Page 5 | Booklice in new build

Emmyyyx · 2020-11-11T21:11:48+00:00

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!!

Asheee · 17/02/2024 22:46

Yep same
although a lot of people say don’t look for them
i have become paranoid I think
and just want them gone

Afitap · 22/02/2024 05:43

Emma1693 · 31/12/2021 22:28

I know how you feel it's horrendous and mentally draining! I had them everywhere in my new build put up with it for 8 months with pest control out god knows how many times & dehumidifers, finally gave up and moved house lost out on so much money i never took any of furniture as i was advised not to, moved to a 6 year old house and have the same problem but not as bad couldnt believe it, i go on a hunt every morning as soon as im up searching skirtings, walls and ceilings with my torch and i find about 4 every morning scattered all round the house always in different rooms everyday, its been 6 months of this its mentally draining!! I hoover round my door frames and skirtings every 2nd day and since ive been doing that they hide in corners on my ceiling now its disgusting, a pest controller told me 90 percent of houses have them you just have to stop looking but i cant also have a toddler that puts everything in his mouth and i dettol his toys daily now cause im paranoid about them laying eggs

Hopefully one day theyl all just die out its crazy how much people seem to have them

Hello Emma, how are you doing now? Actually, it should be less than in your old house. Hasn't there been a decrease in their number? It is much more in newly built houses.

Afitap · 22/02/2024 05:47

Wouldn't moving from a newly built house to a drier one solve the problem to some extent? I think they will decrease a lot with regular spraying after moving. I wonder how often do you see friends who have this problem and moved?

Afitap · 22/02/2024 05:53

Jsbt · 24/11/2022 06:11

Not a new build for us. Our house is about 40-50yrs old.
@Lizannchandler please can you share as much detail as possible? What exactly did they use. How much disruption to your life was it. Moved out and full house clean taking children away for a few days? Our pest control companies that i contacted either said they don’t do it at all or they could do it but they’d still be doing it another ten times because the bugs hide so well and will just keep coming out of cracks as they are attracted to damp and mould and the slightest bit hidden anywhere they’ll keep reproducing for. Struggling being a mum and working full time and trying to take care of the house. It is literally impossible to do it all. It’s making me so stressed and anxious.

Hello, I wonder if their numbers have decreased now, you are not in a new building, I was wondering what is the reason for having them, because they are usually more in number in new buildings. Maybe it will decrease for you over time. @Jsbt

Afitap · 22/02/2024 05:54

bubulle · 19/02/2023 12:13

Hello everyone,

I am facing booklices issue too :-( I live here for 5 years, so it's not a new build. I've had one booklice in the toilets every four months, so no big deal...
But since the beginning of the year, I found them in every room, crawling on the walls :-( For some reason, they like to appear at midnight, so I vaccum my walls at midnight with a torch, what a sad life :-(

I know what causes this problem : my mechanical ventilation system is broken, but the society who manage the building didn't tell us... It seems to be broken since August ! I ask my neighbourgs to check their system, but they didn't answer me. I had a little mould on the ceiling but I clean it. Now I don't have mould anymore, but booklices are still here.

I bought diatomaceous earth yesterday, I hope it'll work.

I am French living in France, excuse me if I make mistake in English :-)

Hello, I wonder if their numbers have decreased now, you are not in a new building, I was wondering what is the reason for having them, because they are usually more in number in new buildings. Maybe it will decrease for you over time. @bubulle

Afitap · 22/02/2024 06:22

Hello David, don't you think moving to a dry house would solve the problem to some extent? It seems impossible to prevent these creatures in newly built houses. Maybe in a dry house they seem to be as non-disturbing as they are in everyone else's house?@David8888

Afitap · 22/02/2024 09:43

Skill6 · 01/03/2022 16:28

So glade I found this site.
Me and my wife are having the same problem
(We live in Australia btw)
So we moved into rental 7 months ago, Now keep in mind this new place is older does have gaps and cracks from the outside and the timber decking is old and I'm assuming is the same timber that is under the carpet. And we do live near bush land and the house is down a slope and doesn't get the best sun light.

So 3 months ago our washing machine leaked and it wet all the carpet in the hall and also in some of the rooms, Now in one of the rooms I had lots of cardboard boxes that have storage like books, action figures and old collectables so some of them boxes got wet, So my wife and I steam cleaned the carpet but it took a maybe 3 days to dry as ever since I moved in I have had all the windows closed. But I didn't dry the boxes and we did place the boxes in our bed room and then back into the box room again when it was dry.

