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r3nov8or
22nd October 2023, 03:39 PM
At Mum's place, probably build in the '40s, all original timber home, we've found these very tiny bugs on the window sills. So small the wings can't be seen with my naked eye, and 10x digital zoom doesn't cope too well. They don't seem to be doing any visible damage. Any ideas what they are?

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bruceward51
23rd October 2023, 08:05 AM
Could be fungus gnats - they breed in wet potting mix. Gardening Australia have a segment on them from time to time. Annoying rather than dangerous from memory.

r3nov8or
23rd October 2023, 01:39 PM
Thanks. I guess they could be very young fungus gnats - reading about their general size of 2mm - 8mm, "Mum's" are well under 2mm, tiny, none are bigger. They are also on the window sills, not on plants and not where any plants are grown. Mum says they seem harmless and have a very short life (especially short when she spots them :) )

bruceward51
25th October 2023, 09:24 AM
If there is only a small population, it would be easy to miss the adults hovering around the plants. You are only seeing the few that die at the windows where they are easy to see.
I have not seen the larvae but the Gardening Australia segment that I saw said that they can’t resist cut potato, so a small slice of spud face down on the potting mix attracts the larvae if they are there.
But I suspect your Mum only has a few so they would be hard to find and maybe only in one pot.
put a few bodies in a jar and ask at a garden Centre to be sure.