Please help!! Bug infestation in my house :(

[haylestone]

Hi there, I am new to this site so please bear with me.

Over the past two and half years I have battled against bugs in my house, mainly present in my kitchen, utility room and downstairs w/c. However, in small numbers and not as persistently I have found some in an upstairs bedroom (which is directly above the utility room) but these disappeared once I closed the vents on the window and I occasionally find some in my upstairs bathroom but again, only one or two at a time and not very often. (There is an extractor fan which I presume they find their way in through from time to time)

Any way, these bugs....

Fully grown they reach between 1-2mm in length,

The biggest ones are dark brown almost black and to my naked eye seem to have two body sections. Smaller head and longer larger oval shape main body section. They don't fly, have no wings and they don't hop or jump.

The smaller ones seem to look very similar and seem to change colour as they grow from almost translucent to grey and so on until they reach their dark brown colour.

I am under the impression they are book lice but I am not completely sure. I do try to keep as much dry food in sealed containers and since I have taken these steps I would say numbers are greatly reduced.

However, I have a different type of bug too and was wondering if this was the same bug but in it's very early stage or if I'm dealing with a different species all together?? (I hope not!!)

These bugs are miniscule - very hard to see with the naked eye and take lots of concentration and a very bright flash light to find. I seem to spend ages in my kitchen with my head in cupboards waiting to spot one so I can squish it with some kitchen roll. (And believe me, if I could avoid squishing I would as I would not normally kill anything)

These resemble mites more, are white in colour and do not have the same shape as the above described critters. They are teeny weeny and the largest of these I have seen would be smaller than a full stop. I mainly see these creeping about on the doors and inside walls of the cupboards. My utility cubpoards were teaming with them, but I have put everything in containers and surrounded the base with ant powder. However, this is not really a
realistic option in my kitchen. I have put all my potatoes and onions in a container however and put ant/bug powder around the base as they seemed particularly fond of these items.

The first time round that I noticed these pests I was expecting our first child, we had just completed an extension to the house (which I think may be partially to blame as the roof to the kitchen was off for some time during wet weather.

I completely emptied the kitchen, hoovered, cleaned, bleached, bug sprayed, ant powdered EVERYTHING! I went on a mad spree and was completely exhausted at the end of it. Over the past two years, it has been bearable. Numbers have been quite low, just the odd sighting of the larger type (maybe because I stopped looking so much for the mite sized ones) but now, guess what. I am expecting baby number two and today I have found four of the bigger ones in a cardboard box which led to me scrutinising the insides of the cupboards and low and behold the tiny dotty ones are present too! I really don't think I can take much more of this as I try and be as clean and tidy as I can but it just doesn't seem to be enough.

I am so sorry for this long and probably boring thread, but I am at my wits end. I really just want a solution for this problem any help, advice or similar sob stories (selfishly just so I know I'm not on my own) would be gratefully appreciated. At least I'm not in my next door neighbours boots, she has a slug problem so I suppose it could be worse.

Thanks in anticipation for the miracle cure someone is going to give me

[Klaas Reißmann]

I would need a photo to identify the species so I can tell what to do.

Without knowing what we do have there I can't tell anything.

Regards
Klaas

[triops]

First, we should throw away the torch, magniying glass, etc and put up the large signs saying "Don't Panic!". You really have nothing to worry about. Nothing this size could conceivably harm you or your babies, and is no reflection on your kitchen habits. Covering the place with insecticide will do more harm than a few tiny insects.
However, I have met many people with problems such as yours who are genuinely terrified.
It sounds as if you probably have booklice and mites, though without a picture I can't be sure. Anyway, it probably doesn't matter. As for hiding stuff in jars, yes, a very good idea to stop your food getting contaminated. It would be impossible to keep clean enough to stop your little visitors.....a breadcrumb would probably keep huge numbers fed for a long time.
OK, I'll be constructive. The one thing your little enemies need is water (or humidity at least), or they will die. It may never be possible to keep a kitchen dry enough but this is the most constructive thing you can do to keep numbers down.
I hope you can learn to live with the sort of things which are found in (almost) every kitchen, are a normal part of life and do no harm.
Cov

[haylestone]

Thank you both for your replies. I feel a little calmer now. I have spent the day emptying out cupboards, cleaning (and thoroughly drying), throwing away open packets and salvaging what I can into storage containers. (Mr. Tesco has done well out of me today on tupperware )

Yes, I think I am dealing with booklice and mites. I have looked up images of both and they seem to fit the bill.

I am not scared as such of these, just find them a huge annoyance, more so probably as I am pregnant. Maybe it's a hormone thing.

We will make more of an effort to keep the kitchen less humid and will go back to keeping little bowls of salt in the cupboards which seemed to help for a time.

On the plus side, my kitchen is sparkling clean now, threw out some tins which went out of date in 2009 :/ and it is all super organised.

Thanks again. h