22 Tiny Black Bugs In Houses Near Windows

Homes attract all types of pests, mainly as they offer food and shelter for bugs and flies.

Some bugs fly directly into the house through open windows while others crawl around the windows, especially attracted to indoor lights.

These tiny black bugs can also fly which means they easily make their way through the house.

Some tiny black bugs are nuisance pests without much impact on your home.

Others come in droves posing high infestation risks.

A good percentage of tiny black bugs in houses are known to bite.

All bugs in homes should be treated seriously as even nuisance bugs may attract predatory bugs that want to eat them.

What Attract Bugs Enter Your House Through Windows?

Tiny black bugs and other bugs are mostly running towards something or away from something when moving indoors.

They can be attracted to foods but they might also be looking for a quick hiding spot when the weather turns bad.

Here are the main reasons these bugs might make it into your home.

Indoor lights

Lights attract tiny bugs of all species. Many nocturnal bugs come out at night looking for food.

They end up following the light into your home, especially when you have an open window.

Lights inside the house and outside the house attract almost all tiny bugs, especially those that can fly.

Other types of bugs only follow the lights as they know they attract small bugs they can eat.

Bad weather

Bad weather, rainy days, and cold weather, in general, are major reasons for flies and tiny bugs making it indoors.

Most bugs don’t like extreme cold or extreme heat. They run away from these conditions to survive.

The only place to hide from extreme weather is indoors.

Vegetation around the house

Vegetation is a known breeding ground for tiny bugs.

Flowers attract all types of bugs that eat pollen and nectar which easily fly indoors.

Sweet fruits and vegetables attract ants or bees which can also fly indoors.

Food

Food is one of the biggest reasons tiny black bugs make it indoors.

Termites are the most common example of tiny black bugs that use the house itself as food as they dig through rotting wood.

Fruit flies are another example of how just a few fruits inside the house attract species of tiny black insects.

Any type of leftover food in the house can attract a large number of tiny annoying bugs.

22 Tiny Black Bugs in Houses Near Windows

The following species are the most common types of tiny black bugs found in homes for food or shelter.

1. Carpenter Ants

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are the most common tiny black bug found inside your home near windows.

These ants are known for digging galleries in window frames to lay eggs.

While they don’t eat wood like termites, they use wood to lay eggs.

You can find carpenter ants around windows in the spring but they might also be seen in your house in the winter when they might house as nesting spots.

These ants are identified by a black body or black and red body in case of the worker casts.

They are really small compared to other species.

Some carpenter ants can be as small as 3/8 inches while the larger worker cast ants grow to ½ inches.

These ants are frequently found in window frames in the spring.

While outdoors, carpenter ants eat dead or living insects, which they might also find indoors.

However, these ants are known for eating protein-rich foods and sugar-rich foods inside the house.

Carpenter ants can also enter homes in the winter in search of a warm place to nest.

These ants can be winged or wingless. 

An invasion of carpenter ants in your home cannot go unnoticed.

These ants move in lines as they leave scent traces for other ants to follow.

You can stop them in time whenever you interrupt this line going through the window inside your home.

2. Stink Bugs

Stink Bug Near Window

Stink bugs are also known for getting indoors, particularly for food or warmth.

Multiple species of stink bugs can be seen around windows. The Marmorated stink bug and the Black stink bug are species attracted to food during the summer.

Apples, berries, and other fruits around the house attract these bugs, especially if you have fruit trees around the home.

Stink bugs generally appear in June with the first fruits.

They might enter homes attracted to light through the summer.

Many stink bug species enter homes in the fall when they’re trying to escape the cold weather.

These bugs are known to be difficult to eliminate as you have to take action against them yourself since they don’t have too many natural predators.

A bad taste and the ability to eliminate bad odors are what keep most stink bugs safe from predators such as birds.

3. Termites

Termites

Termites are some of the most frightening types of tiny black bugs you can see around your home’s windows.

Many termites are white, tan, or light yellow. Subterranean termites of the Rhinotermitidae are known to be either brown or black.

These small creatures grow up to 1/8 inches and can be identified by their elongated narrow body and 6 legs.

Termites of this genus are present in all US states (except Alaska).

It might already be too late when you see these small black termites around the windows.

Some of the early signs of a subterranean home termite invasion are to look for mud tubes or mud paths from the ground onto the house.

These termites nest in the ground and build narrow mud tubes to reach the home.

