Sap beetle

6584.    We have hundreds of these flying around, they are tiny, around 1mm although we have just noticed dozens of smaller ones in the last few days. They don’t seem to bite but are a huge annoyance, flying into drinks and people’s hair. Would like to know what they are so we know how to get rid of them. Kinburn, Ontario. Canada

 

Number 6584. This is a sap beetle (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae). These beetles feed in soft fruits, such as strawberries, as well as in just about any damaged/fermenting plant tissue (I often see them in corn ears that have been damaged by the corn earworm). They are attracted by the odor of fermenting fruits and vegetables and reportedly will fly into beer or soft drinks. There’s not much that you can do to ‘get rid’ of them unless you can locate and remove/destroy their food source.