Tiny bugs in my breakfast nook - any ideas?

[lecach]

My breakfast nook has a door to the patio and also contains my houseplants.

I noticed these teeny tiny bugs the other day and cant seem to get rid of them. They are so tiny they look like specks of dirt. I tried spraying one of those "kills everything" bug sprays - didnt last. I tried spraying my plants with alcohol since I know they can sometimes bring bugs - didnt help.

The bugs seem to die really fast - out of the many that are there since last night there are only a few that seem to be alive.

The only other thing I can think of is that we keep the back light on at night and maybe they are coming from that - I think the rubber seal under the door needs replacing so maybe they are attracted to the light and then get into the house that way?

Any ideas?

 

[pumba]

sometimes the soil we use for our plants seem to GROW these little bitty teeny weeny bugs ...a few times a year after watering them they seem to sprout...spray the plants with the aphid spray......THEN it could be the outdoor mingies that come out at night and come to the screen.....Hope you get rid of them cause I know they drive me nuts too.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

If you swish them are they red?

 

[lecach]

If you swish them are they red?

No - they are so tiny that they dont squish. I've had those red squishy ones before.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Do you have signs that the insects are feeding on your houseplant?

Since you say tiny, I still think they are mites, just not clover mites. Here is a good article that explains how to attempt to rid your plant of them. Note the bolded part.

Check your plant for them first. Look on the underside of your leaves. You may see tiny specks and/or webbing. One test is to get a paper plate or white napkin and shake the leaves over it to see if you have the mites fall onto the plate.

Spider mites are almost impossible to see with the naked eye. They are extremely small and a magnifying glass is usually needed to see them. They usually attack new leaves and buds. Plants infested with mites lose their green color and appear bronzed or washed out. In severe cases, the mites will form a fine webbing covering the underside of leaves. Once a plant is infested with mites, control will be difficult, if not impossible. Isolate your plant immediately, and dip it or spray it weekly with insecticidal soap. Systemic insecticides are sometimes effective if used soon enough.
Aside from using chemical sprays which specify that they will control spider mites, the only thing I could suggest would be good old soap and water.... Getting rid of the spider mites will take perserverance or you will just postpone the next infestation. I would try an organic insecticidal soap again, and the next day begin a process of spraying each plant, each day with as strong of a stream of water as you think your plants will withstand, making certain to spray the bottoms of the leaves.
Mites can reproduce each 3-7 days, so it is critical that you spray on a daily basis until the problem is under control. Dry air encourages spider mites to breed so anything you can do to increase the surrounding humidity will help you in your 'mite fight'.
Keep in mind that spider mites are NOT insects, so insecticides may not do any good at all, so be sure that the product you use is listed as being effective against mites, and follow the directions on the label.

http://www.thegardenhelper.com/bugs.html

 

[Magic Mom]

Could they be springtails? Tiny bugs that eat dead vegetation.