Booklice vs. bed bug nymphs

10 Comment(s)

1. lieutenantdan | Mar 5, 2008 | Reply

   What I would like to point out to the newly infested is that when you start to inspect your house you may see booklice, everyone pretty much has some. To really see some details in these bugs you need 10x magnification and that is limited that is how small these creatures are so it is very easy to assume that they may be bed bug nymps especially to the new people or untrained eye. This one I found on my mattress encasement last week which I though at first was a spec of dirt. When I went to collect it it slowly moved so I caught it with tape and took a loupe to it and of course I freaked a little. I was pretty positive that it was not a bed bug but because it is so tiny I could not be 100%. I scanned the bug and sent it to a friend who is an entomologist and immediately she told me that it was a booklouse.
   You can imagine how relieved I felt.

   I stress the importance of collecting samples ( entomologists hate the samples on tape)
   and send them to a professional to verification. Booklice are not parasites they feed on mold and books. Universities usually have a team of specialists to deal with these creatures to reduce the numbers as to help preserve important paper documents.
   So beware of the Booklouse.

2. nobugsonme | Mar 5, 2008 | Reply

   Thanks for the photo, Dan!

3. aballen | Jun 2, 2008 | Reply

   Well, well, well. I did as suggested here and had my so-called BB which were id’d by at least 5 different PCO’s which ended up costing me thousands in throwing out items, hotels, medical bills, and months of psychological torture. My pests are BOOKLICE!!! All this time! My first entomologist id’d psosids which look nothing like these booklice. I imagine there are many species though. I’m off to the find out about booklice and biting mites now. If anyone has any ideas about biting mites or how to rid my home of booklice, please respond. My new PCO id’s this immediately, so I will stick with that company, ACE out of Cincinnati.

4. vacationer | Jun 2, 2008 | Reply

   Yes, I found booklice in my place too. Put ‘em in alcohol, got them under 20x, and spent a very nervous hour hunting the web for pix until I found what they were. They looked awfully like real lice. There are some good photos out there online. (I also found other tiny bugs like museum beetle larvae and springtails.)
   They’re tiny as heck. Get your bugs into alcohol so they’ll die, be preserved, and their ID can be checked with strong magnification.
   - v.

5. nobugsonme | Jun 3, 2008 | Reply

   aballen,

   From what I understand, booklice (despite the name) are not a problem in most cases. They do not bite. So I am confused why you are asking for advice about biting mites?

6. nobugsonme | Jun 9, 2008 | Reply

   More psocid photos from UESbugs here and here.

7. Am | Jun 25, 2008 | Reply

   Today I finally found and caught a bedbug using scotch tape. It was a fed 2nd stage larva - http://urbanentomology.tamu.edu/images/bedbugs/bed%20bug%20life%20cycle.jpg

   Tried taking a photo of it but my camera’s macro isn’t powerful enough. It looks exactly like in the picture linked above, at 2 mm and with a red bloated stomach (guess who’s blood).

   It has been exceedingly difficult for me to find bedbugs. I have been waking up with itchy huge red welts on and off for a few years now, but each time, an inspection of my bed, sheets and etc yielded nothing - no signs of an infestation - poo, bloodstains and such. Also, as I mention, I don’t always get bitten - maybe once or twice every month or so. Any idea why?

8. nobugsonme | Jun 25, 2008 | Reply

   Here are some possibilities:

   It may be that you do not react to every single bite. We really don’t know enough about how bed bug bites affect people, but we know some folks don’t react at all, others have terrible reactions, and some people seem to react sometimes more than others.

   Another possibility: you may have been bitten once or twice a month somewhere else (workplace, friend’s, relative’s, etc.) And now you have brought at least one home.

   I am sure there are other possible scenarios.

   Here’s my concern: if you get bitten a few times a month at home, and you definitely found a 2nd instar, this suggests that bed bug nymphs are being born. If there’s at least one egg-laying female, as there probably is, then it will only get worse.

   I would get the home treated. Verify it’s a bed bug (some pests can be mistaken for these) and get someone in to treat.

   Finally, if you have further questions or need support, please come to the forums! You will get more replies there:

   http://bedbugger.com/forum/

   …or click the blue button top right.

9. Liz | Jul 4, 2008 | Reply

   I need help. I noticed two bites under my arm, on my back on a wed. Then got about three more daily for about 3-4 more days. The same with my daughter. Her bites are not so bad but mine are red, tender and red and irritated around the bite. My husband and 2) other daughters seem to be fine. With the exception of 2-4 mysterious bites on my 1)year old, but not the swelling and such as mine. I’ve racked my brain to figure out what could have bit me because I have not noticed any bugs on or in the house out of the ordinary. And my family and I never get bit like this in the house. All I can figure is bed bugs coming home with me from a hotel I recently stayed in. I stayed on a weekend, came home Sun. and started noticing bad bites wed. Now a week later, no new bites. I’m terrified of bed bugs. I have since gotten bit by a mosquito and seen a flea in the house (I think a family of stray cats could have brought them by because they hung around our porch for days). My bites from the flea and mosquito don’t swell like the other bites. How do I know for sure that I have bed bugs???? And what should I do now before they multiply???

   Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

   Liz

10. nobugsonme | Jul 4, 2008 | Reply

    Liz,

    It is possible you brought bed bugs home (from a hotel, or frankly, from anywhere else you’ve been), but it is also possible you are reacting to flea bites.

    Read the three top FAQS which provide basic information and key dos and don’ts: http://bedbugger.com/faqs/

    You should also read the FAQS which help you learn how to identify bed bugs and their signs. Unfortunately, if you have only been bitten for a week, and don’t have many bites, you may have a small infestation (which is good of course–that it’s small, but it may be hard for you or a PCO to detect bed bugs or their signs).

    Learn to inspect and do inspect, carefully. Check each bedroom and the sofa/living room area. Remember people who are not getting “bites” may be bitten and not react. Bed bugs could be where they sleep or sit too.

    Start by inspecting your luggage that you took to the hotel. Get a flashlight and go over every inch of it and inside pockets. There’s a CBC video in the LINKS section (see top menubar) which shows you how to search a hotel room, and the techniques will work in your bedroom too.

    If you see any signs of bed bugs, preserve them (ie don’t clean them away!) and get a PCO in to see them and to treat at once.

    If you see NO signs, you should consider following the suggestions in the FAQs for dealing with recently worn clothing and bedlinens on the beds. IF it is a bug or two, you MAY just get them this way. Make sure items are sealed in bags before being washed and dried on hot. Don’t move items about the house which are not sealed in an airtight fashion, or you may spread bed bugs. Don’t change where anyone sleeps.

    If after bedclothes are laundered (and hopefully this will be ASAP), you still are being bitten, get a PCO in. They should rule out other problems (fleas) and if they cannot find bed bugs they will either tell you you need visible evidence, or treat anyway. (PCOs differ on this.)

    I do think it’s important to try and identify the source is definitely bed bugs. But it’s also true that recent infestations can be hard to detect.

    If you want further advice or support, please go to the forums:
    http://bedbugger.com/forum/

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