Munsterfan

I turn once again to my private Algarve/Portugal GOOGLE TEAM for help.

We are camping on a lovely place along the Rio Formosa near Cabanas.
The ground is dry, hardened red clay, we are not near water (or trees, gulp, I know, hot summer is coming)...anyway, I expected ants...and will use all the normal things to create an ant-resistant perimeter around our space...IE Salt, coffee grounds, vinegar water, ajax powder...and yes, YES, (mebadgirl) even chemicals if required. BUT what in the Hell are those disgusting, little black, beetle/cockroachy things that are swarming on everything, under shoes, on chair cushions AND particularly disgusting for me, on a dry face towel I laid down. :
They don't have the long antennae of cockroaches and we've NO open food of any kind what-so-ever, They have shiny, brown-black, small, round backs and are fast as the Dickens, less than 1/2 inch long.....

I know I'm supposed to be one-with-the-universe and enjoy all that Portugal has to offer....but I really HATE these things. Does anyone have any idea what they are, their name and if they carry the Bubonic Plague ?? Or are they just prolific and disgusting...(I know I've used that word three times in this Post but can't think of a synonym to 'disgusting'.)

Munsterfan

UPDATE: They DO have antennae and are more brownish and have orange/yellow underbelly when killed...

Found a new bug.....could it be a GIANT 'Tick'? with a black spot on its body? ....oh, just back , for sure I thought I heard the Hilton calling me by name..............shoot......

ouriquejan

Stag beetle???

Nowt to worry about - shoo 'em out.

Maly77

Are there ticks in Portugal? If these are ticks, watch out ....

mfesharne

Shit loads.

Munsterfan

Hi Jan they are not stag beetles VERY coackroachy things .... and yes there are ticks here just twisted another one off of me dog