# Tiny white insects



## Steevo (11 Oct 2007)

Hi All,

I'v moved into a new house (in an estate) a few months ago.  In the downstairs toilet over the past couple of weeks I have noticed a number of tiny white, almost clear, insect type things.  I'd say they are no bigger than 1mm in size.  I spot one or 2 of them most days.

Does anyone know what they are or if its something I should be worried about?


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## Crugers (11 Oct 2007)

Any plants around the area? Might be http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitefly

Spiderlings? (Baby spiders)

Silverfish?

Aphids (which come in many different colours http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphid) 

Maybe a little more info might help...


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## Steevo (11 Oct 2007)

I was probably a bit vague in my description....

There are no plants in the area at all.  I've only noticed them in the downstairs toilet which gets no natural light and wouldnt be used too often.  

The insects themselves are <1mm in size, its hard to tell how many legs they have so I cant really say if they are spiders.  I'll try find another one this evening.  I've tried to search various insect sites but the pictures they show show huge magnification of these (note to self, dont show these to other half) and they dont really look like the ones I've got.

They are a whiteish/creamy colour, dont seem to jump so I dont think they are fleas.  I havent seen any bigger spiders or wood lice around the place so I dont think its either of those.

Thanks for your reply!


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## truthseeker (11 Oct 2007)

Thats strange, I had them in both the main bathroom and the ensuite when I moved into a new apartment also. They drove me mad for a while but then they just stopped appearing.
Neither bathrooms have any natural light.

Id forgotten about it til I saw your post - they DO have legs, but theyre tiny, theyre really hard to see, I kept noticing them on the sink, but against the white porcelain i had to get up close to see them.

I wonder what they are?


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## MrMan (11 Oct 2007)

Same problem here, new apartment and they are only in the bathroom I thought they were some kind of mite, and maybe it was something to do with the construction type( timber frame), they are tiny and only ever see maybe 2/3 at a time usually just hoover to up


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## Caveat (11 Oct 2007)

Could well be _plaster beetles_ which have a habit of infesting newly plastered walls.  They range in size from 1 to 6mm and in colour from reddish brown to white.

If so, they are pretty harmless and should disappear completely in a few months.


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## Steevo (11 Oct 2007)

Cool, thanks for all the replies.

I generally only see a few of them a day and just end up squashing them for now.  I was just worried that some day there would be hundreds of them and then herself would be moving out!


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## Seagull (11 Oct 2007)

If you want a detailed description, do a search for .


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## Sue Ellen (11 Oct 2007)

Sounds like .

There are some previous threads here on this same subject.


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## qwerty? (11 Oct 2007)

Brings back memories of two years ago when we moved into our newly built house, we had them too... Thanks to askaboutmoney or boards I discovered they were Booklice a.k.a. psocids. They are totally harmless, and they did disappear after a few months. It sounds like you don't have it too bad, we were finding dozens a day especially on window boards. 

We still do find the very odd one.


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## Steevo (12 Oct 2007)

Took a closer look last night.
There were quite a few last night so I got the hoover to them and this morning there wasn't one in site.

I got a bit of a better description now....

They are white/cream with possibly a tiny dot of grey on they're body.
They have a head and thorax, cant count the number of legs because they are so tiny... (but they definitly have legs)
They are quite slow moving.
They definitly have tiny tenticles (careful now) on their heads.
Are less then 1mm in size.
I have only found them in the downstairs W/C.

From the previous posts, they look like the plaster beetle.... I'll give it another couple of weeks and see what happens before I start using chemicals!


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## Bluebells (13 Oct 2007)

Is there any way to kill these plaster beetles before I paint and put down floor covering? 

I  had these in my previous (new) house, and they were everywhere. I had always blamed the carpets, and was so upset, that of all the carpet shops in the country, I had managed  to pick the one shop that had an infestation of mites. When I saw some in my sisters new house I was distraught, I thought I had infested her lovely home as well, by giving her bed linen from my house. 

I don't think I could stand to see them again in my new house. I can't even do an internet search for them to answer above question. Couldn't bear to look at them even. 

Thanks anyone who can help.


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## 3dolls (13 Oct 2007)

We had them too, in both our last house and present one (both new builds). After 5 years in this house we still have them from time to time - I just squish them! I remember thinking they were following me from house to house until I saw here that they are booklice. Now mice on the other hand......


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## Sue Ellen (14 Oct 2007)

Steevo said:


> There were quite a few last night so I got the hoover to them and this morning there wasn't one in site.


 
I was told many years ago by a Professor from UCD that they can then take up residence in the hoover and you can be transferring them to another area when you next use the hoover!


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## stir crazy (14 Oct 2007)

Could it be silverfish ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silverfish


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## Steevo (15 Oct 2007)

Definitly not silverfish, thank god.
I think its definitly those plaster beetle/booklice thingies. 
I have bought some anti-ant powder stuff taht supposed to work for other crawling insects so I'll try this


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## Bluebells (16 Oct 2007)

Steevo, don't bother with the ant powder. I found a few of them crawling in a plastic basin. I poured the stuff in, put a lid on it and went away for the W/E. I could have cried when I found them still very much alive on Sunday evening.


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## newtoallthis (16 Oct 2007)

hey all,
have any of you tried one of these:

4 IN 1 ULTRASONIC ELECTRONIC INSECT PEST REPELLER C52

[broken link removed]

i've seen them on ebay and have to get around to buying one, but i've heard they're very good  worth a go anyway


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## lexus (24 Jan 2008)

they are dust mites


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## Steevo (24 Jan 2008)

Are dust mites not invisible to the naked eye?
Cant see how they could survive in a tiled room.
They seem to have disappered anyhow!


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