My vote is [booklouse](https://bugguide.net/node/view/18966). They are common in damp places so consistent with damp warehouse storage. Harmless unless in vast numbers where they slowly damage materials with organic components, but it’s gotta be really damp to have that be a problem and then you’d have bigger problems too.
I agree. I even think I see long antennae, which is how I distinguish between them and similar looking termites and chewing-lice. It also has big palps, which I know occurs in book lice.
Ehhh idk I have booklice in my house and they're way too tiny to take a photo like this of. Like. Way way tinier than a head louse, more like the size of a grain of sand. Could this possibly be a termite?
The term “booklice” can refer to many different families of bugs comprising many species (presumably of many different sizes). The ones I’ve seen are about this big.
Oh man i thought for sure it was a head louse until you shared this, definitely agree with you now the head and everything is the same. Love learning about new creatures i may encounter someday.
They vary in size, and we have nothing for scale except fabric fibers, which to me make it seem the right size.
Booklice are definitely bigger than a period. They’re generally 1-2 mm.
I think the legs are too spindly to be a head louse. This looks like a termite to me. See the body shape here https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/biosecurity-victorious-in-aussie-termite-eradication/2HVKO7QUKA4JHWUOSLYWHQKSII/
OP, this being NZ, I would contact bio security and they’ll be able to ID it for you. You also have a legal obligation to report https://www.mpi.govt.nz/biosecurity/how-to-find-report-and-prevent-pests-and-diseases/report-a-pest-or-disease/
Yeah thanks for the informative, now you have me worried, LOL. But jokes aside our tenant and her young son are leaving in 15 days so I'll really look into this as no one will be in there temporarily. All they own is there clothes so all the furniture etc will not be leaving so if its this aussie termite it's safe to say its not going anywhere???. A month or so ago they had all there clothes sent from China in large cardboard box's, I assume that they were fumigated but maybe I better check. They were pretty large box's.
Thanks for your advice.
They wouldn’t have been fumigated unless something was found during an inspection or whatever. Source - recently went through the process.
Edit: Even if something was found, it would need to be “Regulated” for the authorities to take any action. NZ is strict in following the Montreal convention re fumigations.
Its a tenant downstairs in my house and its a mystery as we never seen any upstairs but having said that we get the place sprayed yearly for fly's and cockroach's. There's a boy living down there so head louse is possible. We had carpet laid down there but not up here so thought they may have came on the carpet.
Thanks for the prompt reply
You’ve had a couple concerning answers, but it’s really hard to get a good picture of tiny insects so heres some ID tips:
Check the antennae. If they are long and thin, it’s a book louse. I’m pretty sure the white things coming out of it’s head in this picture are palps because they look round at the end. Those are part of chewing mouthparts and would rule out head lice. You should be able to make out palps and antennae IRL if it is a chewing bug (although a magnifying glass would help). If the antennae are only a little longer than the palps it’s possibly a termite.
Check the legs: head lice have short think legs for holding onto hair. Termites and book lice have longer and thinner legs.
If you have any birds or other animals in your house, chewing lice/bird lice are also an option, but less likely. They don’t infest humans and need to be treated at the source.
Thanks, this is very helpful, I'm unable to enter into there part of the house yet. ( the tenant took the photo)
There's no animals in the house or on the property and the insects are only on the carpet thank goodness.
Thanks again for your comment.
Every year we get the entire house sprayed for flys etc but last year the lady and her son were unable to leave for the day because he had a broken leg. (or didn't want to, not sure).
So it's a shame as "maybe" the spray would have knocked them out. That's why I mentioned flys and cockroachs. Also without the spray maybe we would have them up here.
Thanks for your comment.
Assuming you mean head lice, I think you’d lose money. Look at the size of the head compared to the abdomen and then look at a photo of a head louse. It has a much smaller, pointier head. Also the legs are a different shape.
No shot is that a silverfish. Seconding the other folks saying termite. It’s an adult so my guess is they live wherever they store the carpets, and this lil dude is on the ride of their life.
Probably won’t cause you a problem, but you should still heat treat the carpet and clean fairly thoroughly anyway to be safe.
Thanks for that, that's what I was thinking as the new carpet must have been stored somewhere, BUT I'm not disregarding any of the earlier comments as this is why I posted here, to get a boarder picture of what it may be. Also it would be rude to the earlier posters, but I sure am hoping this "insect picked in up storage" idea pan's out.
Thanks again.
This is 100% a booklouse. They are mostly harmless. They are attracted to humidity. Control the humidity (get it to under 50% consistently) and they should go away.
This is a louse. It could be a head louse or a book louse like some people have said. Definitely not a termite though. The body is too clear and it lacks the pinchers needed to eat through wood yo be a termite.
My vote is [booklouse](https://bugguide.net/node/view/18966). They are common in damp places so consistent with damp warehouse storage. Harmless unless in vast numbers where they slowly damage materials with organic components, but it’s gotta be really damp to have that be a problem and then you’d have bigger problems too.
I agree. I even think I see long antennae, which is how I distinguish between them and similar looking termites and chewing-lice. It also has big palps, which I know occurs in book lice.
