Bugs in donkeys ears

With the weather warming up I'm finding small fly like bugs in my donkey's ears. I'm wondering if they are fleas. Anyone know a natural way to deter them?

You  could lightly dust with DE, or make a spray with wormwood, cintronella and rue to spray eay around the  area. Just test on a small patcb of skin first.

laura...i have gone over this and over this in my head!!! LOL and i have talked it over with cowboy...i dunno...i suppose if i found bugs in my horses ears i would freak out! hey...will your donkey let you clean and clip his/her ears?  i think maybe i would do that so that i could better see what is going on down inside of there as well...what laura suggested sounds like a really good course of action...i am just wandering what is drawing whatever it is to your donkey's ears...i think i would clean the area really good...and clip it...so that i could see...plus...that would take away the safe warm spot that those critters have decided to habitate!

My best guess without seeing a pic would be gnats. They love to bite the inside of their ears and they look like tiny fly like bugs. Our mule seemed to have the most trouble with them. A fly mask with ears should help a lot.  Otherwise a good fly spray, spray on a cloth, so it's damp not wet, and gently wipe the inside of the ear, the "cup" part of the ear, not down inside the ear canal. Test a small spot first in case of a reaction.

Donkey Fly Mask link

Edited to add; don't clip the inside of your donkey's ears, all that hair helps protect the inside of the ears.