Expert: Ed Saugstad - 6/20/2009

Question
OK, I've been surfing the net for almost two hours, trying to find a helpful, and informational website, i believe i might have done just that, even if i have to wait for my answer. Ok this might be a long one... I was cleaning in my stand-alone closet when i found one of my black fabic(as in not leather) handbags had been covered in mold. I immedately took it into the bathtub and watched it with Dawn and hot water, after rinsing, i let it sit in the sun to day oiut, before spinning it in the dryer on a no-heat setting. It was in there for about a day when i took it out to do more laundry, i then moved it to the floor between my dryer and the trashcan which sits in our kitchen. I picked it up this evening to find, that not only had i not successfully removed the mold, it was covered on one side (only) with small tiny with bugs. They were so small i thought at first they were salt, or more mold spores, but after another seconds inspection i found them to be moving. To give you an idea of the number, my handbag is about serven inches long from side to side and they covered about 30% i would say that about 300 bugs were present, only half of which showed any signs of life or movement. They were very small, slow moving, and white, they also looked almost elbow macaronni shaped, distinctly not round, or segmented. I washed the purse off again, before realizing i should have snapped a photo, I then looked through the trash it was next to, and the floor where it was sitting, and under the dryer it was next to and have not been able to find any bugs (except a dread cricket) at all. So i'm at a loss!! I have looked at online photos of book lice, paper lice, wood lice, bed bugs(not them i knew but i thought i'd get a helful link), and spider mites.... The description of the paper lice sounds the closest, but the picture wasn't correct (perhaps blow-ups picture, or larval stage?) anyway i live in East TN, if that helps you at all and I would love any information, links, or other websites that might point me in the right direction :)
~Kelly W.

Answer
Dear Kelly - As you probably can imagine, trying to identify something like this without being able to see them is at best guesswork. About the only critters as small as you describe would be either mites of some sort, or (less likely) booklice. However, most mites appear roundish in shape, and booklice tend to move relatively rapidly. About the only suggestions I have are that should you encounter any more, either (1) take a clear, close-up photo and attach the image to a follow-up question, or (2) place some of them in a small container with some rubbing alcohol, and take them to your county office of the University of Tennessee's Cooperative Extension service (see http://tinyurl.com/mthwk2 for contact information). Someone there should be able either to assist in identification, or would forward the specimens to the appropriate university office. Extension service offices usually are a good resource for assistance when dealing with most home/yard/garden pest problems.
Hope this helps,
Saugy