Book Lice help!

lisacat · #1 (**permalink**) 10-02-2010, 04:29 PM

Hi, i posted here a while ago with regards to an unidentified bug problem. I now believe i have booklice. They like to crawl on my newly fitted laminated floor as wel as ocassionally up the walls which have just been painted. I want to know why is this? Don't book lice typically live in books or other paper related places? It's really 'bugging' me and lately i've noticed them venture upstairs and even into my bedroom but the thing is, not all of them look the same. Some have yellow bodies and dark heads and others are dark all over and have a different structure. The ones i find downstairs look like the one in the far right picture on page 3, if you google search 'booklice' on images. Basically i just need to know why are they here, what sort of threat do they pose? And as far as i know there's only mould in my bathroom...so why are the lice venturing into other rooms?
Thanks.

Jason Green · #2 (**permalink**) 11-02-2010, 12:45 AM

Evening Lisa, good to see you back!

Yes, it's quite possible you have different species. It's also possible you have two insect species altogether! Can you get us a photo at all? Tha would really help - or a drawing.

They may well be found in other rooms. You can try vacuuming and sweeping corners, but I don't know if you can ever completely eradicate them as with disturbance they will return to tiny cracks where I assume they reside.

Take care,

Jason

lisacat · #3 (**permalink**) 11-02-2010, 09:45 PM

Okay, thanks for your help. I shall try to get a picture of them shortly.

Acutipuerilis · #4 (**permalink**) 12-02-2010, 06:30 AM

Contrary to popular belief, booklice actually eat mould and mildew rather than books - it's just that paper is often a good substrate for microscopic fungi, so the books tend to get eaten by default. Thet will happily live on dust in the corners of rooms, or slightly damp newspaper... the mould usually isn't visible. We have booklice in our environmentally-controlled museum store, but that's almost inevitable. What we're trying to do is keep the conditions such that the numbers don't multiply dramatically, because it's virtually impossible to eradicate them. Really, they're not a big problem unless you've got billions of the things.

lisacat · #5 (**permalink**) 14-02-2010, 11:29 AM

Ah, right. Well i do seem to notice quite a few on a daily basis and i want to know what sort of conditions i need to keep my house in. Will turning on the central heating help? Thanks.

Acutipuerilis · #6 (**permalink**) 15-02-2010, 06:44 PM

Central heating does dry out the air a fair bit, so yes - it will keep the mould down. Also just opening the windows on a dry day will do a fair bit - a good airing can do wonders. Good luck!

lisacat · #7 (**permalink**) 17-02-2010, 12:42 PM

Cheers. Also, will spraying one of those residual crawling insect killers on my walls do any good in keeping their numbers down? I'm just getting frustrated as i did a good clean the other day in my bedroom and they're still appearing, which is making me wonder where on earth they are coming from as i don't open the windows in the winter. I Always spot them in the same sort of places on my walls as well... but i've done a lot of wiping with strong-scented wipes so why are they returning? =/ I have a phobia of creepy crawlies and it's making my nerves really bad..

If anyone has any other suggestions please leave them.

starlight09 · #8 (**permalink**) 22-02-2010, 03:12 PM

Hi Lisa!
Is the wall that you are finding them on damp? Is the wall outside damp? Maybe they are after the moisture there and the damp is ony coming through in those areas?
I have a booklice problem as well. Please let me know how you get on.

lisacat · #9 (**permalink**) 23-02-2010, 07:46 PM

Starlight, i read your thread on booklice and i really feel your pain. I'm the only house member that seems to spot these things and everyone else disregards it which only adds to the distress!. I doubt my walls are damp, i've wiped them all pretty well and my room is usually pretty hot due to the airing cupboard backing on to it. I can't really tell whether the wall outside is damp or not as but i'm figuring that it is seeing as it rains almost every day! lol. Actually i'm beginning to think the type of booklice i have are more attracted to 'dust and crumbs' rather that damp. I only see them in dusty places tbh =/ I started off seeing them downstairs but it is only recently they have ventured upstairs... i'm getting paranoid about sleeping in my bed too =[.

I purchased something called 'Dethlac' which is a residual insecticide that dries into a hard lacquer so basically it is meant to keep working for a month or so after application. Hopefully this will eradicate the little blighters, however...it doesn't say anything about booklice on the can only mentions other crawling insects. I originally purchased it in time for the ant season as i get those buggers everywhere during summer. I shall keep you updated as to whether the dethlac works on the booklice. Hopefully it does, fingers crossed!!!

starlight09 · #10 (**permalink**) 24-02-2010, 09:54 AM

Hi Lisa! Maybe we should start a support group - lol!
I've never heard of Dethlac before. Where can you get it from?
I haven't seen as many as I did before Christmas. I am worried about the tiny white ones. They're harder to spot and I've only spotted one. I feel the others are lurking somewhere.
One thing that has come out of this, is that I've got rid of lots of junk. As I was cleaning, I was clearing out lots of useless bits and bobs and have made lots of room for things (when I dare bring them into my room) that I never thought I had the storage space for.