Another early sign your home might be invaded by these termites is wood that sounds hollow when tapped.

Since these termites are known to prefer decaying wood this is the first type of wood in the house they’re going to eat through.

It might be a sign that your window frame is rotten or decaying whenever you see these termites moving around the window.

4. Springtails

Springtail

Springtails are known to prefer high humidity habitats. This is why they can be seen around windows as these are a point of condensation.

Springtails are nuisance pests as they don’t damage homes.

They feed on organic matter such as plant fungi and decaying plant roots. 

As a result, they are common in homes that have plenty of vegetation around them.

Springtails can be some of the most problematic nuisance pests in the winter as they aren’t bothered by the cold weather.

These black insects are often seen moving on snow.

Managing their impact on homes involves managing moisture and condensation levels on windows.

Adding a heating source next to windows typically reduces or eliminates condensation.

Another good method to keep them away from windows and walls is to manage soil moisture levels around the house.

High moisture soil favors springtail reproduction.

5. Carpet Beetles

Carpet Beetles

Carpet beetles such as the Black carpet beetle (Attagenus unicolor) are some of the most damaging types of black bugs that can use windows to get indoors.

As their name suggests, these bugs are known to damage household goods such as carpets.

Carpet beetles eat goods high in keratin, a type of animal protein found in animal-origin fibers, hairs, skin, and clothes.

These black bugs can use windows to fly indoors and lay eggs.

Up to 50 white eggs can be laid by the female Black carpet beetle at a time.

This is why taking these bugs seriously is best from the first sign of infestation.

One of the major reasons these bugs are seen on windows is because they’re attracted to light.

They fly through windows during the summer months.

Seeing these bugs on windows in the fall is a clear sign they’re looking for a warm place to hide and nest in for the winter.

They are known to survive winters indoors either as adults or as larvae.

6. Drugstore Beetles

Drugstore Beetle

Drugstore beetles are often found in the kitchen, but they can also be seen in different parts of the house.

These types of tiny bugs are known to grow to a size of up to 3.5mm.

Drugstore Beetles are commonly seen around windows trying to make their way to the kitchen as they infest foods and packaged foods.

More common in food storage and manufacturing facilities, these bugs are found eating flour, chocolate, cereal, and other types of foods you might store in boxes or bags in the kitchen.

Controlling these foods is required to control Drugstore beetles.

You need to store are food away so they don’t have easy access to it.

Most importantly, you should also keep an eye on natural fabric clothes and goods such as furs and books as Drugstore beetles turn to them whenever they can’t find more suitable foods.

7. Gnats 

Fungus gnat

Gnats are very common in moist areas and coastal areas. These flies can bite, which means they need to be taken seriously.

Smaller than the regular housefly, a gnat can be seen around windows at dusk. 

It typically swarms in high numbers. 

These flies are attracted to decaying organic matter, puddling water, and moisture.

They are known to bite and they’re also known to damage all plants in the house and outside the house.

Gnats are known to lay so many eggs that the emerging larvae can kill a host plant.

Some gnat sub-species can also be dangerous to pets.

The black fly is even known to kill animals when present in high numbers with its deadly bite.

Turning off lights that aren’t used in the morning is recommended to ensure these bugs don’t come near the window.

8. Drain Flies

Drain Flies

Drain flies have known nuisance pests. They don’t bite like gnats but they can be very annoying as they multiply rapidly.

Growing to a size of up to 1/5 of an inch, these insects can be black, gray, or dull in color.

They tend to be seen around windows in the evening when they’re most active.

These bugs should not be seen during the day as they prefer to rest in a shaded place.

Drain flies are dependent on puddling water and high humidity.

They multiply in drains, under the sink, in the bathroom, or next to the toilet.

Drain files are known to multiply rapidly and to start multiplying as soon as they reach adulthood.

These flies live up to 2 weeks but rapid multiplication rates make them appear to live longer as they can be difficult to eliminate from the house.

You need to eliminate all puddling water sources around the house to ensure these insects won’t fly indoors.

It may often be that these flies come from nearby plants or puddling water sources so you might need to check an extended area if you don’t want them to show up at your window in the evening.

9. Fruit Flies

Comon Fruit Fly

Fruit flies are some of the most problematic and common black insects in your homes near windows.

These flies are attracted to fruits and sugary foods, as their name implies.

