Also known as paper lice or booklice, are small, soft-bodied, usually wingless insects that feed on mould, mildew and other starchy foods. They thrive in dusty, damp and warm places, and are usually found in areas where there is a lot of papers such as libraries and bookstores. They can also be found on damp basements, plant-based furniture stuffings, wallpapers, and leaky and sweaty plumbings. Paper lice do no direct harm to human but they do significant damage to paper-based items and property. They multiply quickly so it is important that eradication methods are applied properly, otherwise the infestation will persist. Paper lice are tiny, measuring between 1mm and 2mm in length, and some species are wingless and due to this they are often confused with bedbug nymphs. While the majority of these lice are woodland insects that do not affect humans, the species that do have the propensity to invade urban dwellings need to be controlled or their populations can get out of hand.
