All About Booklice

All About Booklice. Booklice or the psocids are a common type of insect found outdoors. They are not actual lice but resemble them in size and shape. Below we are going to know what booklice are and some related pieces of information regarding it. There are certain symptoms and health risks of booklice and we are going to explore them.

What are Booklice?

If you have never wondered what booklice are, this will help you to know about them. They are the psocids, or more commonly the small insects feeding over the mold or fungi. They often resemble lice species in size and shape but actually, they are not the same. The size of these insects ranges from 1/32 to 1/8 of an inch long.

The bodies of the booklice are soft and they resemble termite workers. They are often found to be having wings. They are 4 in number with the front wings larger than the hind wings. They are mostly grey to brown.

The life cycle completion time is about 3 months. The reproduction of the booklice constitutes to be a simple metamorphosis. The female ones look like adults but are sexually immature and small in size.

Where are they found?

Booklice are small insects that are found in regions of high humidity. The Insects favor such regions because high humidity helps in their growth of them. It constitutes the primary food of these insects. Moisture is needed for their survival and during the dry winter periods, they mostly die.

Yet, there is an exception for the female booklice which can survive the cold and develop itself into an adult in a few weeks. The booklice are found in damp books, moist furniture, rugs, store products, paper, storage trunks, cardboard cartons, door casings, windows, bath traps, and other specific areas resembling high humidity.

In foods, they are mostly found in grains, as it holds moisture and encourages the growth of these insects. Since they are small, they are difficult to notice. They can also creep into pests and reproduce in large numbers. These can cause severe problems.

Where do they come from?

Psocids or booklice are soft-bodied creatures ranging about 3/16 inches. They are found with 4 wings and delicate antennae. The white, brown, or grey color insects can be found in the bark, and leaves of trees, under stones, or among shrubs. Especially the female booklice make their burrows in the woods.

They are obvious when they grow in large numbers. They feed on mold and fungi. Although they reside on plants, they are not harmful to them. Originating in the trees, these insects take shelter in moist regions. On occurring in large numbers, they are difficult to deal with.

What are the health risks of Booklice?

Booklice are small insects found in books or some papers and many unusual places like residential houses, museums, and even offices. Booklice also called psocids are not harmful or damaging at all. They are not dangerous to humans as they do not suck blood, unlike true lice. They don’t even contain any kind of poison.

They do not have the desire to bite any humans, but even if they do anything like that it will not cause any kind of health issue. Though these are still not harmful when found inside food packages because of high humidity it is better to throw away that food. Also, it may cause some nuisance or distress.

Apart from that, there are no such health risks of booklice if you found it crawling in your house.

How to kill and eliminate booklice?

Psocids are mostly found in moist or humid areas or if you have poor ventilation in your home. To kill or eliminate these pests from your house you need to follow these few steps:

• Inspecting the places where booklice were found- They only live in humid weather, so, predictably, you will find them in moist areas. Once you spot them, look for the surrounding areas to know if there is any scope for infestation. You should also look for books and papers.
• Dispose of the infested things- If any paper, book, or food packaging is infested with booklice you should dispose of those things as they cannot be properly cleaned, and keeping those will invite more booklice into your house.
• Ventilate the infested place- The simple way to prevent booklice from returning to your home is to upgrade ventilation or humidity.
• Clean the infested area with borax cleaners-You should clean the infected place with enzyme-based or borax cleaners as it will remove any kind of mold or mildew. While doing this you should wear gloves for your safety.
• Use desiccants in the infested area- You can use desiccants such as silica or diatomaceous earth to desiccate the infested place.
• Reach out to professionals- If you found booklice in your basement or any other place you may call any professional to get rid of these booklice.

What are the symptoms of booklice?

They are tiny, transparent insects. It measures about 2 mm in length. Like other insects, their body is also divided into some parts: head, thorax, and abdomen. There is no such exact way of identifying them in your house but there are few signs that will show that there is an infestation in your home.

Sometimes you may notice small insects crawling in your food or cereal, these can be booklice. You can check your books and if you found small insects in between the pages those are psocids. They can not be detected easily as they are so tiny, but the darker-colored psocids can be spotted easily.

All About Booklice – Conclusion

Though there are no such harmful effects of these insects, they may cause some nuisance when they are found in large numbers. So it is necessary to get rid of them through some prevention and treatment and always try to keep your home moisture free as much as possible.