich in humus. Adults are attracted to lights and are often first noticed at windows”

and this is what happens here. I often wondered if the fact that there are so many cattle and animals around (including my chooks) that might be the reason that we have so many, compared to others who live in more built-up areas.

midges?

roughbarked said:

midges?

Nah. Just had a look on google and midges are hairier. The fungas gnat seems to be the one. Thanks for the suggestion though

AnneS said:

roughbarked said:

midges?

Nah. Just had a look on google and midges are hairier. The fungas gnat seems to be the one. Thanks for the suggestion though

Don’t midges and gnats bite?

bubba louie said:

AnneS said:

roughbarked said:

midges?

Nah. Just had a look on google and midges are hairier. The fungas gnat seems to be the one. Thanks for the suggestion though

Don’t midges and gnats bite?

Many small insects that can get through screens are sucking insects that indeed do cause severe irritation.

bubba louie said:

AnneS said:

roughbarked said:

midges?

Nah. Just had a look on google and midges are hairier. The fungas gnat seems to be the one. Thanks for the suggestion though

Don’t midges and gnats bite?

Many small insects that can get through screens are sucking insects that indeed do cause severe irritation.

there .. that’s better

roughbarked said:

bubba louie said:

AnneS said:

roughbarked said:

midges?

Nah. Just had a look on google and midges are hairier. The fungas gnat seems to be the one. Thanks for the suggestion though

Don’t midges and gnats bite?

Many small insects that can get through screens are sucking insects that indeed do cause severe irritation.

There’s been no mention of these biting.

bubba louie said:

roughbarked said:

bubba louie said:

AnneS said:

roughbarked said:

midges?

Nah. Just had a look on google and midges are hairier. The fungas gnat seems to be the one. Thanks for the suggestion though

Don’t midges and gnats bite?

Many small insects that can get through screens are sucking insects that indeed do cause severe irritation.

There’s been no mention of these biting.

not yet..

roughbarked said:

bubba louie said:

roughbarked said:

bubba louie said:

AnneS said:

roughbarked said:

midges?

Nah. Just had a look on google and midges are hairier. The fungas gnat seems to be the one. Thanks for the suggestion though

Don’t midges and gnats bite?

Many small insects that can get through screens are sucking insects that indeed do cause severe irritation.

There’s been no mention of these biting.

not yet..

maybe bon’s got tough skin :)

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

bubba louie said:

roughbarked said:

bubba louie said:

AnneS said:

roughbarked said:

midges?

Nah. Just had a look on google and midges are hairier. The fungas gnat seems to be the one. Thanks for the suggestion though

Don’t midges and gnats bite?

Many small insects that can get through screens are sucking insects that indeed do cause severe irritation.

There’s been no mention of these biting.

not yet..

maybe bon’s got tough skin :)

Not my insects :) I don’t even have flyscreens for tiny insects to crawl through!

bubba louie said:

AnneS said:

roughbarked said:

midges?

Nah. Just had a look on google and midges are hairier. The fungas gnat seems to be the one. Thanks for the suggestion though

Don’t midges and gnats bite?

Yes..and so do the little blighters that we get

bon008 said:

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

bubba louie said:

roughbarked said:

bubba louie said:

AnneS said:

roughbarked said:

midges?

Nah. Just had a look on google and midges are hairier. The fungas gnat seems to be the one. Thanks for the suggestion though

Don’t midges and gnats bite?

Many small insects that can get through screens are sucking insects that indeed do cause severe irritation.

There’s been no mention of these biting.

not yet..

maybe bon’s got tough skin :)

Not my insects :) I don’t even have flyscreens for tiny insects to crawl through!

ah .. that explains it.. no biteys .. so no need for screens.

bon008 said:

bluegreen said:

maybe bon’s got tough skin :)

Not my insects :) I don’t even have flyscreens for tiny insects to crawl through!

sorry bon, was getting confused there!

I meant, maybe Anne’s got tough skin…

roughbarked said:

ah .. that explains it.. no biteys .. so no need for screens.

Screens would be fantastic – I get a lot of mozzie bites =(

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

ah .. that explains it.. no biteys .. so no need for screens.

Screens would be fantastic – I get a lot of mozzie bites =(

Are you in a place you rent?

roughbarked said:

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

ah .. that explains it.. no biteys .. so no need for screens.

Screens would be fantastic – I get a lot of mozzie bites =(

Are you in a place you rent?

No.. it’s a combination of a few issues:

- we’re lazy :)
- really most of the windows need to be replaced entirely so don’t want to spend money doing them up if they are just going to be replaced later
- bit worried about overcapitalising as the house isn’t worth much
- we’ll have to move house anyway when we have kids

I thought I fixed the problem pretty well just by putting a mosquito net on the bed – turns out OH can’t seem to get in or out without getting all tangled up =/

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

ah .. that explains it.. no biteys .. so no need for screens.

Screens would be fantastic – I get a lot of mozzie bites =(

Are you in a place you rent?

No.. it’s a combination of a few issues:

- we’re lazy :)
- really most of the windows need to be replaced entirely so don’t want to spend money doing them up if they are just going to be replaced later
- bit worried about overcapitalising as the house isn’t worth much
- we’ll have to move house anyway when we have kids

I thought I fixed the problem pretty well just by putting a mosquito net on the bed – turns out OH can’t seem to get in or out without getting all tangled up =/

wooden window frames? just buy some blued tacks and some gauze .. nail it on.. do the windows up later.. remove the gauze and re use it.

roughbarked said:

wooden window frames? just buy some blued tacks and some gauze .. nail it on.. do the windows up later.. remove the gauze and re use it.

Hmm.. not sure if that would work with the fittings – the only windows we have which actually still can open, are the kind.. I don’t know how to explain it, I’ll find a picture :)

This is the closest I can find:

You kind of have to put your arm out the window to open/close it..

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

wooden window frames? just buy some blued tacks and some gauze .. nail it on.. do the windows up later.. remove the gauze and re use it.

Hmm.. not sure if that would work with the fittings – the only windows we have which actually still can open, are the kind.. I don’t know how to explain it, I’ll find a picture :)

This is the closest I can find:

You kind of have to put your arm out the window to open/close it..

screen goes inside .. hinged..

roughbarked said:

screen goes inside .. hinged..

Oh, see once you say hinged, it sounds like too much effort :D

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

screen goes inside .. hinged..

Oh, see once you say hinged, it sounds like too much effort :D

;) well leave them permanently open.. and just nail screens on.. fix the windows in late autumn .. for the winter. ;) or indeed pull screens off roll up .. put away till next summer. ;)

roughbarked said:

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

screen goes inside .. hinged..

Oh, see once you say hinged, it sounds like too much effort :D

;) well leave them permanently open.. and just nail screens on.. fix the windows in late autumn .. for the winter. ;) or indeed pull screens off roll up .. put away till next summer. ;)

That sounds like the kind of thing we would do grin

I have tacked a beach towel sideways over the kitchen window to act as a curtain for summer.. :D

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

bon008 said:

roughbarked said:

screen goes inside .. hinged..

Oh, see once you say hinged, it sounds like too much effort :D

;) well leave them permanently open.. and just nail screens on.. fix the windows in late autumn .. for the winter. ;) or indeed pull screens off roll up .. put away till next summer. ;)

That sounds like the kind of thing we would do grin

I have tacked a beach towel sideways over the kitchen window to act as a curtain for summer.. :D

shadecloth does both ;)

roughbarked said:

shadecloth does both ;)

hehe.. doesn’t matter in the kitchen, it is one of the many unopenable windows in the house :D