Barklice or booklice or dust lice or psocids appearance. Intelligent pest management control psocid control is best achieved by simply reducing the food sources and lowering and keeping the humidity below 50%. These tiny insects do not cause structural damage or spread disease. The name barklice probably comes from the fact that outdoors they gather under the bark of trees. Psocids can be a persistent and annoying pest in and around the home. It has a very flat shape superficially resembling the shape of head lice. Psocids can be found outside under bark, in logs, under stones and within leaf litter. That being said, i dont think the yard is the source of your psocids. Their name originates from the greek word, psokhos meaning gnawed or rubbed and, ptera meaning wings. Also, they normally live outdoors in damp places, such as under bark, in grass, leaves and on damp wood. Bark lice and psocids hawaii department of land and. Bark lice or psocids are small soft bodied insects which are often seen in groups or tiny herds on the surface of tree bark where they feed on lichens, fungi, and other superficial plant materials.
The name, psocid short for psocidae, a family within psocoptera may be a better term to use for this group. There are many other psocids that occur outdoors, including barklice species drees 2004. Psocids can be controlled using phosphine if applied to grain in a fully sealed system nayak et al. They are often regarded as the most primitive of the hemipteroids. An invasion of barklice is lucky and just like having ladybugs. Booklice are tiny brown, yellow or creamcolored insects infesting areas of your home that include drains and faucets.
They are found in nature on the bark of trees and shrubs, preferring damp, warm, undisturbed environments. Psocids, booklice, barklice horticulture and home pest news. They are wingless and are common in moist or damp areas. They first appeared in the permian period, 295248 million years ago. Psocid book lice control new houses are not the only places that have problems with psocids, however. Pestaware is a blog for anyone with public health pest control problems or concerns. Bark lice and psocids are an important food source for native birds and other insecteaters. If you wish to keep any of the infested items, wrap them in a plastic bag, put them in your freezer for 2 days to kill the lice, and then vacuum the dead booklice off of items. I live in arlington, va, we have noticed in the last several days small about the size of a small pepper flake brownishblack bugs in our bathtub below the ceiling fanvent not near the drain or faucet, and around some of our windows.
Dec 12, 2018 psocids, also known as book or bark lice, have long been known to occur in grain storage and processing facilities, but have become more significant pests of the food industry in recent years. Routine fumigations of warehouses and storage facilities with methyl bromide have failed to control psocids ho and winks, 1995. Nov 22, 2019 to get rid of booklice, start by throwing out any items that show signs of lice infestation, like books or boxes. The name booklice comes from the fact that they gather on moldy books in damp homes. Pest control information sheet psocids or book lice psocids or booklice are common and harmless household pests found in about one in three homes. Pest control information sheet psocids or book lice. Bark lice, booklice or psocids psocoptera, figure 11 mechanism of absorption of atmosp heric water. The rapid development of resistance to chemical and physical treatments by the psocids has also been reported santoso et al. Because they are often found among books or papers, they are called booklice.
Psocid occasional invaders control pest control by terminix. Psocids are very easy to control and they dont do well trying to migrate. They have long and threadlike antennae that are multisegmented ranging from 1250 segments. Outdoor species of psocids are winged while most structural infesting species are wingless. Most species are freeliving and not pests, but several species of book lice are found indoors, e. Use a dehumidifier or air conditioner in the infested or potentially infestation areas to reduce moisture to below 50%. They graze on mold, yeasts, algae, fungi, and decaying plant matter with their chewing mouthparts. Booklice are all females, developing from unfertilized eggs. They infest food sources, kitchen cupboards and even bathrooms. Chapter 26 the best control for barklice or booklice or psocids. Received august 8, 1956 the psocids psocoptera are one of the minor orders of insects, with only about 145 species recorded from the united states.
Booklice become a nuisance when they are in your home in large numbers. The psocids are commonly called book lice, a misnomer sinceread more. Psocids prefer damp, warm, undisturbed situations where microscopic molds thrive. Not mentioned in literature, but currently some of the common u. So if the lawn was the source of the problem, the granule treatments would easily take care of them. They feed on mold or fungi and if found in decaying organic material, as well as grains, insects, and starches like book binding glue it is the result of psocids eating the mold andor fungi growing on these items. Reduce their food supply by cleaning with enzymes andor borax, then keeping the areas clean and free of molds and mildew. Chapter 26 the best control for barklice or booklice or. Booklice may look like lice, but they are not actually lice and they do not bite people. Bark lice, booklice or psocids psocoptera, figure 11 mechanism of absorption of atmospheric water. The common housedwelling booklouse is wingless or its wings are reduced to small scalelike, nonfunctional wings. According to rees 1998, phosphine has failed to control psocids in many instances. Pestaware is packed with professional advice from leading experts in the pest control industry and is designed to help you tackle your domestic or commercial pest problems.
