Tiny black bugs?

[chicken123]

Not sure if this is the section but, in one of the roadside woods tap there is a lot of tiny black bugs. I think there some type of beetles, and I'm pretty sure there coming from the fir trees. It looks like pepper all over the ground. I only have 10 taps in that woods so should I move them? So far I haven't seen any in the sap but, they are very hard to see. Anyone know what they are?

[PerryW]

They are snow fleas. A common occurrence in melting snow in the spring.

[chicken123]

Thank you

[wnybassman]

I've had a tremendous amount of small flying gnat-like bugs this year. Well, just the last few days actually.

[MapleLady]

I am finding lots of those nasty, spring-time spoiling, black flies in my buckets! (At least they are not biting this time of year!) Ugg!

[Galena]

Recently had someone asking how I'd like it if someone came along and stuck things in my legs and drew blood on a regular basis - and I said, 'Ever heard of mosquitoes?!' :D

Not to mention they don't exactly restrict THEIR tapping season to a max of 2 months! I dunno about anyone else but I get nailed by the little beasties from April on through October.

[Troutman10]

Been seeing a few moths here and there. Ants, Gnats, a fly or two and one or two bettle looking bugs have fallen victim to my sap.

[dufftj]

yup i had a few of those little black bugs flying around by a tapped tree next to a couple of small pine trees...Hopefully those mosquitoes are a couple of months out!!

Tim

[PerryW]

The snow fleas (springtails) actually do not fly. They hop, hence the name snow fleas. On a warm spring day, they look like black pepper all over the snow but upon closer examination, you will see them jumping just like tiny fleas. I read once that the combined weight of the the earth's springtails far exceeds the weight of all the humans on the planet.

[dufftj]

Well ok then I guess what I had were nats!!! Anyways wayyyy too soon for those too:D


Tim