Now after Christmas I placed all the cardboard boxes into the lounge room as my wife bought me storage containers for Christmas, so I placed all my action figures into the containers and then we placed the cardboard boxes near the kitchen door.

Anyway 5 weeks ago I saw a little white bug on my tv (new tv btw) and thought it was a spider so I killed it, The next night I saw another one and used a flash light and saw all these booklice on the tv unit on the tv screen, So I researched it and thought it was dust mites so I vacuumed the unit and cleaned the tv and thought good all gone.
I was wrong the next night I saw them again on the tv and tv unit so I rang up the next day pest control people and explained and they said it was booklice so I researched it and yes it is booklice.
After searching and searching on the internet I found this page and was freaking out that people have had the same problem but have had them everywhere in there house.
I went and looked in the clothes cupboard and saw one and then I checked the towel cupboard and saw one and then I saw one on the kitchen bench and some in the food cupboard, I then checked my bed frame and saw them on there I freaked out.
They are everywhere on my painting, on my PlayStation, Xbox, DVD cabinets, Dryer.
So when it was a sunny day I grabbed all the clothes, towels and bedding and placed them in garbage bags and place them in the sun on the timber deck (I read someone packed there clothes in garbage bags and placed them in there car) and then I also placed the DVD cabinets, tv unit, Table , chairs ( I didn't place storage containers outside)
I got rid of my lounge and also got rid of my table and tv unit as I think they were infested, I did spray my DVD cabinets with surface spray and left in the sun but that night I found one crawling on it and the other night I saw one as well as saw the crawling on my computer chairs so I removed throw them away.
I talked to the lady next door who has now sold as left but she had them a year ago and what she did was place cockroach gel around the corners and in cracks and also used cockroach tape and apparently she never saw them again. I have tried this a little bit still see them.

I have had the pest control person in twice now he had just sprayed the floors, Today he sprayed Heaps of spray on the carpet and tiles, I left the house for 2 hours and shut the windows as he said should get rid of them it didn't just found one on the tv. He also told me to get flea bombs close the doors and windows and let flea bombs off what should kill them he said (haven't tried yet)
I have opened all the windows and will keep all of them open for a month, I haven't touched the kitchen yet as it make me feels sick, right now we have our bed in the lounge room and have place talcum around the bed and also we have our clothes,towels in Woolworths bags (grocery bags) I keep seeing them on my tv and on my consoles (PS4, Xbox).
I want to move I can't deal with this anymore gets me sooo down, I want to move into a better area with better huminidity, The last house we rented we never had a problem.
I'm just worried I will bring them with me as keep on seeing them on my tv, consoles and who knows where else and I do have storage containers and haven't sprayed or done anything to them yet.
So I am freaking out as I don't want to bring them to a new place and have read all the comment and some of you have said you moved and had them again. I do need to move as the lady next door had them then it must be this area and this house is old.

Anyway thanks for listening and any help would be awesome

hello do you see them, have you moved? I hope they diminished and disappeared after we moved? @Skill6

Afitap · 22/02/2024 12:09

Tasha101 · 01/10/2021 00:05

Hi. My situation is still the same unfortunately. Actually it's getting wors eby the day because I find more and more in each room and cupboard and wardrobes I go into 😭😭 it's soul destroying. I genuinely want to move but afraid it's just going to happen again. This is my second property with them. Everyone thinks am the same as you he beastie lady an no one quite gets how it's making me feel. My skin actually crawls because of them. Feel my whole house is dirty no matter how much I clean it and my anxiety he's worse by the day. Feel totally hopeless. Every pest control person I speak to tells me the same thing but nothing works!

@Tasha101 hello do you still see them? I wonder if you continued to see it after moving from a newly built house?

Afitap · 22/02/2024 13:17

PigletJohn · 15/01/2024 02:20

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.

Hello, I think you have struggled with this problem too. Is the reason why they are so numerous in new houses because they are a definite source of moisture and mold? Do you think moving to a dry house would be a solution? Could there be a decrease in their number?@@PigletJohn

Lvky · 23/02/2024 03:58

Afitap · 22/02/2024 13:17

Hello, I think you have struggled with this problem too. Is the reason why they are so numerous in new houses because they are a definite source of moisture and mold? Do you think moving to a dry house would be a solution? Could there be a decrease in their number?@@PigletJohn

Show quote history

@Afitap is ur situation very bad? Is it summer/winter in your area now? I believe moving wont solve the problem as some of them will lay eggs on your belongings ,clothes, furnitures, boxes etc..., in this case they will just going to start nesting in ur new place.

