When the teak garden furniture was taken out of the shed, it was full of slow, small flies. There were also several apparently masonry ‘nests’ on the wood from which even smaller flies came out. It was damp under the brickwork. What kind of flies are these and are they harmful to the wood?
Answer
day p,
The insects you photographed are dust lice (Psocoptera), not flies. They cause no damage but are attracted to fungi and algae. Once your furniture is dry, they’ll be gone in no time.
Kind regards,
Rudy
Answered by
Dr Rudy Jocque
Arachnology Zoology Biodiversity
Leuvensesteenweg 13 3080Tervuren
http://www.africamuseum.be
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