Control & Prevention of Psocids in the Home

Prevention of Psocids in the Home

Psocids are attracted to flour and if they are present in the kitchen they will colonise the flour bag, if accessible.  It is often wrongly assumed, however, that the flour is the source of the infestation.  To prevent the manifestation of psocids in the kitchen:

• Packets of food that have been opened should be used up quickly and not pushed out of sight to the back of the cupboard. 
• Food storage areas should be well ventilated and cool.  (Liposcelis bostrychophila, the psocid that is overwhelmingly the most important psocid pest in the domestic situation, likes warm humid conditions. Cold and dry situations are unfavourable for its survival.)
• If storage in cool ventilated cupboards is not possible, make sure that your cupboards are always free from condensation and damp.  If you notice that condensation occurs in your kitchen, particularly during cooking or washing, open your windows.  If the problem is continual, it may be necessary to take additional precautions.  Advice on preventing condensation should be sought from the local Environmental Health Department.
• Any potential hiding places should be sealed with paint or mastic.  Many fitted kitchen cupboards are made form laminated chipboard and the surfaces, which are not on view, tend not to have a laminated finish.  These unfinished edges can provide crevices for the psocids to hide in and should be sealed with a coat of paint or varnish. 
• Regular cleaning of cupboards is advisable, since crevices of cupboards harbouring dry food can also provide a food supply for psocids. Use of a vacuum cleaner is recommended, provided the contents are then immediately disposed of in an outside waste bin.  Do not use a very wet cloth since this may seal dry food into crevices, encourage humidity and the growth of mould in chipboard.

Control of Psocids in the Home

If these prevention measures fail and you do discover psocids in your food, do not use an insecticide because of the danger of contaminating your food.  Dispose of all visibly infested packages in an outside waste bin and thoroughly clean the cupboards using a vacuum cleaner paying particular attention to crevices.  If psocids are found in other parts of the house, clean the area with a vacuum cleaner.  Immediately after use, dispose of the cleaner contents in an outside waste bin. 

It is important to make sure that when foodstuffs are replaced in cupboards that have been cleaned they do not reintroduce the psocids.  Containers and packaging may be treated by placing them in a deep freeze for 24 hours (enclosed in a plastic bag).  This will kill any eggs or juveniles that might be hidden in the folds of packaging.  Labels should be removed from tinned food, bottles and jars to ensure that no psocids are hiding behind the paper. Use a felt tipped pen to label the bare containers.  The freezer treatment is also suitable for books and other objects which you might suspect of harbouring eggs/ individuals (enclose them in plastic bags). 

If the problem persists, contact your local Environmental Health Department.