Showing posts with label booklice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label booklice. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

The Story of Booklice – Biology and Behaviour, Implications for Control

Following on from the story of biscuit beetle and other larder pests, booklice are also often found in larders. They are not, however, feeding on the food directly, they are feeding on microscopic fungi that grow on starchy foods or packaging.

Identification
  • Tiny pale cream to brown insects
  • Often mistaken for mites
  • Crawling. Do not fly.
  • Often found on books, paper/cardboard packaging, in starchy foods (e.g. flour)
  • Seen on larder shelves
  • Known as psocids (pronounced sosids)
  • Are often only noticed when numbers have become high.
Check and dispose of any contaminated foods.
Clean shelves and treat with NO Bugs Super.
Books etc. can have light spray but ensure they are dried completely before placing back on shelves.
Fumigators can be useful but will not deal with them on their own.
 
Feeding
  • Feed on microscopic fungi that grow on paper/starchy materials
  • Fungi need humidity
Keeping books, food, packaging etc. dry prevents growth of moulds and booklice will die.
Ensure NO Bugs Super or any other wet spray has dried completely before re-filling shelves.
Use dehumidifier or improve ventilation in infested area for long term control.
 
Species
  • Many species.
  • Need to be expert to tell them apart.
Spread
 
  • Usually spread on books and packaging or in starchy foods.
  • Common pest of food warehouses.
Keep larder shelves treated to prevent spread if infested product brought in. Also works for pantry moth, weevils, biscuit beetle, etc.)