Psocids Or Booklice

Description

Psocids (pronounced so-sids) otherwise known as booklice are tiny.

Lifestyle

• psocids are not caused by poor hygiene and are just as common in clean homes both old and new
• their preference is to live in dark, warm, humid places eg folds of packaging in food cupboards - they dislike light and disturbance
• as psocids prefer areas of high humidity they are often found in kitchens where fitted cupboards and food products provide the moisture and darkness that attracts them
• psocids increase rapidly in warm conditions so summer/autumn is the time of year they are likely to be discovered

Control of Psocid infestations

If you discover psocids in your food:

• do not use insecticides because of the danger of contaminating food
• dispose of all infested packages in an outside waste bin
• thoroughly clean the cupboards using a vacuum cleaner