Tiny white bugs in kitchen, help!!

[sjjones]

Hi, I have recently moved into my new flat and after a few days I noticed these tiny white insects on my kitchen work surface. They are too small to give an accurate discription and as much as I spray disinfectant and get rid of them they seem to come back! My surfaces are always clean and I never leave food out. They always seem to be in the same area and I have recently discovered a couple in one of my cupboards where I keep my plates and bowls. They seem to like hiding under my marble chopping board and kettle? There aren't hundreds of them but enough to make me think there is a problem. Any ideas on what they could be and how I get rid?

[Banali]

They sound like mites of some sort. Have you had damp problems? Are you sure they are only in your kitchen? If they are hiding in dark places, check elsewhere in your flat carefully.

Check any opened food very carefully, especially flour cereals etc and destroy any that is contaminated (as if you would eat it!!)

Mites are difficult to get rid of with domestic insect sprays.. It may pay to get the council or a local pest control company in to advise you.

[sjjones]

I also thought they may be mites of some kind. I will check around the rest of the flat. It's funny you mentioned damp problems, I don't appear to have any visual signs of damp but I do know that the flat was flooded in June last year and has had to be refurbished, so it hasn't been tenanted until now. Do you think this may be the problem?

[Banali]

I know a lot of mites like damp moist conditions. If the flat was refurbed after a flood and has been unoccupied over the winter, and probably unheated, you may have a resultant problem.

At least your landlord will have to pay to sort it out rather than you.

Take a look at this and see if it looks anything like.

http://www.rentokil.co.uk/pest-guides/insects- and-spiders/insects-found-in-food/index.html

[sjjones]

Right I have captured a few of the little ******* and taken them down to the council's environmental department. They will get back to me in 3 days to give me a definate ID. Although from the link you posted they definately do look like mites. More the household or cheese/mould mites because there head is a lot smaller than their body.

Thanks so much for getting me on the right track. I think I will wait and see what the council say and then let my landlord know.

[Banali]

Hope you're on track. Would check opened food very carefully though and make sure anything you do open is kept in a sealed container until you find out what they are.

One consolation - compared to some of the things on that website I'd say you're lucky!!!

[King Normie]

Might just be a difference in language but here in Arizona 'disinfectants' are not insecticides.