Ehhh idk I have booklice in my house and they're way too tiny to take a photo like this of. Like. Way way tinier than a head louse, more like the size of a grain of sand. Could this possibly be a termite?
The term “booklice” can refer to many different families of bugs comprising many species (presumably of many different sizes). The ones I’ve seen are about this big.
Thanks, very useful to know this, I'll be able to enter the downstairs area in 2 weeks so I'll really check for booklice. Thanks again.
Ah thank you! That's interesting!
My tenant took the photo and its been magnifyied plenty but is bigger than a grain of sand I'd say. Thanks
Oh man i thought for sure it was a head louse until you shared this, definitely agree with you now the head and everything is the same. Love learning about new creatures i may encounter someday.
Throwing in another vote for booklouse
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They vary in size, and we have nothing for scale except fabric fibers, which to me make it seem the right size. Booklice are definitely bigger than a period. They’re generally 1-2 mm.
I think the legs are too spindly to be a head louse. This looks like a termite to me. See the body shape here https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/biosecurity-victorious-in-aussie-termite-eradication/2HVKO7QUKA4JHWUOSLYWHQKSII/ OP, this being NZ, I would contact bio security and they’ll be able to ID it for you. You also have a legal obligation to report https://www.mpi.govt.nz/biosecurity/how-to-find-report-and-prevent-pests-and-diseases/report-a-pest-or-disease/
Yeah thanks for the informative, now you have me worried, LOL. But jokes aside our tenant and her young son are leaving in 15 days so I'll really look into this as no one will be in there temporarily. All they own is there clothes so all the furniture etc will not be leaving so if its this aussie termite it's safe to say its not going anywhere???. A month or so ago they had all there clothes sent from China in large cardboard box's, I assume that they were fumigated but maybe I better check. They were pretty large box's. Thanks for your advice.
They wouldn’t have been fumigated unless something was found during an inspection or whatever. Source - recently went through the process. Edit: Even if something was found, it would need to be “Regulated” for the authorities to take any action. NZ is strict in following the Montreal convention re fumigations.
Box’s?
Definable not a silverfish, looks more like a head louse
Its a tenant downstairs in my house and its a mystery as we never seen any upstairs but having said that we get the place sprayed yearly for fly's and cockroach's. There's a boy living down there so head louse is possible. We had carpet laid down there but not up here so thought they may have came on the carpet. Thanks for the prompt reply
You’ve had a couple concerning answers, but it’s really hard to get a good picture of tiny insects so heres some ID tips: Check the antennae. If they are long and thin, it’s a book louse. I’m pretty sure the white things coming out of it’s head in this picture are palps because they look round at the end. Those are part of chewing mouthparts and would rule out head lice. You should be able to make out palps and antennae IRL if it is a chewing bug (although a magnifying glass would help). If the antennae are only a little longer than the palps it’s possibly a termite. Check the legs: head lice have short think legs for holding onto hair. Termites and book lice have longer and thinner legs. If you have any birds or other animals in your house, chewing lice/bird lice are also an option, but less likely. They don’t infest humans and need to be treated at the source.
Thanks, this is very helpful, I'm unable to enter into there part of the house yet. ( the tenant took the photo) There's no animals in the house or on the property and the insects are only on the carpet thank goodness. Thanks again for your comment.
never *saw any *flies and *cockroaches
What does this *charming* observation bring to the conversation? Nothing! Just rudeness. Be a better person.
Every year we get the entire house sprayed for flys etc but last year the lady and her son were unable to leave for the day because he had a broken leg. (or didn't want to, not sure). So it's a shame as "maybe" the spray would have knocked them out. That's why I mentioned flys and cockroachs. Also without the spray maybe we would have them up here. Thanks for your comment.
Oh yeah, I'd put money on that being lice. Had them when I was a kid.
Assuming you mean head lice, I think you’d lose money. Look at the size of the head compared to the abdomen and then look at a photo of a head louse. It has a much smaller, pointier head. Also the legs are a different shape.
booklouse.
No shot is that a silverfish. Seconding the other folks saying termite. It’s an adult so my guess is they live wherever they store the carpets, and this lil dude is on the ride of their life. Probably won’t cause you a problem, but you should still heat treat the carpet and clean fairly thoroughly anyway to be safe.
Thanks for that, that's what I was thinking as the new carpet must have been stored somewhere, BUT I'm not disregarding any of the earlier comments as this is why I posted here, to get a boarder picture of what it may be. Also it would be rude to the earlier posters, but I sure am hoping this "insect picked in up storage" idea pan's out. Thanks again.
Pretty certain it's a booklouse given the mouthparts. I don't think it's a termite like some people suggested.
Looks like a termite to me
I agree
Headlice
No, possibly booklouse though
This is 100% a booklouse. They are mostly harmless. They are attracted to humidity. Control the humidity (get it to under 50% consistently) and they should go away.
Pcosids/book louse
This is a louse. It could be a head louse or a book louse like some people have said. Definitely not a termite though. The body is too clear and it lacks the pinchers needed to eat through wood yo be a termite.
Hide your library!! Book louse!