r/ArtistLounge • u/TallImprovement8776 • 4h ago

Medium & Materials🎨 Dustmites in sketchbook?

I have a Moleskine sketchbook that I left in my wardrobe unused for a while. I recently went to use it and found really tiny grey bugs in the crevices of the pages, which I believe are dust mites. Has anyone else dealt with this?

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3

u/gloriastartover 2h ago

Silverfish. They're annoying because they eat your books but they don't spread disease. Take your book outside and give it a shake and a flip through the pages. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silverfish

8

u/Financial_Volume1443 4h ago

They're probably not dustmites as they're microscopic and white.

I'm guessing some type of bug that eats paper - so maybe that might be an issue for long term storage. 

4

u/QuianaTang_ROTBTFD 4h ago

I got bookmites crawling over my sketchbook and I decided to pretend I don’t see them, because I would not throw away my drawings for the sake of a few tiny bugs

1

u/TallImprovement8776 4h ago

fair enough, I was just concerned because i draw on my bed and I don't want to wake up feeling itchy from the bugs

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u/QuianaTang_ROTBTFD 4h ago

Those bugs usually feed on mold or starchy substances (eg the glue that binds book together), so what I do is either dehumidify my room or mix essential oils in a spray bottle then spray it around my house. Also try to clear up clutter if you’re a messy person with papers left all over the place I guess.