Afitap · 23/02/2024 05:50

Lvky · 23/02/2024 03:58

@Afitap is ur situation very bad? Is it summer/winter in your area now? I believe moving wont solve the problem as some of them will lay eggs on your belongings ,clothes, furnitures, boxes etc..., in this case they will just going to start nesting in ur new place.

Show quote history

It's winter right now and their numbers are low, I moved to a dry house. I hope I won't see too many of them in the summer, maybe it will be normal for me to see them once in a while. How are you? @Lvky

Afitap · 23/02/2024 06:14

Lvky · 23/02/2024 03:58

@Afitap is ur situation very bad? Is it summer/winter in your area now? I believe moving wont solve the problem as some of them will lay eggs on your belongings ,clothes, furnitures, boxes etc..., in this case they will just going to start nesting in ur new place.

Show quote history

Actually, isn't it normal to move from a newly built house and continue seeing it for a while? The hatched ones will die over time because they cannot find food, and of course spraying should be continued. I feel very sad why people who moved away don't come back. Maybe they disappear over time but no one feels the need to edit😢😢😢😢

Lvky · 23/02/2024 08:40

Afitap · 23/02/2024 06:14

Actually, isn't it normal to move from a newly built house and continue seeing it for a while? The hatched ones will die over time because they cannot find food, and of course spraying should be continued. I feel very sad why people who moved away don't come back. Maybe they disappear over time but no one feels the need to edit😢😢😢😢

Show quote history

hi @Afitap , do you mean you moved and you stil seeing them? Seriously i want to sell my house because of them 😂 no joke. And if I does, i will only take my cat with me and leave EVERYTHING behind!!! And how do you know the house you moved is a dry one?

Afitap · 23/02/2024 08:57

Lvky · 23/02/2024 08:40

hi @Afitap , do you mean you moved and you stil seeing them? Seriously i want to sell my house because of them 😂 no joke. And if I does, i will only take my cat with me and leave EVERYTHING behind!!! And how do you know the house you moved is a dry one?

Show quote history

I moved in for 3 months and I saw one of them in the bathroom. It probably came with my belongings. The house is 7 years old and is now dried out... My other house was only 1 year old. I couldn't wait for the house to dry out for years and wait for these creatures to disappear. I hope they can't find a source to feed on and they will die out over time. If you are thinking of moving, move immediately, wash or freeze everything, I'm really tired

Afitap · 23/02/2024 09:02

It is very sad that those who change their homes do not come and update their latest situation. This could give us hope, maybe these creatures do not return here because they disappear over time...

Lvky · 23/02/2024 09:10

Afitap · 23/02/2024 08:57

I moved in for 3 months and I saw one of them in the bathroom. It probably came with my belongings. The house is 7 years old and is now dried out... My other house was only 1 year old. I couldn't wait for the house to dry out for years and wait for these creatures to disappear. I hope they can't find a source to feed on and they will die out over time. If you are thinking of moving, move immediately, wash or freeze everything, I'm really tired

Show quote history

I understand how you feel.... mine mainly come out from the cracks under the baseboards and window sills... i been running dehumidifier for almost four months now and still seeing them. I find that they managed to find a source to feed behind the drywall as the humidity in Canada is always high. Its winter and is always btw 80-90. Its hard to control the humidity for the whole house, especially behind the walls. And i also had pest control spray three time already and its useless. I am loosing hope....... Maybe try running a dehumidifier just to make sure they all dry out before summer hits? Have you check the humidity in your current home?

Afitap · 23/02/2024 09:24

Lvky · 23/02/2024 09:10

I understand how you feel.... mine mainly come out from the cracks under the baseboards and window sills... i been running dehumidifier for almost four months now and still seeing them. I find that they managed to find a source to feed behind the drywall as the humidity in Canada is always high. Its winter and is always btw 80-90. Its hard to control the humidity for the whole house, especially behind the walls. And i also had pest control spray three time already and its useless. I am loosing hope....... Maybe try running a dehumidifier just to make sure they all dry out before summer hits? Have you check the humidity in your current home?

