Some Fascinating Things You Need to Know About Book Louses

General Description and Location

Even though there are many different insects that will eat paper, bookworms usually refer to Anobium punctatum (common furniture beetle) and Xestobium rufovillosum (death watch beetle). Common furniture beetles tend to have black head and dark brown striated bodies. These beetles tend to be 3 - 4.5 millimeters long. By contrast, the death watch beetle has a black body with goldish marketings throughout. Adult beetles tend to be approximately 7 millimetres long. They are known worldwide for making a "ticking" sound in the rafters that is said to be the harbinger of an imminent death in the infested household. The larvae of both species tend to feed on paper books, while the adults will bore directly into wood.

Problems for Humans and Animals

Typically, book louses will not bite humans or other animals. They are also not known for acting as hosts for parasites that pose a problem to public health. On the other hand, book louses can cause tremendous problems in your home library or any other establishment that relies on books. Unfortunately, they can easily spread to your collection if you buy used books, or obtain new books from an infested store.

Natural Solutions

Before purchasing books, you should examine the spines and pages carefully for signs of book louses. This includes holes in the pages, or signs of scratch marks on the spine. Even if you do not see insects actively burrowing in the pages, there may still be eggs present that will hatch at some point in the future.

There are only two main ways to get rid of book louses. First, you can wrap the infested book up in plastic, and put it in the freezer for at least 3 days. After you remove the book from eh freezer, you will need to let it dry out for several weeks. At this stage, you should also remove any dead insects that you might find caught between the pages of the book.

Depending on the size of your collection and the degree of infestation, you may want to contact a specialist in pest removal. They will most likely use various gaseous pesticides to rid your home of book louses. That said, you should be aware that these treatments can pose a hazard to your health and that of others in the household.

Since bookworms tend to favor wood that has been attacked by fungal infections, you will usually need to replace these structures in order to get rid of the worms. Today, there are also special varnishes and other treatments that will retard fungal growth as well as inhibit bookworms. Even though you may need to refinish wooden decks and other areas every few years, it is well worth the time and effort. Needless to say, if you are planning to buy used furniture, you should examine all wooden areas carefully to make sure you do not bring bookworms into your home. At the same time, if you are planning to buy new furniture, you may want to ask the store clerk about items that have been treated with stains or other chemicals that will inhibit both fungal infections and bookworms.

Recent Outbreaks

Book louses are currently ongoing in the UK, New Jersey, and New York. That said, they can also be found in just about any area where dead undergrowth has not been removed from old forests. They are also common in wooden homes with a high degree of moisture, or other elements that are conducive to the presence of beetles.

At housecentipede.org we like people to know all there is about insects and particulary about the house centipede. The Scutigera coleoptrata in particular since many people struggle to deal with it