Hi – I am reading your information about eliminating Wooly Adelgid. I have 3 hemlock trees about 15' tall that now all have this pest. They have been in for about 5 years and now have the aphids.
From what I see in the ADELGID article, it looks like the best non-toxic way to get rid of them is by using a combination of Concern Multipurpose Insect Killer and Bug Patrol RTS. Is this correct? How often do I have to apply each one? Additionally, do you think that aphid traps or aphid alarm would help?
Thanks!
Initially I recommend a followup treatment one week after the initial application. And after the second application, wait 2 weeks to see what happens. If they come back sooner, treat sooner. The organic options won't last like the BIFEN we have listed in our article but they do work.
Now once you can go a full month without them returning, I suggest setting out some APHID ALARMS on any of the hemlocks and surrounding plants you want to protect from future infestations. These really work but should only be deployed after you eliminate the current infestation. In the long run the alarms will cut back dramatically on how much spraying you'll have to do so they're well worth installing.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Bifen IT: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/bifen
Organic Insect Killer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/organic/liquid/multi-purpose-insect-killer-24-oz
Bug Patrol: http://www.bugspraycart.com/organic/liquid/bug-patrol-32-oz-rts
Aphid Alarm: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/pheromone-and-food/aphid-alarm-4-pk
Adelgid Article: http://www.bugspray.net/wooly-adelgids/how-do-i-kill-the-hemlock-woolly-adelgid.html
Filed under wooly adelgids by 
I have a double-bed mattress which was stored in our garage. It was in a plastic bag and is clean and in good order in all way, but it smells seriously musty. Would NNZ be the best product to spray on the mattress? OR do you recommend another method of removing the odor? I can lean it up against a wall in our family room for a few days to allow the NNZ to penetrate and/or odors to disperse. What do you think? Any suggestions would be welcome. I can’t afford another mattress right now and I need this bed. Thanks.
A musty mattress smell can happen when you store a mattress for any length of time. Odors thrive with just a little bit of moisture so even if you stored it in a plastic bag, moisture was most likely in the mattress to start. This enabled small minute organisms to live and prosper with the net result producing a musty smell.
NNZ would in fact be a great way to neutralize the musty smell. Mix it up as per label and applying some to the outside surface will no doubt remove the odor it contacts. But the key to successfully getting rid of the musty smell will be whether or not the NNZ gets deep enough inside the mattress. So initially, use a quart or two of finished spray to get the mattress damp with the treatment.
Next, store it to dry in a dry environment with as little moisture present as possible. After 2-3 days the treatment should dry and take effect. If you note more of an odor, treat again. If after the second treatment there is still an odor, I would recommend getting some of the treatment deeper inside the mattress. This may be making small cuts in the outside shell to allow the liquid access. Since mattresses are constructed so many ways, there's no telling what the outer shell is made from. But getting some NNZ inside may be required for complete odor removal.
In the end, I'm 100% the NNZ can do the job if it's able to have access to all areas of the mattress fiber where the odor is living. And since it's less costly than any decent mattress, trying to save this one makes sense. So if you have a good place to store it while it needs to dry, there is no reason to believe you won't be able to achieve success in your goal of getting rid of the musty smell.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Filed under how to remove by
Hello all,
I have a pickup truck that sat for a couple of years and was over-run with mice. They were up under the dash in places that are tough to get to. Is there anything that can fog the cab and get rid of the smell?
Thanks for any help.
There are two things you can try. The first is to install an AEROSOL MACHINE that will apply ODOR ELIMINATOR AEROSOL. Set it to go off every 15 minutes. Now if you're driving in the truck you may not want to have it going off if the cab is really small but the blast is short and shouldn't interfere with anyone using the vehicle.
Basically what this will do is neutralize the odor. Now since there is a lot of odor that's been dispersed over a lot of area, it will take time to work. In the past we've had people need the machine operating for on average for at least one month using this setup. The good thing about it is that the setup is easy to deploy, cost effective and usually works.
If you need something stronger that works faster, get some NNZ and a FOGGER RENTAL. You can then mix it up, fog the interior of the cab heavy for 5-10 seconds, let it sit and see how it does. My guess it will neutralize the odor quickly but that it will come back a few times. Basically what you can do is use this process over and over till the smell is gone. You might want to run the machine much longer but if the cab is small, you could over load it with the mist making it wet. To avoid saturating the fabric, less of the NNZ applied over and over will prove to be a better way to proceed.