The majority of psocids are outdoor species with well developed wings. Psocids or booklice are softbodied fragile insects with long. However, resistance to phosphine appears to build rapidly nayak et al. Most bark lice and psocids are scavengers or feed on lichen found on woody vegetation. They are typically between 1mm and 2mm long and often found in dry foods. Body lice, bed lice, head lice and other pests that feed on blood are not related in any way to psocids. There are over 200 species of psocids in the united states. At auburn universitys entomology site you can find more information on bark lice. Booklice and psocids require moisture or high humidity.
The tiny bugs can live outdoors on bark feeding on mosses and lichens and in grass, leaves and damp wood. Common places for booklice populations to thrive include window sills, under outside siding of homes, tree trunks, shrubs, flowers, around garden hoses, under bricks and rocks, around light fixtures and under boxes. They are also referred to as barklice because they are commonly found on bark or on the foliage of trees and shrubs. Most of the species found in buildings are wingless. Barklice, booklice or psocids psocoptera springerlink. They can be found around damp books, leaking pipes, or anywhere mold growth can be supported. Psocoptera are an order of insects that are commonly known as booklice, barklice or barkflies. Psocids, pronounced sohsids, are actually commonly referred to as booklice, or bark lice, although they are not true lice. They occur in houses, warehouses, museums, libraries, in stored foods and many other types of buildings. The most reliable way to eliminate psocids and moulds is to dehumidify the building and affected objects. The psocoptera are a small order of paraneopteran insects near 4,000 species have. They are known as book lice because they are often found in association with old books stored in damp conditions such as in a basement. These creatures range in color from translucent white to gray or brown and are very tiny, typically less than 116 of an inch in length when full grown. They can commonly be found in books and book bindings, storage boxes, paper and goods life cycle.
The psocids found indoors are extremely tiny and difficult to see. When outdoors, psocids are found on tree bark and other foliage as well as under stones and in ground litter. The insects of the order psocoptera copeognatha, corrodentia are commonly called psocids, although outdoor species living on tree trunks and branches have been called bark lice, whereas indoor species, sometimes found in old books, have been called book lice. Psocids do well in areas with high humidity that support the growth of their food. They do not even look like lice except for their very small size.
Visit the virginia cooperative extension webpage on psocids. The whitegreylight brown coloured insects running around in your cupboards and on work surfaces are more than likely psocids pronounced sosids often known as book lice. But, they are still bugs and must be dealt with accordingly. Referring to psocids as book lice, or bark lice can be a bit misleading, because psocids do not bite or feed on books or bark and, unlike true lice, they do not feed on people or animals. Psocids undergo simple metamorphosis to develop to maturity.
Psocids are small, scavenging insects with a relatively generalized body plan. May 18, 2016 psocids, pronounced sohsids, are actually commonly referred to as booklice, or bark lice, although they are not true lice. There is no practical way to prevent them from entering your building, so the best and first approach is to find the reason for the moist condition and correct or. Psocoptera barklice, booklice, psocids discover life. Unlike true lice, booklice are not external parasites and do not bite man or other animals. They feed primarily on fungi, algae, lichen, and organic detritus in nature but are also known to feed on starchbased household items like grains, wallpaper glue and book bindings. Book louse, bark louse, deathwatch the primary food of booklice appears to be molds and fungi, and their presence in structures or. Barklice, booklice or psocids psocoptera, figure 11 mechanism of absorption of atmosp heric water. Apr 25, 2019 booklice psocids are itsy, bitsy little bugs about 116 long and they are not actually lice at all and are harmless. Though they dont bite, their chewing mouth parts can cause a lot of damage to fabric, books, wallpaper and other inanimate objects around the home which are valuable. Thorax the thorax unites to the head with a membranous and flexible neck. If you spot these creatures lurking in the damp, you are most likely. Psocids, also called book lice although they are not truly lice, live in warm, moist places.
Sep 04, 2019 an invasion of barklice is lucky and just like having ladybugs. The species cerastipsocus venosus is one of the most. Since many psocids feed on mold, the presence of booklice is a good indication of high humidity. They are of rather similar appearance and they all have a superficial resemblance to some other lice species hence their names. Despite having lice in their common name, bark lice and book lice are not are not parasitic and do not cause harm to plants or people. Bark lice and psocids order psocoptera order includes. Common places for psocids populations to thrive include window sills, under outside siding of homes, tree trunks, shrubs, flowers, around garden hoses, under bricks and rocks, around light fixtures and under boxes. Thus, eliminating moist conditions effectively regulates control of pests. Psocids are very common and abundant insects, but because of their tiny size, they generally go unnoticed. In general, they need to live where humidity is high or moisture is present. Book lice are exactly what they sound liketiny, lice like insects that live in books and eat the tiny molds that grow on the pages of slightly damp books. A range of psocid species can be found in food facilities, and each has its unique behavior, biology, and response to insecticides.