Tiny Tiny Shoe-eaters?
September 3, 2009 1:22 PM
This morning there were tiny insects crawling over the soles of my leather boots. What are they and should I get the flamethrower?
I have a pair of suede shoes with leather soles that I love. This morning, when I got them from the closet, there were maybe a dozen tiny tiny insects crawling over the soles. The insects were beetle shaped, whitish, and very small (less than a millimeter long).
Are they some kind of shoe termite? Moth-spawn? Should I be afraid for my sweaters?
I live in NYC if that matters.
I have a pair of suede shoes with leather soles that I love. This morning, when I got them from the closet, there were maybe a dozen tiny tiny insects crawling over the soles. The insects were beetle shaped, whitish, and very small (less than a millimeter long).
Are they some kind of shoe termite? Moth-spawn? Should I be afraid for my sweaters?
I live in NYC if that matters.
No pets, but roommates.
posted by crookedneighbor at 1:30 PM on September 3, 2009
posted by crookedneighbor at 1:30 PM on September 3, 2009
As a roommate of the OP who is slightly terrified to be finding out about this via Metafilter, can I ask if the bugs you found are any of the ones listed on this BugFinder?
Could they have been larvae of some kind?
posted by Hadroed at 1:39 PM on September 3, 2009
Could they have been larvae of some kind?
posted by Hadroed at 1:39 PM on September 3, 2009
Could it be mites, like suggested here? You'll have to Google for pictures of grain mites yourself (I inadvertantly squicked myself out with that search).
posted by cabingirl at 2:19 PM on September 3, 2009
posted by cabingirl at 2:19 PM on September 3, 2009
Fleas aren't white and neither are bedbugs. Did it look anything like this?
posted by jessamyn at 2:19 PM on September 3, 2009
posted by jessamyn at 2:19 PM on September 3, 2009
Try a google picture search for booklice. Some of the pictures show fly-like beasts; apparently this is a rather large and divergent group of bugs. There are others too: the ones I know are typically tiny and beetle-shaped and if living in closets, whitish-translucent as you describe.
The German Wikipedia article (Staubläuse) mentions that while they are in themselves not dangerous or anything, they indicate humidity, perhaps mold; thus they should not be driven away with poison but the background problem ought to be taken care of instead.
posted by Namlit at 7:38 AM on September 4, 2009
The German Wikipedia article (Staubläuse) mentions that while they are in themselves not dangerous or anything, they indicate humidity, perhaps mold; thus they should not be driven away with poison but the background problem ought to be taken care of instead.
posted by Namlit at 7:38 AM on September 4, 2009
If they were fleas they would not be crawling -- instead, they'd be jumping -- towards the handiest mammal.
It's no help to you but I remember my brother discovering his baseball glove in the attic after decades of negligence -- and a closer look showed it be crawling with tiny insects. He was so horrified he threw it into a dim corner and nobody's seen it since.
posted by Rash at 12:11 PM on September 4, 2009
It's no help to you but I remember my brother discovering his baseball glove in the attic after decades of negligence -- and a closer look showed it be crawling with tiny insects. He was so horrified he threw it into a dim corner and nobody's seen it since.
posted by Rash at 12:11 PM on September 4, 2009
They look like grain mites to me. Hooray for harmless bugs.
posted by crookedneighbor at 7:02 AM on September 7, 2009
posted by crookedneighbor at 7:02 AM on September 7, 2009
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posted by royalsong at 1:27 PM on September 3, 2009