Question: I live in Arlington, Virginia. We have noticed in the last
several days small (about the size of a small pepper flake) black bugs in
our bathtub below the ceiling fan/vent (not near the drain or faucet), and
around some of our windows. Any idea what they could be? How to get rid
of them? I did not see anything like them in your pest library on the web
site. Thanks for any help you can provide.
ANSWER I suspect 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.
In the bathroom inspect carefully for a moistur problem. Look in the tub plumbing access in case something is leaking in there. If there is nothing leaking, consider whether there is sufficient ventilation in that bathroom. Reducing the humidity almost always solves the psocid problem.
For psocids in other places in the house, or when you find them on pieces of furniture, the best control is to lower the humidity. This may mean using a dehumidifier or simply taking items outside to dry in the sun,.
