unknown bug too small for a picture

Collembola...

or Springtails as they are more commonly known as. Most are very small and come in many different colors. Maybe this is what you're seeing and if it is, you won't want to kill them when you see how beautiful they are up close! They are not pests.

http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=collembola&search=Search

… Scott Justis, 13 August, 2009 - 12:03pm

I don't really want to kill anything...

They're not biting me, just more of a nuisance than anything else. I guess I'm more curious as to what they are and how they came to be on my desk. They are annoying, but maybe they wouldn't be if I knew more about them. Are they attracted to food on my desk? I sometimes keep a piece of fruit up here for a snack, so I'm not sure if that's what attracts them, or maybe my cup of coffee? I guess I'll google them to maybe get some more info.

… heah325, 13 August, 2009 - 12:09pm

Dry them out

Springtails are very sensitive to low humidity: anything you can do to reduce the humidity should drive them off, or at least send them into hiding

… Chuck Entz, 14 August, 2009 - 12:24pm

Think I figured it all out...

I think I've got it all figured out. We had a roof leak here at the office. We've had the roof leak fixed, so once that all dries out in the ceiling I think they will go away on their own.

… heah325, 14 August, 2009 - 1:23pm

Here is a...

good website to check out by Frans Janssens:
http://www.collembola.org/

They might be attracted to the fruit or the coffee if you have lots of sweetener in it, but then they would probably be bouncing off the walls with the caffeine :^)

… Scott Justis, 13 August, 2009 - 12:15pm

freaking me out...

I googled them and they came up as a parasite on humans...please tell me this is incorrect!!

… heah325, 13 August, 2009 - 12:28pm

Never heard of that...

they feed on decaying organic material though.

… Scott Justis, 13 August, 2009 - 12:37pm

look at this...

Check out this website if you get a free minute. http://www.usfreeads.com/538138-cls.html

I'm thinking that it might just be trying to sell the anti parasitic medicine. I'm not real familiar with bugs - that's the reason for me posting here. Any help would be great.

Thanks again!

… heah325, 13 August, 2009 - 12:41pm

Upon further investigation

I found this http://en.allexperts.com/q/Entomology-Study-Bugs-665/Springtails-12.htm

It basically says, "They eat mold and mildew, and the tales of parasitic springtails are told by people with a psychiatric disorder called "delusional parasitotis" (in other words, a hallucination). Any nut-job can put insane nonsense on a website, no laws against it (free speech has its down side). Springtails are totally harmless, nut-jobs notwithstanding. "

… heah325, 13 August, 2009 - 12:53pm

Must be...

the same folks who've said they've been abducted by aliens and see UFO's every night :^) I've spent thousands of hours outside under dark starry skies and have never seen a UFO! I do believe there is life in other parts of the universe, but I'm not a nutcase :^)

Scott

… Scott Justis, 13 August, 2009 - 2:13pm

UFO's

I saw one once, but then after submitting a picture of it to bugguide, it turned out to be a very IFO (Identified Flying Object)...

… Andrew Meeds, 13 August, 2009 - 2:38pm

It was probably...

a fast flying cicada :^)

… Scott Justis, 13 August, 2009 - 3:17pm