Learn how to do away with booklice, based on pest management consultants
If your house has excessive humidity ranges, you may be internet hosting a household of booklice with out even realising it. These tiny bugs thrive in heat, damp circumstances, feeding on mould and mildew that generally kind on cardboard, wallpaper and books.
The quickest technique to sort out the issue is by investing in top-of-the-line dehumidifiers, which take away extra moisture from the air and assist forestall additional mould, dampness and condensation from forming.
To learn how to banish these critters for good, we consulted three pest management consultants for his or her high ideas. Beneath, you’ll uncover the best strategies for eliminating them from your house, in addition to the causes to forestall and the indicators to look at for.
Learn how to do away with booklice
1. Scale back the humidity ranges
I’ve spoken with three pest management consultants, they usually all suggest one factor: lowering the humidity ranges in your house. You are able to do this by utilizing a dehumidifier and fixing any leaks, in addition to checking your kitchen and loo extractor followers are working correctly.
Be certain your house has enough airflow by maintaining furnishings barely away out of your partitions and opening home windows – this may forestall moisture from increase and mildew from forming (which booklice like to feed on).
To make sure your house maintains regular humidity ranges, you should purchase a hygrometer that shows the share.
2. Wipe down affected areas
In addition to managing the moisture ranges, you will additionally wish to totally wipe down the affected areas with a light cleansing resolution, based on Deepak Shukla, CEO of PL Pest Management.
3. Throw away mouldy, damp objects
When you have mouldy, damp objects mendacity round your house – similar to cardboard bins or books – be sure you throw them away instantly.
Darren Backhouse, Companion at MJ Backhouse Pest Management, says, “Most infestations will be handled inside a number of weeks as soon as the moisture ranges are managed.”
Forestall booklice with these expert-approved merchandise
Meaco 20L Low Power Dehumidifier and Air Air purifier
A dehumidifier and air air purifier in a single, this gadget controls humidity and cleans the air.
Digital Mini Thermo-Hygrometers
Monitor humidity ranges in each room with this multipack of hygrometers.
This highly effective spray removes mould and mildew inside half-hour, eradicating the booklice’s meals supply.

PL Pest Management is a part of the Pearl Lemon Group, based by serial entrepreneur Deepak Shukla. From cleansing and property upkeep to pest management, Deepak’s philosophy is straightforward: clear up actual, messy issues quick. Working throughout the UK and increasing internationally, PL Pest Management helps owners and companies sort out pest points with precision, transparency, and 0 fluff.

Darren is the associate of a family-run pest management firm based mostly in Yorkshire, which has been working since 1988. He has huge expertise engaged on each home and industrial property and has seen nearly each pest management difficulty there’s over time.
What are booklice?
Booklice (also referred to as psocids) are tiny bugs that thrive in heat, moist and mouldy circumstances. In keeping with Deepak Shukla, they seem in properties when there’s damp and extra humidity, which permits microscopic mould spores to develop on surfaces similar to books, cardboard and wallpaper paste.
Tony King, pest management skilled at The Pied Piper provides, “Although their identify would possibly counsel in any other case, they aren’t really lice and don’t digest books in the best way most individuals assume.
“They’re almost certainly to be present in locations the place their favorite meals are current: mould, mildew and microscopic fungi that develop on paper, cardboard, saved meals or moist partitions. Their dimension is extraordinarily small, often one millimetre or much less, so that they usually go unnoticed by owners till they collect in teams.”

Tony King is the proprietor and supervisor of The Pied Piper, a number one pest management service that has been in operation for greater than 25 years.
What are the indicators of booklice?
For those who’ve observed tiny, translucent bugs in humid areas of your home, likelihood is they’re booklice. Deepak Shukla recommends checking behind your kitchen home equipment, round bathe frames and inside cabinets that don’t get a lot air flow, as these are frequent locations for these pests to collect.
He says, “After I first noticed them years in the past, I truthfully thought it was dandruff transferring by itself, which was mildly horrifying. You’ll additionally see them clustering close to mould spots or damp cardboard. For those who see tiny bugs disappearing into cracks when the sunshine hits them, that’s often your clue.”
Are booklice dangerous to people?
No, booklice aren’t dangerous to people. Tony King explains that whereas they received’t chew, sting or transmit any illnesses, they do point out extra moisture and mildew, “which is the true downside individuals ought to sort out.”
Mould could cause long-term circumstances similar to hypersensitivity pneumonitis and set off allergic, respiratory, immune and inflammatory reactions, which is why mould removing is so essential in your well-being.
To conclude, booklice aren’t going to do you any hurt, however they do sign a humidity difficulty that must be addressed. By following the steps above and taking preventative measures, like making certain your house has correct air flow, they’re comparatively straightforward to take away.
For those who’re scuffling with different pests, our guides on how you can kill silverfish or how you can do away with mud mites may additionally be useful.