Kiwicare Pest » Pests » A – G » booklice
Booklice are small pale insects that can be difficult to get rid of and keep away because they will infest parts of your home that can be hard to treat.
To get rid of booklice follow these steps:
Booklice are also known as Psocids (pronounced sosids). They are a group of tiny pale* insects often referred to as booklice because they are often found associated with books and other paper or cardboard, including packaging. However, they do damage books and other paper products including paper packaging. They do not feed directly on the paper but on microscopic fungi and yeast that grow on the paper where the humidity levels permit. Paper packaging in warehouses is particularly susceptible to psocid infestation as the atmosphere in warehouses is difficult to control and keep very dry.
Products such as flour can be rendered un-saleable by an infestation of psocids. The tiny insects can penetrate the packaging and contaminate the product within. Similarly they can contaminate the flour and other products in your pantry.
*They are usually pale but some species will become dark brown when mature.
There are over 3000 species of booklice to be found across the world, but less than 50 are associated with human activities. They are not related to the true lice and do not bite or harm humans.