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!!

Hey... just wondering did you successfully manage to get rid of all of them? I am having the same problem too. 1-2 pop out of the cracks everyday and I really don't know what to do anymore.

Nope not yet
Try filling the cracks up
ate you in the uk?

Perhaps there is a source of damp. Are they mostly close to the bathroom?

How do you dry laundry?

No I am in Canada. Are you in uk? I believe we have similar house structures. I had pest control sprayed twice and they usually come out and die. But my problem is that they seems to live behind the drywalls which is making it very hard to fully eliminate them. I read articles that they also like to nest around wood, and all of our house are made with wood. I been using dehumidifier as well, been keeping it btw 35-40. But not so sure if the dehumidifier can work through the drywall or not..😭

Construction here is most often brick and concrete block external and load bearing walls. Internal partitions are sometimes studwork and plasterboard.

In UK the most common cause of damp is wet washing draped indoors.

Do you live in a new property?

No newly refurbished

Could be the materials drying out

Yeah possibly
my humidity is
low too
and they have decreased in cold weather but still there what about yours?

they disappeared after around 18 months, we put it down to the materials drying out. Our house was built in the winter in the uk.

Same brickwork was done in December
did you use anything specific to control the numbers Iv had a bad summer when I discovered in august z2023 and quite a bit in October November too
iv
just been using Screwfix spray and powder
dont know
what else to
do

Pretty similar timelines to us really, we basically just bought a handheld vacuum and vacuumed them up first thing in a morning and at night, we got a dehumidifier and used it for a week at a time in each room we found them. And then we also tried to air the house a lot too (not when dehumidifier is on, more towards spring). Hope this helps.

Hello david
did you ever find any mould or damp or did they reduce by themselves
we are still finding them in winter but reduced numbers
thanks

No there was no damp or mould anywhere. Although we did search high and low for it thinking there would be. You can buy moisture monitors on Amazon fairly cheaply, you could monitor the moisture levels in each room, that may telll you if there’s a leak anywhere if any levels of moisture are high.

Thanks Iv checked that and nothing but since our timelines for house build are similar and yours have kind of gone after 18 months just wondering how you fared in winter
most ppl don’t really get any at all
i am getting them but reduced numbers to summer and autumn
Many thanks

By late spring / summer I think youll
be right!

I have them now-in winter too... it's annoying.

I know the feeling i and thwm
like David in august and had them since
numbera have come down and I am so afraid they might erupt in summer (like last year) but also hoping house will be drier by then
David your first winter did you still
find them in 2022 ?
thanks for your help

They do hide when its cold.
Temperature in my area has rise abit the past two day and I see more of them coming out. Especially most are new born!!!
wish luck for summer 🥶.......

How old is your house is it new build or newly constructed

Is an old house but newly constructed... they are mainly near the windows now, and they also like my cats food. I had pest control spray three times already. At first they told me is material drying out, so i have been using dehumidifier in the main floor for 3 months+ now.(only main floor is newly constructed) And now they are telling me i have humid problem in my house and told me to use dehumidifier in the basement as well. Which I am not very sure anymore. Have anyone experienced or concerned about bring then to others house or work place? I am very worry about that...

Hi
mine has been newly constructed / extended too
my humidity is low as I keep dehumidifier on at night every day
im hoping they die out soon

Hello Ashee
When was it done? Mine was done around Aug 2022. But I just noticed them starting end of September 2023.

extension was done over couple years
we moved in 2023 july and noticed them mid august
had them since
seeing bit less with cold weather at the moment though
what about you?
fed up of it all

Sounds like they were already there before you move in.. and same.. seeing less with cold weather. I am thinking either to purchase a thermal camera to see if theres any hidden humidity problems behind the drywalls or maybe ill just hire a mold and humidity professional to see if theres any hidden mold /moist problems... I don't know if I should wait till summer tho... i did read post saying they disappeared after extremely hot days. Tired of it too.. I been going around the house everyday with a flashlight just to spot them🥹