Obviously if you own a fogging machine you won't have to rent one. And if you can wipe down the interior of the cab with a rag saturated with the NNZ, you'll no doubt get better results too. But since the wiping can't penetrate every crack and crevice, fogging will be needed.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Aerosol Machine: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/foggers/aerosol-dispenser-1000
Odor Eliminator: http://www.bugspraycart.com/sanitizer/aerosol/odor-elminator-6-oz-refill
NNZ: http://www.bugspraycart.com/sanitizer/liquid/nnz-64-oz
Fogger Rental: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/rental/fogging-machine-rental-2-weeks
Filed under how to remove by
Hi,
Over the past few days I caught 3 of these nasty camel(spider) crickets. Definitly full size and they freak out my wife. 1 caught in basement. The other was under our living room couch, upside down no-less in a bat like fashion( caught this 1 with vacuum wand).
Long story short, what's the best method of getting rid of these ugly suckers? I'm look for the most expediant way.
Please advise.
If you review our CAMEL BACK CRICKET ARTICLE, you'll learn there are three areas that usually need treatments. Since they come from the outside, spraying your foundation and the mulch or ground surrounding the home is the way to start. This should be done throughout the year and will actually stop most any pest from coming inside the home. In fact if you treat the outside of the home on a regular basis, you should be able to keep out most any perimeter invader like spider crickets. A good product for this type of treating is the CONQUER.
Inside the home, they usually start nesting in crawl spaces or basements. So if you have a finished basement or a crawl space, treating it with some DELTAMETHRIN DUST would be advisable since it works quickly and lasts a long time.
For the living area, setting up some CRICKET TRAPS and baiting with NIBAN BAIT is usually all that is needed. As our article explains, these guys prefer the dark, safe confines of a hidden space but if allowed to populate enough, they'll no doubt forage into your living space. At this time it sounds as though this is beginning to happen.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Camel Back Cricket Control: http://www.bugspray.com/articles98/camelcrickets.html
Conquer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/conquer-esfenvalerate
Deltamethrin Dust: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/deltamethrin-dust
Cricket Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/glue/mouse-glueboard-5-x-8
Niban Bait: http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/granule/niban-fg-3-lb
Filed under what is the best way to by
Hi,
We love your website and helpful article about ants. Very well done!! Our question is, we are using the gel and the bait traps that we actually purchased from a professional exterminator in our travels. We are moving almost daily and after about 1 week, we still are seeing ants. How long can we expect the traps and gel to take to kill all of these ants? Luckily our trip is short, but it is so frustrating that we have ants on board and it is making our trip so unpleasant. Again, thanks for your great website. RV Geek Travelers!!
Crazy ants are tough to control with bait. The indigenous species are easy to handle when they invade the home. Liquid treatments with CYPERMETHRIN and applying some LAWN GRANULES to your grass and mulch will usually handle them – even when you're seeing them inside. And though our ANT CONTROL ARTICLE includes using a bait inside, the bait part of the "three level approach" is the most insignificant way to treat for this particular species of ant. In fact it's really the outside treatments that will do them in. But if you get a problem with these ants inside an RV, these two type of treatments aren't viable and as you're already finding out, the baits don't seem to work either.
And are you even sure they're just crazy ants or is it possible they're something worse? RASBERRY CRAZY ANTS are a new species here in the United States that's become a major problem throughout the southwest. First identified back in 2002, these guys are even tougher to control compared to our native crazy ants. As our article on Rasberry Ants explains, baits don't seem to work on them at all so again, your current implementation of ANT GEL and ANT BAIT STATIONS won't help. So what you can you do that will work in an RV?
The only control option we've found that works for any kind of mobile vehicle is a good crack and crevice application with PHANTOM AEROSOL. This product is odorless and goes on dry so it's ideal for use in living areas where spraying a liquid is near to impossible. In fact I use Phantom in my home all the time because I have hardwood floors and this is the only material I've used which goes on dry and doesn't leave a mess.