Show quote history

Have you applied silicone to the baseboards, up and down. This is very effective? And similarly to the window sills. There is no humidity in my current house. I will look at the numbers in the summer and write them here. Maybe it will give hope to some people. I live in the hottest part of Turkey. In summer the temperature reaches 42 degrees and since there is no sea etc. the climate is not humid. I hope it will end if there is no humidity at home. Wish me luck @Lvky

Afitap · 23/02/2024 09:28

Lvky · 23/02/2024 09:10

I understand how you feel.... mine mainly come out from the cracks under the baseboards and window sills... i been running dehumidifier for almost four months now and still seeing them. I find that they managed to find a source to feed behind the drywall as the humidity in Canada is always high. Its winter and is always btw 80-90. Its hard to control the humidity for the whole house, especially behind the walls. And i also had pest control spray three time already and its useless. I am loosing hope....... Maybe try running a dehumidifier just to make sure they all dry out before summer hits? Have you check the humidity in your current home?

Show quote history

My advice to you is to apply silicone to all baseboards, window and door frames, and look for any existing moisture. If you find the problem and solve it, it may decrease over time.

Lvky · 23/02/2024 09:32

Afitap · 23/02/2024 09:24

Have you applied silicone to the baseboards, up and down. This is very effective? And similarly to the window sills. There is no humidity in my current house. I will look at the numbers in the summer and write them here. Maybe it will give hope to some people. I live in the hottest part of Turkey. In summer the temperature reaches 42 degrees and since there is no sea etc. the climate is not humid. I hope it will end if there is no humidity at home. Wish me luck @Lvky

Edited

Show quote history

Unfortunately due to house structure in canada.... its impossible to fill up all the cracks as even i fill the baseboards up, they will just going to come out from the hardwood floor, plugs, lights etc.. its all connected... no humidity sounds like a good thing..guess they will just eventually die over time in your situation. I am waiting for summer to come now, hope that the humidity will decrease/ the sun will dry the house up... 🥹 my last hope... if not.. mayb ill think about selling the house

Afitap · 23/02/2024 10:00

Lvky · 23/02/2024 09:32

Unfortunately due to house structure in canada.... its impossible to fill up all the cracks as even i fill the baseboards up, they will just going to come out from the hardwood floor, plugs, lights etc.. its all connected... no humidity sounds like a good thing..guess they will just eventually die over time in your situation. I am waiting for summer to come now, hope that the humidity will decrease/ the sun will dry the house up... 🥹 my last hope... if not.. mayb ill think about selling the house

Edited

Show quote history

I think I'm going crazy doing research. It is said that it happens in every house, but why do people who move to a new house always have these complaints? Those whose houses are not newly built do not experience such problems. I wonder if they also lived with these insects and did not notice them? and now they can continue their lives normally. We keep spraying, we can't finish it, what about those people? They are not interested in any medicine etc. Believe me, I'm so tired of thinking about these, I'm thinking of going to a psychologist... I wish you good luck.
, I hope we can come here with good news.. .

Afitap · 23/02/2024 10:02

I think you should still silicone it and check the bottom of the parquets to see if there is mold, it is obvious that they are growing inside the wall. I hope it will go away as your structure dries.

Asheee · 23/02/2024 12:18

My humidity is
low and still getting them
ive filled cracks etc but seem to
come
out from skirting boards or plastered walls
no idea what to do anymore

Afitap · 23/02/2024 13:00

Asheee · 23/02/2024 12:18

My humidity is
low and still getting them
ive filled cracks etc but seem to
come
out from skirting boards or plastered walls
no idea what to do anymore

I really don't know, some say they are still dealing with these in their 6-7 year old buildings, this is a very different situation, some say it is decreasing... Check, is there moisture under the baseboards? If necessary, silicone the bottom and top, and if you see it on the walls, also silicone the door jambs and entrances and exits.

Asheee · 23/02/2024 13:31

is your house a new build?
mine has been really redone new plaster etc
noticed the problem in aug 2023
been 6 months after moving in and we still have it

Afitap · 23/02/2024 14:09

Asheee · 23/02/2024 13:31

is your house a new build?
mine has been really redone new plaster etc
noticed the problem in aug 2023
been 6 months after moving in and we still have it

Yes, I noticed it in a new building, but I moved because I was tired of dealing with it. I still have them now, but they are few in number. I wonder what will happen in the summer...