[Strawbale]Psocids infestation

[Catherine Wanek]

Hi Leive --

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.

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.

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......;-)
Blessings,
Catherine Wanek

At 12:43 PM 8/17/04 +0100, you wrote:
>We hovered up all the dust we could find and then sprayed in some
>insecticides into the cracks.  They have not come back.
>
>I think it is related to the depth of plaster that has to dry out, it
>just takes time.  They had exactly the same problem in findhorn, I don't
>think it has recurred there either.
>
>The psocids go, it takes some time for the paranoia that you have messed
>up and your house is rotting around you to subside tho... must just go
>and sniff that truth window, is that the sweet smell of black goo ?!
>
>kes
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: strawbale-admin at amper....muni.cz
>[mailto:strawbale-admin at amper....muni.cz] On Behalf Of Chug.
>Sent: 17 August 2004 09:24
>To: strawbale at amper....muni.cz
>Subject: Re: [Strawbale]Psocids infestation
>
>Hi Lieve,
>
>from looking into this problem myself it seems that most people seem to
>have had the problem when the weather warms up soon after
>rendering/plastering a building, and in most cases the psochids
>disappear
>on their own and do not return.
>Kester did spray or treat them with something? but I cannot remember
>what
>it was.
>
>bale on
>Chug
>chug at strawbale-building....uk
>www.strawbale-building.co.uk/
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "lieve van landeghem" <lieve.vanlandeghem at skynet...>
>To: <strawbale at amper....muni.cz>
>Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 8:05 AM
>Subject: [Strawbale]Psocids infestation
>
>
>Hi all,
>
>Last May, Andre de Bouter reported Erica Sapir's 'critters' problem.
>Chug replied that the critters were probably psocids, and that Kester
>Wilkinson had had a similar problem.
>
>A month ago I moved into my strawbale house, and just a few days ago I
>noticed that it is infested by tiny insects.  The problem is not their
>concentration in one spot as was, I understand, the case in Erica's
>house.
>But they are all over the house : mainly underneath carpets and other
>stuff
>on the floors downstairs and upstairs which are pine planks, and they
>also
>crawl on the white painted plaster panel (gyproc) walls and ceiling of
>the
>bathroom.  Neither do they shun the bed.  (Some of you visited the house
>with Herwig Van Soom, I believe on June 10th, when you were on your way
>to
>the congress in Denmark.   Or you can take a look at the webpage that
>Herwig
>made http://nebraska.skynetblogs.be/)
>
>I went searching on the internet and yes, it's psocids, also called
>booklice
>or Liposcelis Bostrychophila.  (for a picture, see
>http://www.anticimex.se/?objectid=878).
>
>I did some more reading on the web
>(http://www.kcl.ac.uk/ip/bryanturner/other/index-psocids.html and
>http://www.sofht.co.uk/isfht/irish_98_psocids.htm) and learned that I
>have
>to "try to deny them the conditions they need to survive and multiply,
>i.e.
>warmth and moisture".  Which is beyond my control, assuming they come
>from
>the straw in the walls.  With the warm weather here and no sun
>protection
>in
>place yet, temperatures inside the house have been up to 30 degrees
>Celcius.
>I do ventilate the house though, as often as the weather allows.
>
>Can any of you experts give me some advice, or could the people who
>experienced a similar problem, feedback on how they dealt with it ?
>
>Many thanks.
>Kind regards.
>Lieve
>
>
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>
>____________________________________________________
>     European strawbale building discussion list
>
>Send all messages to:
>Strawbale at amper....muni.cz
>
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