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The booklice love books for all the wrong reasons. They love to eat the mold that forms in books and during their feeding moments they are indiscriminate which leads to the destruction of the books. Scientifically, these lice are known as Psocoptera or Psocids and they have been in existence for nearly 300 million years.
As harmless as they are to human beings they are a menace to have in a building with books especially treasured limited editions that have aged. Unfortunately, they thrive under window sills, boxes and light fixtures and if you have an infrequently used attic you may find them there as well.
Identifying book lice
These pests are small in size with a translucent hue that helps them hide inside books for long periods of time. The have a very tiny midsection with a ballooned abdomen and a big head as well. When they are not in the books they are in decaying plants eating away at the fungi there. They are also known as bark lie which is where most pest experts believe they reside before coming into the house when attracted by mold growth on books. The good news is that they do not bite human beings and will only become a nuisance in the home when they run into books or become an infestation that runs around.
You will notice that they are very small in size measuring an eighth of an inch and that they don’t fly. They can run very fast and because of their small size they remain undetectable until they have grown in number. They have a soft exoskeleton and their back legs are thicker and stouter than the rest of the legs.
Their life cycle
Booklice are insects so they go through three life stages namely eggs, nymphs and adults. The booklice mature fast after hatching and a female can produce up to 60 eggs in one gestation period. They become adults in under a month. The life expectancy of the booklice is one to four months.
Where to find booklice
You will see booklice crawling on the floors, along the window sills and on the perimeter of a building that is under construction. But there is a silver lining when it comes to getting rid of book lice. They are slow eaters and since they don’t have wings they tend to live in one place for an extended period of time making it easier to get rid of them.
One can opt to spot treat their space with insecticide if they notice some of them. This means that the insects will pick up the insecticide during their daily forages for food and carry it back to their lair where it will slowly kill them and their eggs and nymphs as well.
Remove any standing water in the home especially in the basement and attics. Keep the windows open to facilitate moving air though out the house and use vinegar or bleach to kill mildew and mold in your space. Finally call a professional for a full on infestation.