Phantom is very different from any other spray in that it's slow to act. So slow it will take several days to affect anything that comes in contact with it. Furthermore Phantom is undetectable by insects so they don't even know it's there. Ants will walk over treated surfaces and as they do so they'll be picking up a lethal dose of product that they'll unknowingly share with other members of their colony. When the Phantom eventually kicks in (about 3-6 days following the initial treatment), all the ants that come in contact with just one ant that walked over a treated surface will start to die. So if you treat thoroughly enough, most any ant problem will be gone inside of a week.
In summary I suggest you change strategies here and go to the Phantom. A thorough application done while you're on the move or when you get back home is the only sure way we know to control crazy ants and rasberry crazy ants. Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin
Lawn Granules: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/granule/complete-insect-killer-granules
Ant Control: http://www.bugspray.com/article/ants.html
Rasberry Crazy Ants: http://www.bugspray.net/rasberry-crazy-ants
Ant Gel: http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/gel/maxforce-ant-gel-1-oz
Ant Bait Stations: http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/stations/advance-dual-choice-12-pk
Phantom: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/pt-phantom-17-5oz
Filed under how to treat safely by
Hello, can you please tell me if Ropel would be a good product as a preventative to spray on attic wiring and insulation to prevent any animal (that might get in there) from chewing on anything? How long would Ropel last and how frequently would it have to be applied to attic (or basement) items?
Thanks bunches :-)
~E.
PS…just out of curiosity, you wouldn't happen to be able to answer the following question?
–My friend went outside in her backyard at night, heard a very deep growling sound, and the next day there was a VERY large pile of excrement where she heard the growling. She's convinced it was a bear, however, bears are not usually in this area (Cleveland, Ohio). Sometimes there are 1 or 2 black bear sightings an hour or two east of us, but it would be VERY rare in Cleveland. Any ideas what it could 'actually' have been?
First I'll answer your "PS" question. You'll need to consult with your local wildlife office to see what animals they believe it could be. A quick search on the internet yields several accounts of bears being reported in and around the Cleveland area but I cannot tell if any of the reports are legit. But your local Department of Natural Resources should have a running history of such reports and know for sure if they're active in the area.
As for the ROPEL use in the attic; no doubt it can be used as a repellent to deter animals from chewing wires. Ropel tastes bad and will stop most any animal from chewing any place the Ropel is applied. Since your attic should be sheltered from direct weather impact, treatments would last several weeks if not a few months.
That being said, the ideal way to control this behavior would be to live trap and remove any animal you know is active in your attic. No doubt wire chewing is a very real threat should you allow access by any kind of wild animal. But there are many other reasons why you should remove the invader since they'll no doubt be leaving excrement, making a mess of the insulation and could very well chew on the structure causing structural damage. The bottom line is your attic should be kept free and clear of anything wild to insure the home remains a safe place for you and your family.
Ropel: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/liquid/ropel-liquid
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I have been seeing a bunch of what I think are boxelder bugs on the back side of my house. I just took a photo of them from this morning. They hang out in groups and it looks like they're trying to get warm. They especially like being around my deck light and the door to my breakfast room. What do can I do to get them off my house?
Right now boxelder bugs are starting to feel the cold and will seek a warm place to spend the night. If you read our BOXELDER BUG CONTROL ARTICLE, you'll learn they can become a real problem if left to do as they want. I suggest you treat now with some CYPERMETHRIN so they don't have a chance to infest the home.
Star by spraying the entire backside of the home on the siding. This should take care of the current activity and the treatment will last a good 2-4 weeks. Be sure to inspect around the home for any other nest locations and take care of them as they appear. Hopefully this is the first time they've tried to move into your house and you won't have a major problem develop. Only time will tell for sure but if you do start seeing them inside, you'll need to treat as our article explains.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Boxelderbug Control: http://www.bugspray.com/articles98/boxelder.html
Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin
Filed under how to treat by
I live in south Florida and we recently had an extremely hard rain. Now, for the first time, there is a strong musty odor coming up from the crawl space through the floor. I was able to find an opening under the house and sprayed a product called Odor Ban which I bought from Home Depot. It did not eliminate all the odor and I can smell a residual smell from the product.
I read your article about Timbor and Odor Destroyer and would like your professional opinion. Thank you.
