Booklice in new build

[Emmyyyx]

We moved into a new build January 20 and over the last week found booklice all in the main bathroom and then my sons room which is the room next to it!

Went on a hunt around the house and found multiple in all rooms - I’m killing loads every day, hoovering all the time, bleached all skirting and bathrooms!

It’s making me ill as I’m constantly on the hunt for them and constantly crying about it (I am pregnant so hormones won’t be helping)

Bought 2 plug in dehumidifiers and hygrometers and loads of disposable dehumidifiers and whacked the heating up the last 3 days but it’s not something I can do constantly!

I know they are harmless but it’s the fact they breed so quickly I feel if I’m not constantly on the go getting rid of them then my house will be over run.

Anyone had these in a new build and managed to get rid of them??? My partner tells me when the house dries out they will go but I can’t cope with another year of this!!

Has anyone used the permethrin bombs with a sprinkler system installed in their home? I’m worried that using them may set the sprinklers off.

Hi all, can I join you for solidarity please?

I first discovered book lice in our bedroom a couple of years ago. They were literally all over a book, the bedside table, lamp, everywhere down my side of the bed. Upon inspection I found them everywhere in the bed, my knicker drawer..... everywhere. We used one of the insect bombs, threw out what we could, boil washed my underwear and socks and tumble dried on a high heat and wiped down everywhere with rubbing alcohol. That seemed to sort it but last year they were back. I ended up getting completely new bedside drawers as my previous ones had wicker baskets and I was worried they were in there and I couldn't clean them.

Last night, after another year I noticed them again. Only about 10 but again on my bedside table. It definitely seems to be around this time of year I spot them. I wiped down everything again but again, another 5 or so this morning.

I am trying to remind myself that they are in far fewer numbers than they were last time. My plan of action is vacuuming everywhere in that area, insect bomb and putting talc down under my bedside table. I'm running the dehumidifier in my bedroom constantly.

I think I need to get into the mindset of keeping on top of it but not expecting total eradication as I can feel my anxiety going into overdrive again. I'm not sure it's possible to be ever completely rid of them, they are in all houses but perhaps in others they don't notice because there are not as many. I certainly didn't notice them first time until it was really bad and then when I did see them they were absolutely everywhere. It is nowhere near as bad this time.

Long term we need to sort the issue in our bedroom. It is a very cold room and does get humid. DH uses a window vac to remove condensation every morning on our windows. There isn't much heating in there, just a tiny radiator in what is a big room and really it's in the wrong place. DH has ordered a plug in radiator to put on the wall on the opposite side of the room and we'll keep using the dehumidifier. I think I'll insect bomb twice a year from now on around this time of year and the start of summer but I don't want to use too many chemicals in the room we sleep in.

I do need to try and remember they are harmless and I can keep on top of the problem to prevent it getting as bad as it was the first time. Some aspect of learning to live with them in small numbers is probably needed. I can't replace all of my furniture.

If your fire alarm is mains powered. Turn the circuit off at the consumer unit and remove batteries from the smoke alarms.

Is it a first floor bedroom or ground floor?

Might be worth checking the gutters and see if they're blocked and water isnt running in through your wall cavity (if you have one).

If you're living very close to trees, they could end up "accidently" blown in and because inside the house is more favourable than outside this time of year with temperatures dropping. They may want to stick around.

Zero in ultra household pest spray is good stuff with residual activity.

If you have anything wicker, rattan or jute get rid. After months of being rid of them completely, I noticed some on the skirting beside a wicker blanket basket and banged it on the tile floor and a few fell out.

I noticed booklice last autumn as I unpacked into my new home. I brought them with me, without realising it. I’d been a live-in lodger and my landlord’s home had these little black mites in the kitchen (booklice, altho I didn’t know that then). Well. As I unpacked my kitchen stuff I saw them and killed them. I never saw them again as winter came, then this summer they were back. I googled like crazy to identify them. Transparent ones all over my bookcase, black ones on cook books, black ones all over kitchen.
I swung into action - ventilation on dry days, windows shut and two dehumidifiers on wet days, thrown out all paper and cardboard, bug killer in plant pots, pest spray in corners, put all books in freezer, decluttered, peppermint essential oil in every room, cedar wood in rooms too.
I haven’t seen any in over a month until….today. I opened a cupboard which has vacuum and painting supplies. And a box of wildflower seeds. The box of seeds was absolutely covered in booklice. They were also on the cedar wood, which is particularly rude of them. I’ve never seen so many. I put the cedar and seed box in a plastic bag and removed from property immediately, then sprayed bug spray on that shelf and on floor of cupboard. And then killed any others I saw making an escape. But then later on I saw one crawling from cupboard across hallway. I just know they are going to scatter into all 4 corners of my home now, seeking their new winter hiding place. Really worried about my loft in case it’s full of them…need to investigate it when I’m feeling brave.

What’s better for me to do: focus on ventilation and keep windows ajar, or close windows and run dehumidifiers?
Seems best to do one or the other. I know ventilation helps reduce mold but it’s uk humid wet winter - do I want to let that humidity in?!

Have you definitely got mold?

Hi. Any updates on getting rid of these? Please

After we have repaired the internal downpipe which was bodged going from plastic to clay in the ground, which was just cemented around instead of an adaptor used. I then realised the gutter detail was done incorrectly all around and we probably had water leaking down into cavity. We had this detail fixed and had eave trays installed.

All areas inside the house are clear. I do get some booklice in my garage (not heated) but I have great big trees right next to my house. So I suspect I just have to control their population every year with a bomb in the garage.

If you're still experiencing booklice indoors. Youll definitely have some sort of water issue somewhere either internally or externally. Diagnose and repair that before using permethrin smoke bombs.