Since most homes have plenty of ripe fruit in the kitchen these flies are seen on the kitchen window most summer days.

Fruit flies only live in the summer. They have a short lifespan of just around 2 weeks, similar to drain flies.

This short lifespan is sufficient for them to multiply fast.

Most importantly, this short lifespan and their home invasive status pose health risks.

Fruit flies carry bacteria such as salmonella and E.coli. This makes them dangerous to your family’s health.

Fruit flies are very difficult to fully eliminate unless you get rid of your fruits or store them in the refrigerator.

Most fruit flies disappear from the area of the kitchen and the window they’re attracted to for light in the fall when temperatures drop and their die.

10. Houseflies

Housefly

Houseflies are a common sight in the summer. Indoors, these flies can even survive winter.

Most houseflies overwinter as eggs or larvae outdoors. They emerge in the spring.

A female housefly can lay as many as 100 eggs at a time making it a very fast multiplication rate insect.

Houseflies are attracted to food and dirt. 

These flies emerge in livestock manure. 

They are particularly common around homes and farms growing chicken.

Poor sanitation or cleanliness around the house are the main reasons why this fly is seen around the window.

They fly indoors easily and they use windows to get inside the house.

Houseflies love garbage. It’s best to eliminate garbage and trash cans around the house or store them further away from the house to avoid having these flies indoors.

One of the biggest reasons to take these flies seriously is their health impact.

Houseflies are known to carry bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens since they often emerge in manure.

Insects of the genus help spread salmonella, giardia, or the Newcastle disease virus.

11. Rice Weevils

Rice Weevils

Rice weevils are identified by their snout nose appearance.

Most species of rice weevils can fly which explains their presence around the kitchen window. 

These insects are known for feeding exclusively on whole grains such as rice, beans, cereals, and other seeds.

However, the biggest issue is they don’t live once they find food as they live in it.

Rice weevils are commonly seen living in rice packs or cereal boxes in the cupboard.

Rice weevils live at least half a year with some surviving up to 2 years when based in homes.

These bugs lay up to 400 eggs in their lifetime.

Female rice weevils are known for very fast multiplication rates which make them abundant in areas of the house with plenty of grains and boxed foods. 

Rice weevils are also attracted to light. Keeping kitchen lights off when, not in the kitchen is the best to keep these bugs away.

Furthermore, you can add some curtains to limit the lights these bugs see from outdoors.

One of the problems rice weevils are known for is their ability to chew through plastic containers.

This is why even unopened food such as rice might end up being infested with these bugs so it’s best to keep them out at all costs.

12. Clover Mites

Clover Mite

Clover mites are commonly seen around windows trying to make it indoors.

These are some of the tiniest black bugs that might enter your home. Most people don’t even notice clover mites since they’re so small.

Often confused with dust or dirt particles, clover mites are common in areas with high fertilizer use as well as around the lawn where they live in.

They might be attracted to lights and try to make their way indoors.

Clover mites are typically a nuisance bug that causes no harm inside the house.

Like all types of seasonal bugs, clover mites are known to die in extreme temperatures.

They try to make it indoors whenever the weather is too cold or when the outdoor temperature is too high.

While they typically don’t carry bacteria, clover mites might still be detrimental to your health as an allergic person.

These small bugs can trigger some of the most acute allergy symptoms, similar to fine dust particles.

13. Livestock Mites

Livestock Mites

Livestock mites are some of the most damaging pests that can get inside the house.

Somewhat similar to spiders, these 8-legged bugs are known to invade homes on farms or homes with nearby livestock.

These black and red bugs are initially attracted to light.

One of the biggest issues with these types of bugs is they can invade homes even in the winter.

They are most active in the cold season.

Livestock mites are known to attack and even kill livestock.

If you see these around your home in a serious invasion you might need to alert local authorities.

Rapid multiplication by direct contact makes these problematic.

Some sub-species such as the sheep scan mite is controlled by local regulation through state authorities due to their rapid spread.

14. Pill Bugs

Pill Bugs

Small pill bugs get their name from resembling a ball or a small pill.

These bugs are prevalent outdoors and may sometime make their way indoors.

Most pill bugs don’t cause any type of damage once inside the house. These bugs are only known to make a home uninviting, at most.

However, pill bugs are difficult to eradicate as they come from moist organic matter and moist nearby soils.

These bugs are known to be attracted to moist crops and damp flower soils around the house.

