Question: I have a small, young dog and I want to know what Orkin can do
to assure that my pet would be safe if I were to use Orkin to exterminate
the little tiny bugs we have found throughout the kitchen of the home we
just moved into.
ANSWER Probably what you have are psocids (soo - cids) or booklice (an unfortunate name, since they are neither lice nor always associated with books).
These very small, pale yellow to brown insects live in humid areas such as bathrooms and kitchens, but they can occur in other locations in the house (especially in humid weather). Most of the time they are wingless, but sometimes you can encounter winged forms. They feed on microscopic mold and fungi, and some are associated with stored food materials which may also have some mold. There are a few psocids that are associated with cereals and are not usually found in humid areas; in fact, may be found in quite dry kitchen cabinets.
The best control in the kitchen and kitchen cabinets is to remove everything from the cabinets, vacuum them very well. It will be necessary to dry up any excess moisture before replacing the items into the cabinets. If there are dripping pipes or drains, making the repair will solve most of the psocid problem.
In the bathroom you might use a dehumidifier to dry the room out and kill the psocids. Don't forget to look in the plumbing access area for the tub to make sure nothing is leaaking there.
For the ones in other places in the house, or when you find them on pieces of furniture, the best control is to lower the humidity, that is, to dry out whatever or wherever these insects have been found. This may mean turning up the heat, using a dehumidifier, taking items outside to dry in the sun. Solving the moisture problem will almost always solve the psocid problem.
Pesticides for household insects are designed to be applied at low concentrations and usually to specific sites in the house. For example, liquids and dusts are usually applied into cracks and crevices. This way the treatment is effective against pests with no residue on the surface that people or pets could be exposed to.
Insecticides that are intended for outdoor application usually include directions in their label that require people and animals to stay away from the tteated area until it has dried.
The technician can explain the treatment in more detail. If there are any special precautions, he or she will discuss them with you before the treatment is started.
