Follow These Steps to Get Rid of Booklice

Even though booklice cannot bite, sting, or otherwise harm your family—and they tend to leave people alone altogether—we still classify them as household pests, and we’re willing to bet that you and your guests would prefer your home to be booklice-free. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to get rid of booklice from our experts in integrative pest management.

Get Rid of Booklice Step-by-Step

Step 1: Reduce Humidity Indoors

Booklice love the moisture of humid environments and feeding on the organic matter (i.e., mold and mildew) that grows and thrives there. When conditions are drier, cooler, and have better airflow, they tend to die off. However, here in Alabama, there’s no shortage of humidity—especially right now in the summertime.

If you live in a humid area your best bet for decreasing humidity inside your home is to get a dehumidifier and turn it on, turn on the fans, and turn on the air conditioner. This will make whatever room or area you target become very dry and cold, conditions disadvantageous for booklice.

Step 2: Ice Out Booklice

If you can’t control the humidity, try exposing the booklice you’ve found to freezing temperatures; they can only withstand it for an hour. Seal books, clothes, and any other small items infested with booklice in a plastic zipper bag and put them in a freezer for an hour, which should cause them to die and fall right off your items.

Step 3: Dry Up Booklice

One effective way to get rid of booklice (and other insects that thrive in moist environments) is to dry them all up by powdering them and any surfaces with a dehydrating agent like diatomaceous earth or boric acid. These substances dry booklice completely out.

Step 4: Remove Booklice Food Sources

Why are booklice called booklice? Their diet gives us a clue:

• They are called “booklice” because they eat the glue and paper in old books; an abandoned library would be an all-you-can-eat buffet. 
• Glue and paper are made of organic materials, just like all food sources that booklice consume. In your home, you’re most likely to find booklice in the presence of rotted wood, mold, mildew, and in kitchen pantries.
• Much like weevils, booklice will find their way into your pantry and climb into any dry goods that are not kept in containers with an air-tight seal. If you store your food in plastic bags or cardboard boxes, you invite all kinds of pests to find a tiny hole (or make one) and crawl inside.

Step 5: Try Mold & Mildew Cleaner

In the previous step, we mentioned mold and mildew as some favorite nutrition sources of booklice. Cleaning the mold and mildew from your home with anti-fungal and antimicrobial cleaners will help starve out any surviving booklice.

When to Call an Expert

The above solutions can be very helpful when you have a small but manageable booklice problem. However, if you’ve tried everything and you are still finding booklice around your home, you have an infestation and need professional assistance.

At Vulcan Termite and Pest Control, we can manage any booklice infestation effectively. Our family-owned integrative pest management company has served Birmingham, AL, households for over forty years, safeguarding their property and ensuring a long-lasting, pest-free environment.

With our team, you can rest assured that your home is in good hands. Our commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction sets us apart in the industry. Call us at 205-663-4200 or contact us online to help protect your property from household insects and enjoy a pest-free environment today!

Thanks for reading! Check out our pest blog to learn more about the pests and other creatures found in Alabama.