Tiny Insects All Over Coop

[Digge Court Hens]

Hi all.

I have searched a number of times and looked at a few photos on here but can’t find anything like what I have on my coop.

Photos attached.

Please could you help me to identify these? There are thousands inside and out but they don’t seem to be on the birds.

They fly away if disturbed, they don’t seem to congregate specifically where the birds roost. They have come just after rain, after weeks of drought in the UK and are even on a coop that’s not currently occupied.

I’m confident they aren’t red mites but just want to be sure they aren’t a threat. I am in the UK.

Many thanks for your help.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

afik, Mites do not fly.
I have not idea what they are. Do the chickens eat them or avoid them?

@Shadrach do you recognize these bugs?

 

[Digge Court Hens]

afik, Mites do not fly.
I have not idea what they are. Do the chickens eat them or avoid them?

@Shadrach do you recognize these bugs?

Thanks for the reply. The chickens don’t seem to even notice. I went out last night to check and the 2, 12 week old chicks in that coop seemed totally unphased and didn’t have any bugs anywhere near them.

I’m getting more confident that there an aphid or something. They are under fruit trees too.

 

[raingarden]

Fruit flies?

 

[Digge Court Hens]

Fruit flies?

I’m coming around to that way of thinking too. Thank you!

 

[Dakar2009]

Those aren't flies. I'm not sure what they are, but they look like beetles of some kind. Don't seem to be weevils (they have "long snouts) and would be boring into the coop.

Are you doing any gardening or composting close to the coop?

Are there any worms or grubs on the floor of the coop or in the bedding?

It's interesting they don't eat them.

 

[Digge Court Hens]

Those aren't flies. I'm not sure what they are, but they look like beetles of some kind. Don't seem to be weevils (they have "long snouts) and would be boring into the coop.

Are you doing any gardening or composting close to the coop?

Are there any worms or grubs on the floor of the coop or in the bedding?

It's interesting they don't eat them.

Hiya!

The chicken poo manure compost pile isn’t far away but no digging and no worms as such. Nothing in the bedding. It’s clean.

I think they’re too small for the hens to see to be honest. They’d also need to be around the coop in the light to see them and are generally out and about.

They seem to love the wood and the corners of the coop roof edging so perhaps they are termites of some kind.

 

[Dakar2009]

I'm fairly certain those are wood-boring beetles...not QUITE as destructive as termites but still a problem for your coop in the long run. You usually never SEE termites, they just do their horrible nonsense in the dark until your wood collapses.

Wood boring beetles

 

[Digge Court Hens]

I'm fairly certain those are wood-boring beetles...not QUITE as destructive as termites but still a problem for your coop in the long run. You usually never SEE termites, they just do their horrible nonsense in the dark until your wood collapses.

Wood boring beetles

Thanks for the advice. I’ll do a bit of research. The link didn’t open for me for some reason.

 

[Dakar2009]

Try this one:

Wood boring beetles

or this one:
More wood beetle goodness