Home / Business / Business Support / Environmental Health / Pest Control / Booklice (Psocids)

Booklice (Psocids)

Pest Control

Pscoids are common but harmless household pests, smaller than a pinhead, that are attracted to dry powdery type foods. They do not like the light and prefer to live in dark, warm, humid places e.g. folds of packaging in food cupboards. They can live for about six months and in that time a female will lay up to 200 eggs.

Information & Advice

Cause

Always associated with damp e.g. new plaster drying out, condensation from not having enough ventilation in the kitchen, a leaky water pipe. They feed on mould caused by damp conditions.
Prevention

Keep your dry foodstuffs e.g. cereals etc. in a dry well ventilated place. Clean out your cupboards regularly, but if you use water always make sure they are completely dry before you put the food back.

When cooking/boiling a kettle or even just using the washing machine or tumble dryer, make sure that the kitchen is properly ventilated.
How do I get rid of them if they appear?

Remove affected food immediately and dispose of it outside. Check everything else in the cupboard. Food cans and bottles will be fine, but make sure there are no insects hiding under the labels. Treat area with a good household insecticide which is suitable for use near food. Clean out all the dust, crumbs etc. and make sure the cupboard is completely dry.

Find the cause of humidity and cure it.