Little black insects! What are they?

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I was out hacking today and just after I set off, a whole load of little black insects came around me in a swarm - they were very much like little black ladybirds, sort of little thripsy things and they were particularly attracted to my flourescent yellow hi viz stuff which they pounced on!

I don't think they were biting as such, but they congregated on my boy and I which freaked him out a bit. (We were also bitten alive by blessed horse flies - I spent the whole ride swatting the b@gg@rs.

I've never ever encountered these black things before; we have had flying ants before which are horrible, but these werent' the same thing at all.

When we got back to the yard, they'd all gone, every last one of 'em. So strange.

Anybody else have any ideas what they were? Also any ideas for flysprays that deter horse=flies would be brill.

 

[rosie fronfelen]

I was out hacking today and just after I set off, a whole load of little black insects came around me in a swarm - they were very much like little black ladybirds, sort of little thripsy things and they were particularly attracted to my flourescent yellow hi viz stuff which they pounced on!

I don't think they were biting as such, but they congregated on my boy and I which freaked him out a bit. (We were also bitten alive by blessed horse flies - I spent the whole ride swatting the b@gg@rs.

I've never ever encountered these black things before; we have had flying ants before which are horrible, but these werent' the same thing at all.

When we got back to the yard, they'd all gone, every last one of 'em. So strange.

Anybody else have any ideas what they were? Also any ideas for flysprays that deter horse=flies would be brill.

no idea- so many bugs around these days-try Leovets Power Phaser, i ordered it on ebay.

 

[michelleice]

Flea Beetles mabey?

 

[jacksmum]

I had the same yesterday, they literally covered my hi viz and nothing else.
When i took it off and put it on the ground it was just black from them!
Funny little things but weren't biting me at all

 

[michelleice]

could be corn flies think they called the love bright colours and do not bite sounds like them

 

[appylass]

I have no idea what they are really but we call them thunder bugs as they seem worst when the weather is threatening to rain. They are really attracted to yellow. I filled up a water trough the other day with 3 water containers, turned my back for a few minutes and the yellow one was absolutely covered in these bugs. I've never know then to bite and they are different to flea beetle which we get in the vegetable patch.