[Home Tips] When bookworms appear, how can you cure and kill them?

🧐 What is "Bunni Bookworm"?

• The scientific name belongs to the order Psocoptera , commonly known as book lice/book mites/mudworms
• Extremely small (1-2 mm), grayish white or pale yellow, difficult to see with the naked eye
• Prefers damp, dark, poorly ventilated environments
• They feed primarily on mold, fungal spores, starch, and paper fibers , so they are commonly found in:
  • Books 📖
  • Document Archives
  • wooden furniture
  • Wallpaper, back of photo frames
  • Cereal storage area

Let me tell you :
They won't bite people directly, but their long-term presence will damage books and documents . It also indicates that the indoor humidity is too high, which can easily cause mold problems and is especially unfriendly to people with allergies.

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🔍 Why are there Bu Ni bookworms?

1. High humidity (70% or above is most likely to breed)
2. Inadequate ventilation (cabinets, bookcases, storage rooms)
3. Mold on paper or wood
4. Improper storage of grains, flour, and other foods
5. Wet weather (spring and rainy season in Hong Kong)

💬 Editor's Note:
The humidity in Hong Kong in spring is as high as 80%-95%. If there are no dehumidification measures at home, bookworms can easily reproduce.

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⚠️ The dangers of bookworms

• 📚Destroy paper (eat away fibers, causing small holes in pages)
• 🪵Destroy wooden products (especially unpainted wooden cabinets)
• 🦠 Accelerate mold growth (they feed on mold)
• 😷Causes allergic symptoms (itchy skin, nasal allergies)

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💪 Cure and kill methods

1️⃣ Completely reduce humidity (core key)

• Use a dehumidifier to maintain indoor humidity at 50%-55%
• Open windows more often for ventilation, especially in the morning and evening when humidity is low
• Avoid hanging wet clothes indoors

💡 Editor's experience:
As long as the humidity is below 50% for a long time, bookworms will naturally decrease or even become extinct because they cannot reproduce in a dry environment.

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2️⃣ Clean and isolate infected items

• Book files :
  • Wipe away dust and mildew with a dry cloth
  • Desiccant (silicone bag) can be placed between pages
  • It is recommended to discard severely damaged paper
• Wooden furniture :
  • Wipe with diluted bleach (to kill mold)
  • Exposure to sunlight for several hours
• Food cabinet :
  • Throw away contaminated cereal
  • Clean the cabinets with hot water or vinegar water

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3️⃣ Physical killing method

• Low temperature freezing method
  • Place infected books or small items in a sealed bag and place them in the freezer (-18°C) for at least 48 hours to kill eggs and adult insects.
• High temperature exposure method☀️
  • Expose to the sun for 2-3 hours; high temperature and ultraviolet rays can kill bacteria and insects.

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4️⃣ Chemical control (use appropriately)

• Insecticide spray (containing pyrethroid ingredients)
  • Only suitable for furniture gaps and corners, do not spray directly near books or food
• Boric acid powder/diatomaceous earth
  • Sprinkle it in a corner where it will not touch food or skin. It can destroy the exoskeleton of insects and cause them to dehydrate and die.

💬 Editor's Note:
Chemical methods should be used with caution, especially when there are children or pets at home, and direct contact should be avoided.

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5️⃣ Prevent recurrence

• Monthly inspection of bookcases and lockers
• Keep desiccant in the cabinet for a long time
• Regularly use a vacuum cleaner to clean dust in corners
• Control indoor humidity, especially during the rainy and typhoon seasons

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🚫 Common Mistakes (We’ll Help You Avoid Them)

• Using fragrance only to mask the smell → Doesn't kill the bugs at all
• Spraying large amounts of insecticide on books → damages paper and is harmful if inhaled
• Putting infected books back into the bookcase → will infect the entire cabinet
• Stop dehumidifying after a few days → The insects will return when the humidity rebounds

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📌 Editor's Summary

In Hong Kong, the key to completely eradicating bookworms is to control humidity, physically remove them, and prevent their recurrence :

1. Maintain humidity at 50%-55% for a long period of time (dehumidifier + ventilation)
2. Isolate & handle infected items (freeze, expose to the sun, clean)
3. Regular inspection and cleaning (to prevent mold growth)
4. Use safe insecticides when necessary

💡 Editor's Recommendation:
🌀 Dehumidifier (for long-term dryness) + ☀️ Books exposed to the sun + 🥶 Freezing to kill insects + 🌿 Desiccant to prevent moisture

Doing this will not only kill existing bookworms, but also prevent them from coming back, keeping your books, documents, and wooden furniture looking like new for a long time📚✨.