<html>
<font size=3>Hi Leive --<br>
<br>
To concur with Chug and Kes -- these tiny non-biting straw beetles
are probably a result of the moisture introduced in the walls from
plastering, made a bit worse by the humidity of moist summer rains.
They will probably go away without the use of insecticides, once things
dry out.<br>
<br>
To aid this, besides opening the windows, I would also recommend getting
fans going in each room, to enhance the drying process. A hand
vacuum can help to just get them out of your sight until their moist
habitat disappears.<br>
<br>
BTW, I was on that strawbale tour in June, and we all loved your lovely
house. I'm sure that you're happy to have moved in, despite the
univited guests......;-) <br>
Blessings,<br>
Catherine Wanek <br>
<br>
At 12:43 PM 8/17/04 +0100, you wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>We hovered up all the dust we could
find and then sprayed in some<br>
insecticides into the cracks. They have not come back.<br>
<br>
I think it is related to the depth of plaster that has to dry out,
it<br>
just takes time. They had exactly the same problem in findhorn, I
don't<br>
think it has recurred there either.<br>
<br>
The psocids go, it takes some time for the paranoia that you have
messed<br>
up and your house is rotting around you to subside tho... must just
go<br>
and sniff that truth window, is that the sweet smell of black goo
?!<br>
<br>
kes<br>
<br>
-----Original Message-----<br>
From: strawbale-admin@amper....muni.cz<br>
[<a href="mailto:strawbale-admin@amper....muni.cz" eudora="autourl">mailto:strawbale-admin@amper....muni.cz</a>]
On Behalf Of Chug.<br>
Sent: 17 August 2004 09:24<br>
To: strawbale@amper....muni.cz<br>
Subject: Re: [Strawbale]Psocids infestation<br>
<br>
Hi Lieve,<br>
<br>
from looking into this problem myself it seems that most people seem
to<br>
have had the problem when the weather warms up soon after<br>
rendering/plastering a building, and in most cases the psochids<br>
disappear<br>
on their own and do not return.<br>
Kester did spray or treat them with something? but I cannot
remember<br>
what<br>
it was.<br>
<br>
bale on<br>
Chug<br>
chug@strawbale-building....uk<br>
<a href="http://www.strawbale-building.co.uk/" eudora="autourl">www.strawbale-building.co.uk/</a><br>
<br>
----- Original Message -----<br>
From: "lieve van landeghem"
<lieve.vanlandeghem@skynet...><br>
To: <strawbale@amper....muni.cz><br>
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 8:05 AM<br>
Subject: [Strawbale]Psocids infestation<br>
<br>
<br>
Hi all,<br>
<br>
Last May, Andre de Bouter reported Erica Sapir's 'critters'
problem.<br>
Chug replied that the critters were probably psocids, and that
Kester<br>
Wilkinson had had a similar problem.<br>
<br>
A month ago I moved into my strawbale house, and just a few days ago
I<br>
noticed that it is infested by tiny insects. The problem is not
their<br>
concentration in one spot as was, I understand, the case in Erica's<br>
house.<br>
But they are all over the house : mainly underneath carpets and
other<br>
stuff<br>
on the floors downstairs and upstairs which are pine planks, and
they<br>
also<br>
crawl on the white painted plaster panel (gyproc) walls and ceiling
of<br>
the<br>
bathroom. Neither do they shun the bed. (Some of you visited
the house<br>
with Herwig Van Soom, I believe on June 10th, when you were on your
way<br>
to<br>
the congress in Denmark. Or you can take a look at the
webpage that<br>
Herwig<br>
made http://nebraska.skynetblogs.be/)<br>
<br>
I went searching on the internet and yes, it's psocids, also called<br>
booklice<br>
or Liposcelis Bostrychophila. (for a picture, see<br>
http://www.anticimex.se/?objectid=878).<br>
<br>
I did some more reading on the web<br>
(<a href="http://www.kcl.ac.uk/ip/bryanturner/other/index-psocids.html%20andhttp://www.sofht.co.uk/isfht/irish_98_psocids.htm" eudora="autourl">http://www.kcl.ac.uk/ip/bryanturner/other/index-psocids.html
and<br>
http://www.sofht.co.uk/isfht/irish_98_psocids.htm</a>) and learned that
I<br>
have<br>
to "try to deny them the conditions they need to survive and
multiply,<br>
i.e.<br>
warmth and moisture". Which is beyond my control, assuming
they come<br>
from<br>
the straw in the walls. With the warm weather here and no sun<br>
protection<br>
in<br>
place yet, temperatures inside the house have been up to 30 degrees<br>
Celcius.<br>
I do ventilate the house though, as often as the weather allows.<br>
<br>
Can any of you experts give me some advice, or could the people who<br>
experienced a similar problem, feedback on how they dealt with it ?<br>
<br>
Many thanks.<br>
Kind regards.<br>
Lieve<br>
<br>
<br>
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