Crawl space odor can be a complicated issue but I'll try to provide a summarized list of possible factors that can cause the problem. In general, most crawl spaces should be kept dry. When dry, odor tends to be limited and not able to permeate. But when these areas get wet or damp, odors can arise from the soil. To deal with these odors, it's best to first try and figure out what might be causing them. Once you know the source and the frequency of the problem, a plan of action can be put in place.
The first kind of odor worth mentioning is the occasional problem that can be linked to the outside environment. If you're located alongside a river, canal or lake, high water tables can "push" up moisture and odor through the soil. And if you're dealing with this more than once a year, covering the exposed soil with a POLY MOISTURE BARRIER is strongly suggested. This will help limit the amount of moisture that comes inside. You may also want to install some TEMP VENTS if you don't have good working vents in place that will allow for the proper air flow from and to the crawl space.
The second kind of odor commonly found in crawl spaces is linked to something in the soil. These odors will not be triggered by moisture but instead, they're usually linked to the season, the temperature or some other environmental trigger. Furthermore, these odors are lodged in the soil of the space and because they're literally inside the home, a direct treatment of the dirt is usually required to neutralize the odor. The best product for this would be the NNZ. It can be sprayed using a good PUMP SPRAYER or fogged using a FOGGING MACHINE.
The third kind of odor which can be linked to the environment would be weather related like rain or high humidity which can happen in some regions of the U.S. With this kind of odor, crawl spaces will begin to smell musty, almost moldy, following a heavy rain or humid warm season. This is usually due to some kind of mold or fungus that's moisture dependent. The spores of this mold will be activated and released following a good rain and in some cases, can be a significant issue that needs to be treated more thoroughly compared to the first odor issue. For starters, you may need to protect the exposed wood with TIMBOR or BORACARE or BORACARE W/MOLD CARE (if you think there is already mold present). And once the wood is treated, applying the NNZ over the top would be required to get rid of the odor.
So what kind of problem do you have? I don't have enough information to make the call on this but here are some guidelines you can use to help make a decision on what to use and how to treat. Since this is the first time you've had the problem, it's quite possible you may only have it once every 2-3 years. If that's the case, a treatment with the NNZ is all I would suggest you do for now. NNZ should quickly neutralize the odor and can be applied as needed, as much as you want and whenever you want. But if you find the odor reappearing more and more frequently (which can happen when local water tables change), you might consider doing a heavy soil treatment with the NNZ and then covering the soil with the Poly Moisture Barrier. This way the odor will stand a lot less of a chance making it's way back inside.
Now if the problem still persists and is happening more than twice a year, I'd recommend getting some TIMBOR applied to all the exposed wood in the crawl space as well as applying the Moisture Barrier. This way the moisture that's appearing from time to time won't be able to start growing a mold or fungus as this would be detrimental to the structural members of the home. If you allow mold or fungus to start growing, it could damage the house. This could then lead to other problems including POWDERPOST BEETLES or TERMITES.
So in summary, my first thought is for you to apply some NNZ. I'm confident it will get rid of the odor and if this only pops up every few years, having to do the treatment from time to time won't be too difficult and there won't be any risk to the structural integrity of the home since the moisture isn't showing up several times in any one year. But if the problem gets worse and worse and starts happening throughout the year over and over, no doubt some of the other products listed above will be needed. Good luck!
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Poly Moisture Barrier: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/temp-vents/poly-4-mil-10-x-100
Temp Vents: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/temp-vents/temp-vent-white
NNZ: http://www.bugspraycart.com/sanitizer/liquid/nnz-64-oz
Pump Sprayer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/good/pump-sprayers
Fogging Machine: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/rental/fogging-machine-rental-2-weeks
Boracare: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/boracare-gal
Boracare with Moldcare: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/boracare-with-moldcare
Timbor: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/wettable-powder/timbor
Filed under how to remove by
Hi,
I read your write up on handling nats but this is on the inside of the house because of a lemon tree outside the door with fruit rotting. They got the fruit but I still have a huge nat problem. Can a fogger be used in the house? It is a small unit and mainly in the kitchen. Thanks.
No doubt you could use a FOGGER to kill what's inside the home right now. But will this solve the problem? Probably not. That's because whatever moved inside is no doubt reproducing inside if it's been more than a few days since you started seeing them. More importantly, the tree just outside your door is probably growing more too so in the end, if you go the fogger route, you'll need to apply them over and over. This would not be the best choice for controlling the problem but here are some "better suited" options that will work great and solve the problem at it's root.
