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The presence of web and a colony of pocket-sized insects may indicate a barque lice plague .   “ Bark louse ” is the common name for Psocoptera .

They are small brown dirt ball feast on the rubble found on the barque of trees and shrubs .

colony of bark lice

Photo Credit: Instagram @cajunsnakegal

Bark lice often appear on trees and shrubs with smooth bark , such asCrepe myrtleand oaks .

They may also now and again infest hardwood plants .

Keep reading to learn how to manage with an plague .

Swarm of ants on wood, nature scene.

What Are Bark or Tree Lice?

Tree lice are insect often found on the bark of trees .

While they are called barque louse , they are not worm .

Unlike lice , Psocoptera is not parasitic or plague .

Cluster of flying ants on wood.

Psocoptera is one of the oldest species of insects , first appearing over 250 million years ago .

Psocids are scavenging insects with long antennae and little manducate mandibles .

The critter only measure about 1 to 10 millimeters in length and resemble aphids .

Cluster of insects on tree bark

However , unlikeaphids pests , they do not vex a menace to plants .

The revealing foretoken of barque lice is the growing of webbing on the bark of the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and a large clustering of shiny picayune insects .

If the tree contains jaundiced or distorted leaf or black sticky nub , the tree most likely contains aphid instead of barque lice .

Striped bugs on stem, close-up view.

Psocoptera colonies often include hundreds of “ lice ” with a mixture of grownup and nymph .

When the back lice nymph mature , they arise wings .

The wings are typically only used for dispersion when the settlement is disturbed .

Group of woodlice on a tree trunk.

There are many species of barque lice come up throughout the world .

No matter the species , they have soft soundbox and harbor themselves with a thin layer of silk .

The insects weave the silk themselves , and it eventually covers big portions of the bark of trees .

“Cluster of insects on textured surface”

These psocids eat a wide mixture of organic material , include fungi and mold .

They prefer moist environments and look for decaying matter .

Along with climbing on trees , Psocoptera often look in musty old books , leading to the common name “ book lice . ”

A settlement of barque lice or Koran lice often indicates the presence of mould or fungal emergence .

In a way , these critter help homeowner identify likely issue in their gardens or landscape .

What Damage Do Bark Lice Cause?

How To Get Rid Of Bark Lice?

As bark lice are not cuss , the typical recommendation is to avoid disturb a bark lice colony .

Leaving the insects to complete their line benefits the tree .

Psocoptera do not bore into the barque or damage the leaves .

They simply feed the constitutional materials growing on the bark of the tree .

While bark lice are not a threat , some the great unwashed dislike the show of Psocoptera colony on their trees .

To remove black lice , simply spray the tree diagram with pee .

Almost any natural action sends the insect flying aside .

The water system also well removes the webbing .

There is no need to use insecticidal grievous bodily harm or other commercial pest treatment .

When disturbed , shameful lice tend to leave in groups , as with a ruck of cattle .

This behavior has run to the unwashed name calling “ bark cows ” and “ Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree cattle . ”

Within a few moments , the insect may re-emerge in their original spot .

In some cases , it may take several strong atomizer of water to polish off the settlement from a tree diagram amply .

The bottom line is instead of process a bark lice infestation , the worm should be leave to dispatch their cleaning job .