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.

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http://housecentipede.org/scutigera-coleoptrata/

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