Booklouse

Found indoors in warm, humid areas, commonly around books, paper products, stored food pantries, damp walls, and furniture.

They feed on molds, fungi, microscopic algae, starch from book bindings, wallpaper paste, and dry stored food items.

They are tiny, wingless, pale-colored insects that scurry quickly when disturbed. They thrive in high humidity and are often parthenogenetic, meaning females can reproduce without mating.

They do not bite humans, transmit diseases, or feed on structural wood, but large populations can become a household nuisance and contaminate stored pantry goods or damage old books and wallpaper.