Reducing the watering frequency of your garden is recommended for those who want to eliminate these bugs from the house.

15. Palmetto Bugs

Palmetto Bugs

Palmetto bugs incorporate a wide range of American cockroaches, particularly those in Southern states.

This is a type of bug that flies indoors and breeds indoors.

Known to eat meat, fruits, and other types of food including decaying food, Palmetto bugs are very common in the summer.

Once inside the house, they prefer to nest in corners and dark damp places.

They do not refrain from nesting near sewers or in areas with water leaks.

A clean home without any open food cans or open food packaging is required to eliminate these bugs.

They can also be seen coming in from neighboring homes so properly sealing areas around the windows and doors is required to keep them out.

16. Ticks

Tick

Ticks are some of the most dangerous bugs that can get inside your homes through window frame cracks or by crawling through open windows.

These bugs cannot fly but they can crawl indoors.

One of the biggest issues with ticks is they bite and remain attached to the skin.

If not removed, they can cause severe health problems such as Lyme disease.

Ticks are known to be prevalent in areas with tall grass and tall vegetation. They are also common around livestock.

Eliminating ticks from your backyard takes more than turning off the lights.

A professional pest repellent might be needed to clear out the backyard and the house.

Homeowners need to trim vegetation and mow the lawn and grasses around the house to limit the spread of these insects.

17. Parasitic Wasps

Parasitic Wasps

Parasitic wasps encompass a wide range of wasps that develop as a parasite in various bug hosts.

These wasps are known to have different sizes and different colors.

Some parasitic wasps are 3 inches long and yellow-black.

Others are just 0.5 inches long and all-black.

Parasitic wasps can fly and as a result, make their way indoors easily.

Most parasitic wasps have no interest in being indoors as adults as they eat pollen and flower nectar.

They only make their way indoors when they need to lay eggs as their larvae feed on insects and are sheltered from predators.

Parasitic wasps are seen as beneficial species and are even used to control pests around the country. 

No specific measures are needed against these wasps apart from eliminating all home pests which may attract them as food sources for larvae.

18. Bat Bugs

Cimex adjunctus
Eastern Bat Bug (Cimex adjunctus). Image by ptcrawford via inaturalist

Bat bugs are only common in the Midwest. As their name implies, these bugs are known to be interested in bats.

They suck on the blood of bats and come into homes carried by bats.

Most bat bugs are found in attics and barns, areas bats might be living undisturbed.

You might see bat bugs making their way around the house and windows only after you eliminate the bats as they have no host to prey on anymore.

Bat bugs are known to look for alternative food sources whenever you eliminate bats.

They can even suck on animal and human blood once they cannot find any bats.

It’s best to use the help of a pest controller to eliminate them from the premises.

19. Junk Bugs

Junk Bugs
Junk Bugs. Image by Wynand Uys via inaturalist

Junk bugs are some of the friendliest-looking bugs around windows.

They are also common in the Midwest, similarly but Bat bugs.

Junk bugs are normally interested in insects and they move around the house looking for them.

They pierce small insects with their sharp mouthparts and they drink the liquefied victim.

Eliminating all insects from your house is the best way of keeping these bugs out.

20. Silverfish

Silverfish

Silverfish are common around windows whenever their try to infest a home.

These primitive elongated insects are recognized by their tapering body wider at the head.

Not known for their ability to fly, silverfish can crawl and even jump a few times their body size.

They only breed in humid areas of the house such as the bathroom.

Silverfish are known to have a varied diet. They eat vegetables, meats, cereals, pet food, and even clothes and towels.

Silverfish are nocturnal creatures and they run away from light, especially when seeing people.

Most silverfish can be kept out of the house by fixing cracks and crawling spaces in walls.

Sealing all entry points is vital, especially around windows as they might be attracted to light sources at night if there are no people around.

21. Powderpost beetles

Powderpost beetles
Powderpost beetle

Powederpost beetles are a sign of wood infestation whenever you see them around your windows.

These insects might be hard to spot since they can be as small as 1/16 inch. They are only seen when they live in tiny holes in the wood behind them.

These bugs aren’t seen in finished windows and window frames. If your windows are painted they aren’t likely to be damaged by powderpost beetles.

Bugs of this genus dig and lay eggs in unfinished wood.

One of the common signs your windows and walls have been infested is the high wood moisture level.

