A few hundred of tiny reddish brown bugs have appeared in my EarthBoxes.
They are very fast moving and busy like ants. I can barely focus the camera. Are these things common enough for these crappy pictures to ID them?
I’m terrified they are newly hatched baby cockroaches and I’m gonna halfta bleach down and restart from scratch. Thanks for any help.
Sort of hard to see in detail, but I’m guessing they are stratiolaelaps scimitus mites. They are perditory mites that mainly feed on fungus gnat larva.
The pictures are not really great. The one from the side looks a bit like a flea beetle. Do they jump?
Eeek I did a websearch and I wish I had not seen a closeup shot. 
So… good guys? And adult sized?
I can watch and wait. If they grow bigger and bigger I can reboot.
I’m irrationally terrified of cockroaches. Mice, rats, bats, spiders pffff. But cockroaches push my flee in terror button.
You will find all kinds of critters in the EB.
Have you had issues with roaches in the past? What makes you think they are roaches?
I consider everything living thing I see to be beneficial until it shows me it’s not lol, so yeah, just keep an eye on them but I don’t think you have anything to worry about .
Yeah, they are good guys and full sized. I have them, in my beds along with worms, rove beetles, and springtails. I can spend hours peeking under my mulch layer. 
I love my rovies! I watch my soil more than my plants now a days 
I’m with you @ReikoX
I only ever see mine briefly, they are like silent ninjas.
Mine used to be, way over populated right now. Been trying to knock them back a bit, even put a lizard in my tent in hopes to balance the ecosystem lol
Elongated body and antennas, looks like springtails to me … 
Behaviorally, they went right to inspect the diced eggplant I just fed the worms.
@BeagleZ Unfortunately we do have cockroaches from time to time. Not awful but not rare either. Bleh.
Just went down and tried to get a pic from my worm bin, this what is doing most of my decomposing lately. They literally cover things like a carpet for a day or two then it’s gone, worm food.
Thanks @BeagleZ I am hoping they are good guys. They are really fun to watch, zipping around, exploring.
Gonna wait and watch.
Yes. Definitely stratiolaelaps scimitus. Nothing to worry about.
My bad 
, you’re right, they’re not antennas but the front legs they use to search for food … 
Thanks @ReikoX , now I can stop calling them “critters” lol
Music to my ears! Is it possible that because they are a beneficial insect for organic farmers that they hitched a ride into the EarthBoxes on some organic kitchen scrap?
In any case I am less freaked. Those two front antenna are so cucaracha-esque (shivers) but as long as they stay nice and tiny they retain cuteness.
Yeah probably hitched a ride in on some compost or something.
Kinda look like bedbugs to me 
& that would be awful.
But predator mites are awesome. 