First, you need to treat the lemon tree with some MULTIPURPOSE INSECT KILLER. Mix up enough to treat the tree 1-2 times and spray it daily for 4-5 days. This can be done first thing in the morning or later in the evening. Since this is an organic spray, it won't provide any residual which is why you need to spray daily for a few days. This will break the cycle of the gnat.
Second, take any indoor plants you have and lightly spray them too. Any nats which are inside might have targeted indoor plants once inside the home. Also spray down the soil in the potted plant as there are lots of nats that love nesting in soil. If possible, take these outside when spraying and then within 5-10 minutes they can come back inside.
Third, use AQUACIDE for the inside of the home. It will only take 5 seconds worth of spray for most any room and lightly misting them daily for a week or so should do the job for all the ones you're seeing inside. Aquacide won't provide any residual so you'll need to use it daily. Either once in the morning or once at night should do the job but if you find them reappearing within one day, go for twice a day sprayings. In the end, the Aquacide will be doing what a fogger would do but be a lot more cost effective.
Lastly, if you have a "sinkerator", treat it with some SURVIVORS. There are many species of nats which love living down the drain and Survivors is the best option for removing these nest sites.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Multipurpose Insect Killer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/organic/liquid/multi-purpose-insect-killer-24-oz
Aquacide: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/aquacide-aerosol-20-oz
Survivors: http://www.bugspraycart.com/sanitizer/liquid/survivors
Total Release Fogger: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/indoor-fogger-6-oz
Filed under Blog by
hi jonathan,
i came across your website in search of a solution to my cricket problem. i have a finished basement and don't know where to begin with treatment for this problem. i have had someone professional come out in the past to spray in/out of the house and it seems to control the prob for a while, but they seem to be coming back in force now. they are mostly in the bsement, which like i said is finished and has two bedrooms where children sleep.
do you know of any non-toxic non-chemical solution that can be used? i have a lot of children and that is why i didn't call the spray guy back out as it freaks me out every time at the thought of them breathing in or coming in contact with whatever he uses. any help would be appreciated.
as i read the article, i don't see any in the crawlspaces and can't figure out where they are getting in really. some have managed to make it up to the main floor which is really freaking me out. i need help fast!!!…i live in new jersey and i notice now that the weather is getting cooler, the activity seems to be increasing. thanks in advance for your help. please reply…(nervous mom of 8 with severe insect phobia!!!! lol) if one more of these things jumps right at me, i'm moving!!!
No doubt that the cooler temps at night are driving these guys into your home. This is normal. The key is to make the area they want to live uninhabitable. If you don't have any crawl spaces and the basement is finished, the most likely place they're living is the space between the finished walls and the concrete walls of the foundation. There is usually a space behind the wall, at least the width of the studs that are holding the wall together, and this space may or may not be filled with insulation. Regardless, it's a prime spot for them to nest.
So at this point I'd recommend doing most everything we have listed in our CAVE CRICKET CONTROL ARTICLE. On the outside of the home, you should spray some CONQUER. I'd especially focus on any mulch, deck or other shady area where they might be hiding. There most be a "hot spot" close to if not on the home where they're focused. If you're able to find this spot, you can no doubt kill any out there now which in turn will prevent more from migrating inside.
As for the inside area; I'd recommend some GLUE TRAPS set out in any of the rooms where you're seeing crickets. These are non toxic and in fact not a pesticide at all. They'll do a good job of collecting any that forage around and can be a good indicator of where problems are focused. This in turn will help you identify where you really need to treat.
I also recommend treating the wall space (inside the wall) with the DELTAMETHRIN DUST listed in our article. If you're able to get each of these "compartments" treated, there will be little to no chance of them using this space as a nest site. Yes it will require a lot of dusting but if you want them gone, this must be done.
Use a HAND DUSTER to apply the dust and though you're not wanting to treat where your kids will be, remember that in this case you're actually treating the space behind the wall. If you do the treatment right there will be nothing in the living area so in fact there will be no risk or danger present to you or your family. Also, dust applications will remain active for 6 months or more so you don't have to do this frequently. In my experience, a good dusting behind the walls can do wonders at solving this kind of problem and in fact, many times the dust alone can solve a problem for many years.
