Pests are like humans – they occupy spaces where their needs are met. These places can include your home, office, or building. When they build a nest and settle in, it’s rather challenging to extract and eradicate them.
Any facility or home property is at risk of pest infestation and there are myriad reasons why an infestation occurs. Weather changes, food & water shortages, and habitat loss are the common causes of such a plague.
One common pest that is hard to deal with is the Psocid. Psocids are tiny creatures that look like lice and they are often found in humid areas. Unlike lice and bed bugs, however, they don’t bite or sting humans, but their presence can wreak havoc on your home.
To learn more about this insect and how you can get them off your property, read on.
Psocids Explained
Psocids usually go by their popular names barklice or booklice. People call them barklice since they cluster together under the bark of trees. They are also known as booklice because they’re found in old books stored in humid conditions.
Habitat
Whatever name you choose to call these creatures, you should know that there’s one thing they like the most – moisture. It doesn’t matter if it’s a house or an office building, as long as there’s dampness, they thrive when left unchecked.
They can invade basements, crawlspaces and other areas where moisture is present. Even areas around your plumbing are at risk of infestation if leaking happens.
These insects have also caused huge problems in the food sector. You can find these in grain storage and processing facilities due to the abundance of food.
Diet
One thing that you can find in humid and moist locations are moulds. This is one of the things that psocids feed on. They also consume grains, insect fragments, fungi, and other starchy materials. It’s necessary to remove them from food sources like grains and such to avoid spoilage.
Life Cycle
Spring and summer seasons are when female psocids start to breed. They lay eggs where the food source is located. Their offspring are called nymphs and these resemble adults only without wings.
A psocid’s life expectancy depends on their environment. Since they prefer dampness, changes in humidity can kill them. If their location goes dry, they can’t reinfest.
Identifying Psocids
Given their physical features, they are sometimes mistaken for predatory mites. To help you identify psocids easily, here are some standard features to look out for:
- Psocids are soft-bodied insects that measure less than 5mm long
- They are white, brown, or gray
- Sometimes they have four wings or are wingless
- They also have a prominent large nose-like appendage called a clypeus
- Psocids have slender antennae that are as long as their body
- They have an elongated and chisel-like mouth made for chewing
Psocids are harmless to humans because of their omnivorous nature. They also don’t pass on diseases, unlike other lice or bugs.
The biggest problem caused by this insect is not property damage but rather, they can trigger an allergic reaction among individuals who are sensitive to them.
How to Get Rid of Psocids
Now that you know what psocids are and what they look like, it’s time to learn how you can keep them away from your home.
Prevention Tactics
Households situated in humid regions are prone to psocid infestations. As a homeowner, prevention is the key, so the first thing you need to do is to ensure your property is mould-free. If your home has high humidity levels, try to have it checked for mouldy growth. Check for leaks and other damp spots where these creatures may live.
According to researchers, these pests cannot live in areas with low humidity. Humidity levels below 50-60 percent can suffocate them, so you can try using a dehumidifier to reduce ambient humidity. This can make your home uninhabitable for these insects who thrive in damp conditions.
Another thing you can do is to examine upholstered furniture, old mattresses, and old books. If these are damp or have mouldy parts, they can become a breeding ground for these pests. Regular inspection, drying, and cleaning of these items can reduce your chances of having unwanted psocids.
Removal Tactics
If you detect signs of an infestation, you can use drying methods or heat on the affected areas. The best way to do this is to expose the contaminated material in direct sunlight for one to two days. This will dry out the infested parts, which can stop these creatures from breeding.
Psocids also have a low tolerance for temperatures over 126°F, so you can try using a blow dryer set on its highest temperature on infested books and other similar items..
There are also chemical alternatives available in removing the presence of psocids. Look for these ingredients in an insecticide:
- Fumigants (phosphine)
- Organophosphates
- Carbamate and organophosphate combination
- Pyrethroids
These chemical compounds may help in eliminating psocids, but it’s important also to remember to use these only when necessary. These insects can build up a tolerance to these chemicals over time, so use them only when needed.
Signs of Infestation of Psocids |
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| Sign 1 | Food molds are a sign of infestation since psocids feed on them. |
| Sign 2 | You see silken webs in your dry food pantry where you store yeast, cereal, milk powder, and bagged nuts. |
| Sign 3 | They tend to burrow in books to feed on the glue linings. |
Removal of psocids should be effortless. Contact PestGuide for professional assistance.
Pro Tip
“The female psocid attaches up to one hundred sticky white eggs to food.”
– PestGuide.org
Get Help with Psocids Treatment
Psocids are near-microscopic insects. Considering their size, they may already be infesting your home without your knowledge. With that said, it can be challenging for you to remove them by yourself.
Using insecticides to kill psocids on your own can also be tricky. Incorrect application may only worsen the situation and lead to resistance. If you don’t want to be plagued by such a problem over and over again, it’s best to call in the professionals for help.
At Pest Guide, we follow strict measures in handling pest infestations and executing eradication methods such as psocid removal. If you need to get in touch with us, visit this link and our team will contact you ASAP.
Frequently Asked Questions
They have legs that resemble most jumping insects, however, they don’t jump. Additionally, they’re fast runners and great at concealing themselves.
They’re not a danger to human society when compared to other pests. They don’t bite and nor do they carry harmful pathogens.
Most psocid species undergo parthenogenesis. In other words, they can give birth without mating.