Booklice Treatment
Booklice are not lice and they do not bite. They feed on microscopic mould, which means they are a humidity problem, and they are extremely common in new builds while the structure is still drying out.
What's Involved
Humidity assessment
Booklice need around 60% relative humidity or above. We measure it, find where it is coming from, and establish whether it is construction moisture, condensation or a leak.
Source identification
Locating the mould they are actually feeding on, which is often invisible: inside plasterboard voids, behind units, in stored cardboard, or in damp books and paper.
Targeted treatment
Residual treatment to affected areas where numbers justify it, though in most cases drying the space out does more than insecticide ever will.
Drying and ventilation plan
Practical steps to bring humidity below the threshold, which is the only thing that permanently resolves it.
Signs You Have a Problem
- Tiny pale insects on windowsills. Roughly 1mm, grey or straw-coloured, wingless and slow-moving. Often first noticed against a white windowsill or in a kitchen cupboard.
- A recently built or renovated property. New plaster and screed release moisture for months. Booklice in a new build are extremely common and usually resolve as the structure dries.
- Insects in stored paper or food. In cardboard boxes, old books, wallpaper paste, cereal and flour, wherever there is enough moisture for surface mould.
- Condensation on windows. Persistent morning condensation indicates humidity high enough to sustain them.
Why Choose Us
Honest advice: often this is a drying problem, not a spraying one
Humidity measured rather than guessed at
Hidden mould sources located
Treatment where it is warranted, not as a default
Common Questions
Are booklice harmful?
No. They do not bite, carry disease or damage the structure of a building. In large numbers they can contaminate stored food and damage paper, and they are an indicator of humidity worth addressing.
I have them in a brand new house. Is something wrong?
Almost certainly not. A new build holds a great deal of construction moisture and commonly takes a year or more to dry out. Booklice are a normal consequence and usually disappear on their own as it does.
Will spraying get rid of them?
Only temporarily. While the humidity stays above roughly 60% the mould they eat keeps growing and the population recovers. Ventilation and drying is the actual fix, and we will say so rather than sell you repeat treatments.
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