Like termites, these tiny bugs are only interested in old and damp wood as they rarely consider fresh wood.

Hardwood is specifically targeted by powderpost beetles as opposed to softwood.

22. Carpenter bees

Eastern carpenter bee

Carpenter bees are small black and yellow insects that resemble bumblebees.

They are seen around windows and around the house to find suitable places to tunnel directly into the wood, as their name implies.

Female carpenter bees are known for tunneling wood to lay eggs.

While carpenter bees aren’t as problematic as termites, they can cause damage to your home that isn’t just cosmetic.

While solitary, these bees can tunnel through pieces of wood until they create structural damage.

The insecticide is used against these bees. Any bifenthrin-based insecticide should be good when sprayed directly in the tunnels of these bees.

Carpenter bees spread the insecticide by moving around eventually killing all bees in the area.

How to Prevent Tiny Black Bugs from Entering Your House

Preventing tiny black bugs from entering your house is a multi-step process.

Each bug species is attracted to different elements such as food or high moisture.

Some bugs cause no harm while others carry diseases. Here’s what to do to keep them out for good.

Use window mesh screens

Window mesh screen

One of the easiest methods of keeping tiny black bugs out of the house is to install window mesh screens.

Window screens can keep even the tiniest bugs out when installed correctly. They prevent them from entering your home and especially the kitchen looking for food.

You can install window mesh screens yourself by ordering a kit that’s at least as large as the window opening and screwing it in the window frame.

Switch off the lights when not needed

Lights attract many types of bugs at night.

Keeping the lights off at all times isn’t possible.

Instead, you can switch off the lights in rooms you don’t stay in at night.

Porch lights might also attract bugs. These can also be switched off at night as they can bring in all types of insects that can make their way through the entire house.

Clear all pests inside the home

Some predatory bugs are only interested in various pest insects already in your house.

This is why you should treat all insects and bugs equally. Preventive measures keep them out and once a species is out of the house it won’t attract any predatory bugs either.

Store food in containers and refrigerators

Food is one of the main reasons bugs and insects are seen in your kitchen window. They can often sense food smells either from cooking or natural food odors such as those from fermenting fruit.

These food odors attract flies and bugs instantly.

It’s best to always keep food in the fridge or airtight containers during the summer.

Fix water leaks

Water leaks are known to attract all types of bugs and insects such as silverfish.

Some bugs specifically look for high humidity environments to live in and your home should be dry and clean for them to move along.

Keep garbage cans further away from windows

Garbage attracts all types of bugs. Most garbage cans are stored next to the house, which is a mistake.

Insects and pests love garbage and they easily transition indoors when nearby.

Garbage cans should be kept further away from the house, preferably with a lid on where flies and bugs can’t easily crawl through.

Use bug zappers

UV bug zappers are efficient at killing bugs. They might need to be installed on the porch or next to the house to kill all types of bugs that fly.

However, some bugs don’t fly. Other species can see fly capabilities between genders which means only the females or the males can fly.

It’s best to use UV bug zappers together with other preventive measures to truly keep all bugs away.

Avoid using too much fertilizer in the garden

Heavy fertilizer use has been shown to favor bugs. Too much soil fertilization isn’t good for plants either.

Avoiding heavily watering your garden is also recommended.

Soil that’s always too moist or that has too much puddling water is preferred by many bugs.

It only takes a short time for bugs and insects to make it inside the house once the backyard is a breeding ground for bugs.

Use insecticide

Some types of bugs and insects cannot be eliminated without insecticide.

Insecticide is often used against termites and carpenter bees.

These types of bugs and insects cannot be eliminated by other means as they aren’t attracted to UV lights and they aren’t going to avoid home invasions by removing foods.

Any insecticide based on the following active ingredients is going to work against tiny bugs.

  • Bifenthrin
  • Cyfluthrin
  • Deltamerthrin

The insecticide should be sprayed by a professional under clear guidance as it can have a detrimental health effect on pets and humans if applied incorrectly.

Summary

Both bugs that fly and bugs that crawl are seen around your house near windows.

Attracted to lights and odors, these bugs make it indoors where they live and breed.

Sometimes they even survive winters indoors.

Carpenter ants stink bugs, and termites are just a few species commonly seen around windows.

Other bugs such as clover mites might not even be seen around windows easily due to their tiny size.

All of them are eliminated by different methods but carefully analyzing windows and window frames in the warm season helps keep them under control.