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We are in Poland right now and found this tiny bug that seems to have come from a day in the garden.

I couldn't put anything for size reference, but it looks like 0.1mm long, it's extremely small and seems to move quite slowly for its size. It doesn't seem to jump. While it's not really visible on the photo, it has quite a reddish tint

What is it?

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  • I highly doubt that the bug is 0.1mm long. I think you meant 0.1cm long which is 1 millimeter
    – kukis
    Oct 5, 2020 at 9:00
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    No no, it’s really 0.1mm, it’s a very tiny dot you can barely see with the eye unless there is contrast behind and the photos where taken with a macro lens
    – Thomas
    Oct 5, 2020 at 9:04
  • My apologies then
    – kukis
    Oct 5, 2020 at 9:28
  • @kukis, no worries, it's good to check.
    – Thomas
    Oct 5, 2020 at 17:20
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    my first thought was a tick, but it could also be a type of mite being that small.
    – Nate W
    Oct 5, 2020 at 22:55

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The lack of body segments and the elongated proboscus indicates that it is most likely a tick. Ticks are all blood-sucking and can carry a range of diseases, some of which are quite dangerous, such as Lyme disease.

It would seem that there is no difference in abundance between rural and urban (parkland) areas (possibly paywalled article) in Poland for tick abundance, so keep an eye out for them when you are next working in the garden, and particularly if you have pets such as a dog or cat.

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  • this one looks like it has antennas in the front, do some ticks have them too? in all photos I find they don't seem to have antenna and have a wider abdomen
    – Thomas
    Oct 4, 2020 at 20:03
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    @Thomas ticks have 8 legs, what you are looking at are the 1st pair of legs. These are usually pretty long relative to the body. The bits right on the front of its "nose" are mouth parts, which can sometimes look like antennae. The big distinguishing thing from beetles vs ticks is the lack of wing cases - all beetles have a split down the back of the shell for the wings. Ticks never have a split; the body is solid and there is no separation of abdomen and thorax.
    – bob1
    Oct 4, 2020 at 22:25

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