In summary, this approach will enable you to treat the problem properly without having to spray anything in the living spaces. The real key will be the wall space dusting. If you have a drop ceiling that will let you push up tiles so you can dust behind the wall from the top side by reaching over the wall, that would be ideal. Alternatively, drilling small holes in between each stud will be needed as a "port" to get the dust injected. These holes need only be small enough to fit the duster tip so they won't be large. After the treatment they can be sealed up too.
Now if the wall is insulated, you'll need to place holes in the bottom, middle and top of the wall to insure the dust flows uniformly throughout the space. But if the wall is not insulated, a hole up top is all you'll need. Through the one hole you'll be able to dust and with the help of gravity, the dust will filter down through the open space behind the wall covering so no holes will be needed in the middle or bottom sections but you'll still get that vital area treated.
Give us a call if you need further help; our toll free is 1-800-877-7290. Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Cave Cricket Control Article: http://www.bugspray.com/articles98/camelcrickets.html
Conquer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/conquer-esfenvalerate
Cricket Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/pheromone-and-food/scorpion-insect-lizard-15-pk
Deltamethrin Dust: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/deltamethrin-dust
Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader
Filed under Blog by
What do you recommend ? I forgot to unpack two knitted mink items. A Stole and a Bolero Jacket….last spring. They were in a box all summer. When I discovered the box with the items, there were white maggots on the Fur. I dusted them off and hung up the items in the air. Don't know where the maggots went, what do you recommend? Fur Cleaning for the Fur pieces or one of your products??? Please advise. Thank you.
This is a tough one. Since the infestation has seemingly relocated, I don't know that a garment treatment with our products is warranted. But I do recommend getting them dry cleaned. This will no doubt kill most anything left on them if the cleaning is done by traditional dry cleaning methods.
Furthermore, I'm not able to tell 100% for sure what the pest involved may have been. I'm thinking it could have been clothing mothes but cigarettte beetles will commonly infest clothing as will carpet beetles. All these pests require different treatments and the list of treatment options are too many to isolate just 1-2 general applications that would cover it all. That being said you still need to do something or else it could turn out that a really bad problem is being missed.
For now, I suggest you install some of the "pheromone" traps we have listed in our "most likely pest" articles. As you'll see, we have different traps for the more common insects that could have been on the fur. And if you review each article for these pests, you might be even be able to identify which of them it is based on something our article talks about. Once you know the exact species of insect involved, you'll probably need to treat because it's not likely the only place they've been living was on that fur. I'm willing to bet they're somewhere else in your home right now and could be doing similar damage to some rugs, furniture, drapery or other clothing. Unfortunately there isn't any practical way to proceed until we either know a) where they're active or b) what species of insect they might be. Once we ascertain that information, we should be able to proceed with a logical approach to getting the problem resolved.
Here is the "short" list of what I'm willing to bet these guys were:
Carpet Beetles: http://www.bugspray.com/articles98/carpetbeetle.html
Cigarette Beetles: http://www.bugspray.com/article/cigarettebeetle.html
Clothing Moths: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page765.html
Drugstore Beetles: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page1017.html
Each one of the articles above covers all you'll need to know about each pest. And in each article you'll find links to "glue type" traps that can be installed in your home to both "monitor" and trap any foraging pests. Once we start collecting some adult stages of this pest in a trap, we'll be able to identify what it is and from there, determine the best treatment option to get any problem under control.
Filed under Blog by
Going to Longboat for a couple of months with small dog. I react to no see ums. Just returned Oct 1-15 from Sanibel with many bites. Is Atlantic coast better for not having these terrible pests?
There really isn't any difference that you can bank on. In general, there are many factors that affect when these guys are active, how many will be present, how long they'll live, etc. But above all else, they tend to be most active and thriving along the coast of any ocean, sea, canal or other waterway with salt water. No doubt the entire Gulf of Mexico is prime ground as your experience at Sanibel confirms. And since the Gulf can remain moist and warm throughout the year, no see ums can be found any time.
As for the Atlantic shoreline; this region tends to get too cold once you move above North Carolina. But if you were to be traversing water in Florida, there is a good chance you'll encounter more. You may want to consider one of our repellents like DEET, SUNBLOCK AND REPELLENT, DEET LOTION or PERMETHRIN SPRAY for your boat and clothing. Any combination of these can really help make them more manageable. And a HEAD NET may offer some relief too.
