Help me identify these insects please.

[ElRazur]

I found that there is this tiny spec of "things" that looks like white spec of dust in the section of the kitchen where we keep the extra plates. On closer observation, these tiny dust-spec like things are actually crawling and it looks like they are every where.....I'm talking thousands of them scattered everywhere.

I cleaned the cupboard this morning, but it appears they are back again...:angry: I have looked up on woodlice, but these things looks nothing like it, they are really small, white and the size of a grain of sand....what are they?

A good spray of insecticide is something I'm considering next, before calling the pest people.

[Gnat]

no idea, but some kind of mite if they are that small maybe?

[Lomster]

Embyronic Camel Spiders!

[leowyatt]

they are most likely psocids or book lice (same thing, different name). Looks like dust until you realise it's bloody moving :/

More info on them here. Awkward buggers to get rid of because they get absolutely everywhere.

http://www.kcl.ac.uk/ip/bryanturner/other/home_psocids.html

[lostkat]

Yep, book lice. You get them in old flour amongst other things. Better get cleaning!

[ElRazur]

they are most likely psocids or book lice (same thing, different name). Looks like dust until you realise it's bloody moving :/

More info on them here. Awkward buggers to get rid of because they get absolutely everywhere.

http://www.kcl.ac.uk/ip/bryanturner/other/home_psocids.html


Thanks the info on there are consistence with what I have. Also, the blown up images is consistent with the outlines of the damn insect when I looked at one closely.

I will do another major clean up again over the week and attack them with some sort of insecticide.:evil:

[lostkat]

I had a small breakout of these when one of my bags of herbs got infested. I chucked it away, disinfected everything thoroughly and they didn't come back. I don't think you'll need to go as far as insecticide. Just make sure you thoroughly wash everything. I also put all my herbs in airtight containers after that just so it wouldn't spread if any more got infested.

[ElRazur]

Yeah true, insecticide may be going too far. I suppose Dettol or some kind of bacterial cleaning liquid should do the trick?

/off to look up on book lice control.

[leowyatt]

it really depends on how far spread they are and in what numbers. Sanitation is a good way to get rid, but if they keep coming back in numbers, you can get the council (in some areas but not others) or a pest control firm to come out and sort it.

Make sure you wash everything out and most importantly, dry it too - they thrive in damp conditions.

[ElRazur]

They are at the moment confined to a particular section- upper cupboard on the wall and the lower one. Like I said before, a thorough cleaning was done today....I will attempt another one during the week and try to get as much light in to those areas and put as many stuff I can in the sun.

It is a good thing they are harmless, they kinda make my skin creep... Only god knows how they come into the house lol.

[leowyatt]

if they're fairly contained, what lostkat said should work fine. They live in loads of houses in cupboards and dark crannies & people only notice them when something goes off in the cupboard and they all turn up at one place! Get some antibacterial wipes and keep an eye on it, you should notice they get less and less after few days, then you'll be able to tell where they are coming from (maybe a corner or crack in the cupboard or something).

Good luck with it!

[Von Smallhausen]

I found that there is this tiny spec of "things" that looks like white spec of dust in the section of the kitchen where we keep the extra plates. On closer observation, these tiny dust-spec like things are actually crawling and it looks like they are every where.....I'm talking thousands of them scattered everywhere.

I cleaned the cupboard this morning, but it appears they are back again...:angry: I have looked up on woodlice, but these things looks nothing like it, they are really small, white and the size of a grain of sand....what are they?

A good spray of insecticide is something I'm considering next, before calling the pest people.

It sounds very much like laborus politicianus, a very annoying and ever present pest tht afflicts people up and down the country.