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Will DE also work for
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pissedoff
newbite
Joined: Dec '07
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Posted 5 years ago
Sun Dec 30 2007 10:22:58
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the woodlouse?? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodlouse
I have not found 1 BB on the sticky tape on the carpet, on the bed risers or on the bed legs but yet am still seeing the odd bug both inside and outside the tape (maybe 1 or 2 BB's per week I see during the DAY). So I obviously failed somewhere in my BB isolation.
But what I AM finding on the sticky tape perimeter around the bed is about 12 or 13 woodlouse(*most likely* the woodlouse came because of the 2 humidifers I am running). Will DE also kill these things too since they molt their exoskeleton??? Or heres an even better question...Will DE kill ANYTHING that molts?? -
your host
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Posted 5 years ago
Sun Dec 30 2007 16:08:43
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Hi pissed,
We really only do bed bugs here. I would start with the wikipedia entry on DE and maybe consult Sean and the PCOs at thebedbugresource.com for advice. (I seem to remember Sean isn't keen on DE in general though.)
It sounds like you are seeing bed bugs even if you do not catch them. Are you getting professional treatment for them?
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Bites44
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Posted 5 years ago
Sun Dec 30 2007 16:49:19
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Gardeners use DE on all sorts of crawly things soft bodied and those with an exoskeleton: Cockroaches, Ants, earwigs, slugs. Farmers use it in the granaries to kill cereal bugs.
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bekalekah
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Posted 5 years ago
Mon Dec 31 2007 8:05:05
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Just hours after I read this post, I found 4 or 5 of those woodlouse in a trap near my living room radiator. Kinda freaked me out for a second! (It was really hot in my apartment when I got back from vacation, they must like heat/humidity.) Don't understand why they are so stupid as to walk across the sticky trap, yet we've never caught a bb that way. I'm gonna ask my PCO today for more traps just to get these guys. How many of THOSE do I have crawling around?? Harmless, I know, but still.....
Also had a silverfish crawl out of my desk while inspecting it. Geez.
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Bugologist
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Posted 5 years ago
Mon Dec 31 2007 8:58:14
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Psocids (as most entomologists refer to them) or woodlice (we hate the lice term in the name because it gives them a bad connotation when in fact they are nothing like lice) exist naturally in the home feeding on many things. Here's an piece of a fact sheet online:
Booklice feed most commonly on molds as well as fungi, grains, insect fragments, and other starchy material, including glue from book bindings. In homes, they can be found in damp, warm, undisturbed places where mold and fungi are growing. They are more likely to be a problem during summer. They are rarely damaging inside buildings but they can become a nuisance because of their presence, especially when they occur in large numbers.
Dehumidifiers can help. Some companies may apply residual pesticides for them but some do not because the kicker with these guys is that they are in 90-100% of peoples homes and there isn't always a whole lot you can do about it. Obviously, if you catch 100 a day on sticky boards you may have a larger problem but one here and one there you are going to have a tough, if not impossible, time getting rid of.
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senior member
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Posted 5 years ago
Mon Dec 31 2007 9:51:29
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I have a question.Has anyonr caught one on sticky tape? Maybe they are are able to walk on it without getting stuck? I know that's an awful idea,but with as much tape as people seem to be using I can't recall anyone mentioming a capture using it.Unless they just avoid it for some reason?
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your host
Joined: Mar '07
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Posted 5 years ago
Mon Dec 31 2007 12:52:15
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Hi Bugologist--thanks for referring to the fact sheet, but please also add the link in future so folks can read the whole thing. (It also avoids any accusations of plagiarism!) Thanks
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Bugologist
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Posted 5 years ago
Wed Jan 2 2008 9:35:45
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Bugbasher I'm sure they have caught them on tape but a lot of people may not notice them due to their size and I guarantee that since people are looking for bed bugs, they may see these on the tape and without a microscope and trained eye, assume they are bed bugs.
NoBugs, sorry about that. You're right about the plagiarism thing.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/e611psocid.html
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oldtimer
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Posted 5 years ago
Wed Jan 2 2008 9:49:09
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Hi,
Sorry just a quick post to correct a small error Psocids are booklice not woodlice as stated above.
I have only seen 1 UK case of Psocids and I think the biting was more paranoia and something like chitin hypersensativity. I did not treat it chemically but recommended the dehumidifier route. That was about 3 - 4 months ago and I have not had a call back.
I may have a few pictures from the samples I collected but they really are on the edge of most peoples eye sight detection.
Regards,
David Cain
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Bugologist
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Posted 5 years ago
Wed Jan 2 2008 12:24:42
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Sorry, meant to say barklice (outdoors) and booklice (indoors). Regardless, they are the same order of insects with different common names (that's why I hate common names).
I've never heard of them biting by arthropod sensitivity is a possibility. I've collected hundreds on sticky boards in every setting you can imagine (offices, apartments, homes, warehouses, schools, etc...) but should not be a suspect in reported bites.
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