CLOSED: swarms of black bugs on screens and all over

alicemagooey st davids, ON Oct 03, 2008

Hello.. we are finding swarms of black colored flies all over our screen doors and windows and around all of our doorways, waiting for a chance to get into the house.(it is beginning to get chilly at nights here).

( well, i do not know for sure if they are black as they are really between the size of a fruit fly(drosiphila) and a mosquito and i cannot see them too closely)..i have no photo.They may be brown.

They do have visible wings and body..unlike a drosiphila, which is too small to really see the body parts clearly.

from this description , can anyone tell me what we might have?

we have never had this happen before.

alice
from Northern US/Southern Canada

Post #5627102

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suunto Sinks Grove, WV Oct 03, 2008

They could be non-biting midges in the family Chironomidae, but I would have to see an image to be sure - see http://www.pbase.com/tmurray74/midges_chironomids for some examples.

Post #5628047

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alicemagooey st davids, ON Oct 03, 2008

Thank you so much for your kind response., suunto.
sorry.. my camera is on the blink.

actually, these flies.. and they almost resemble a common housefly,but the body is about one eighth the size of the house fly..
they have visible wings and legs, like a housefly, but they are small.
most puzzling..
i have been to every insect identification site i can think of.

but ...so many photos..so little time.
i also looked up swarms of insects..but insects normally swarm during mating season.. these particualar ones seem to swarm to get into a nice cozy house ..because it is getting cold outside.

i never ask a question at a forum which i have not thoroughly researched as best i can.. and i will continue to do so..but i sure wish i had a couple more hints to follow.

thanks again.
alice

Post #5628578

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Sheila_FW Fort Worth, TX(Zone 8a) Oct 03, 2008

Do they look anything like these?

Post #5628903

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alicemagooey st davids, ON Oct 03, 2008

yes,sheila.. they do look something like that..

that is a nice magnified photo..

i have seen them at a bit further distance.Have not really looked at them that much up close and personal..

what are the insects shown in your photo?

i think the ones we are seeing so many of might like decaying material also.
just another possible identifying trait..

alice

This message was edited Oct 3, 2008 6:35 PM