These were all over my pant leg during a walk today — I have no idea how they got there. What are they

3. Tiny insects (less likely, but possible) 🐜

Examples:

Aphids

Plant lice

Springtails

Clues it’s insects:

They move

Some jump when disturbed

Not strongly attached to fabric

If they were not moving, this probably isn’t it.

4. Ticks 🕷️ (IMPORTANT BUT UNLIKELY IF “ALL OVER”)

Ticks:

Do not usually appear in large numbers on clothing

Are darker, rounder, and slow-moving

Prefer climbing upward toward skin

If these were:

Numerous

Small and seed-like

Easily brushed off

👉 Almost certainly not ticks

(If you’re worried about ticks specifically, say so — I’ll walk you through a quick safety check.)

5. Urban weirdos (rare but real)

Things like:

Burrs from landscaping plants

Industrial fiber fragments

Velcro-like seed husks used in erosion control

Seen near construction sites or maintained paths.

Bottom line (without a photo):

99% chance these were plant burrs / hitchhiker seeds — totally harmless, extremely common, and designed to do exactly what they did to your pants.