Nicely put Carolyn, Megan, as mentioned below psocids (aka. book lice) are an indicator of problems with relative humidity - not that you would want a huge infestation. As Carolyn mentions, they can lead you to the localized problem. Improved management of RH and improving housekeeping is the best way to control the situation. That is how I have dealt with it in the past.
Gretchen Anderson Conservator Carnegie Museum of Natural History -----Original Message----- From: pestlist@museumpests.net [mailto:pestlist@museumpests.net] Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2014 10:43 AM To: pestlist@museumpests.net Cc: Luci Cipera Subject: [pestlist] Booklice - Pest List Digest Mode Hi Megan My practical experience agrees with Richards email. We occasionally get outbreaks of booklice that seem to grow quickly and then disappear in our Archives storage. Consultation with CCI has convinced us not worry about these as a risk of major damage, because the mouth parts of the booklice are so small it would take a major prolonged infestation to cause damage. For that reason we have rebranded them as "Psocids" not book lice, just to keep them it in perspective. However, they are a real indicator of RH issues that could lead to more significant pest damage from silverfish or springtails. In our case we simply could not figure out how we would have a pest that was an indicator of high RH in a storage vault with good RH control 35% plus/minus 5% winter, 45% plus/minus 5% summer. We then started looking for sources of "localized high RH" and sure enough with that perspective we found it (a plastic tube, designed to carry overflow water from a drip pan under an localized HVAC unit carries overflow water into a bucket "inside" the storage room e.g. occasional wet damp bucket breeds booklice). With this knowledge we are trying to get the wet damp bucket to be located outside the storage room. Hope this helps Carolyn Leckie -----Original Message----- From: pestlist@museumpests.net [mailto:pestlist@museumpests.net] Sent: November-11-14 7:35 PM To: pestlist@museumpests.net Subject: Pest List Digest Mode PestList Digest From: Richard Pollack <r...@identify.us.com> Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2014 10:42:16 -0500 Subject: Re: [pestlist] Book Lice Megan, Book lice should be expected in and around any museum, library, office or home. A few in a library setting shouldn't necessarily cause alarm, but it would be wise to continue monitoring the archived materials as well as the general environment. If you see book lice more than occasionally in the archived materials, then consider trying to reduce the overall humidity in the facility. That is usually the most practical and acceptable means to maintain the population of book lice at or below an acceptable threshold level. I realize this can be challenging in Bremerton, but it is possible.Good luck. -Rich Richard Pollack, PhD. CEO & Chief Scientific Officer IdentifyUS, LLC 320 Needham Street Suite 200 Newton, MA 02464-1593 ------------------ 617.600.6360 (W) 617.513.9266 (M) HARVARD UNIVERSITY Environmental Health, Safety and Emergency Management (EHSEM) Senior Environmental Public Health Officer 46 Blackstone St., South Cambridge, MA 02139 Office: 617-495-2995 Cell: 617-447-0763 www.ehs.harvard.edu richard_poll...@harvard.edu On Nov 5, 2014, at 10:30, pestlist@museumpests.net wrote: > > Hello everyone! > > I am wondering if anyone has experience dealing with Book Lice. We have been > finding them in our traps, but we have not been able to find out where they > are coming from or what they are feeding on. The area we found them in has a > number of large map cases and file drawers, but I could not find any traces > of them inside the actual cabinets. Aside from setting more traps throughout > the area and placing silica gel inside certain cabinets(to bring down the > relative humidity), I have no idea what to do. > > Any help at all would be much appreciated! > > Thank you, > > Megan Jablonski > Collections Manager > Puget Sound Navy Museum > Naval History & Heritage Command > 251 1st Street > Bremerton, WA 98337 > p. (360) 627-2272 > f. (360) 627-2273 > > www.PugetSoundNavyMuseum.org > www.history.navy.mil/PSNM > www.facebook.com/pugetsoundnavymuseum > > FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY - PRIVACY SENSITIVE: ANY MISUSE OR UNAUTHORIZED > DISCLOSURE MAY RESULT IN BOTH CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES. > > > > [http://nature.ca/email/signatures/natureinspiration/nia_email_signature.jpg]<http://nature.ca/awards?utm_source=Email+Signature+Graphic&utm_medium=CMN+Email&utm_campaign=NIA> More information<http://nature.ca/awards?utm_source=Email+Signature+English+Text&utm_medium=CMN+Email&utm_campaign=NIA> Info<http://nature.ca/prix?utm_source=Email+Signature+French+Text&utm_medium=CMN+Email&utm_campaign=NIA> The information contained in this message and/or attachments is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any system and destroy any copies. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender.