Here are direct links to the products listed above:
Deet: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/liquid/deet-100
Sunblock/Repellent: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/liquid/sunblock-repellent-4-7-oz-rts
Deet Lotion: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/liquid/deet-20-lotion-6-oz
Permethrin Spray: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/aerosol/permethrin-aerosol-6-oz
Head Net: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/netting/mosq-head-net
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Hi, I have these little knats in my grass outside. When the grass is ruffled, they fly out of the grass. They also fly around in the air. I have a little dog and have to be very careful of which products to use. Do you have any recommendations? Thanks much.
The organic option would be to spray some BUG PATROL over the area. It's compliant to be used for organic gardening and works on anything in the turf.
The stronger option would be the CYONARA RTS. It will no doubt work too but overall it will last a lot longer compared to the Bug Patrol. This way you won't have to spray it as frequently. That being said, the gnats active right now are largely due to the warm air that's been hanging around as the fall here in the U.S. has been slow to turn really cold and move to winter. Once it gets does, the gnats will slow down but getting them now before they're gone due to winter will help keep them minimized for next year so it's a great idea to treat now.
As for the pet; just keep him off the grass till treatments dry. He can then come back onto the area without undue harm or risk. View our safety video on any product page for more details on how to safely handle, apply and store our products but either of these are very safe to use according to label.
Here are direct links to these in our product catalog:
Bug Patrol: http://www.bugspraycart.com/organic/liquid/bug-patrol-32-oz-rts
Cyonara RTS: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/cyonara-32-oz-rts
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Question—we get a smell from a closet in one room—we feel it is coming from the attic (the only time we get this smell is when the furnace or air conditioner is OFF). There is no force air circulation going on.
At first we thought is was a dead animal however each year the smell comes back.. After searching on the internet our attic insulation might be causing the problem.
NNZ or N7Z; are these products you can spray? Secondly if I can spray it – can I spray it on attic insulation?
Do you think it would help or rather replace the insulation? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
There is most likely one of two contributing factors responsible for this odor issue. The first place to look would be the insulation. Most materials used for insulation can in fact harbor and hold odor. This odor would not be noticeable when the air flow is "out" of the living space. But as soon as the air flow is neutral (like when the furnace blower is off), the smell will reappear.
The second likely culprit could be the duct work or filters in the furnace. At some point something could have gotten in there leading to an odor which again will only be detectable when air flow is neutral.
Though replacing your insulation is an option, it would first be quite expensive and without knowing for sure whether it's at fault, a risky way to attempt solving this matter without first doing a some more testing to better identify the source. I suggest treating the insulation with either the NNZ or N7Z to see if it helps or has no impact. If it doesn't help, you'll know for sure the insulation isn't involved and at that time could move on attempting to locate the real source. This would avoid the cost of both removing and replacing said insulation.
And though spraying either up in the attic is an option, I recommend applying the product with one of our B&G FOGGING MACHINES. You can either purchase the unit or rent it. Rentals are good for 2 weeks of use so you'd have access to the unit for plenty of time to see if the targeted area you treat is involved. Misting is a much better way to get uniform coverage. Plus it removes the risk of "pooling" the spray which can leak down to the living spaces causing other issues that would have to be repaired.
If the insulation isn't the source, I would then recommend fogging the intake vent for the furnace. You would want to do this when the unit is on. A light mist being "sucked" into the vent won't have an impact on the furnace or duct work but if the source of the odor is inside, the odor neutralizer will readily remove most if not all of it. After misting it for a minute or two, you would then shut the unit down and see if the odor comes back or has been weakened by the treatment. If it's been weakened, you can then proceed to treat the duct work more thoroughly with the goal to be getting it well enough treated so the odor is rendered undetectable.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
NNZ: http://www.bugspraycart.com/sanitizer/liquid/nnz-64-oz
N7C: http://www.bugspraycart.com/sanitizer/liquid/n-7c-64-oz
Fogging Machine: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/foggers/bg-my-t-lite-2300-120-v
Fogging Machine Rental: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/rental/fogging-machine-rental-2-weeks
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I have found some egg casings on my wildlife mounts. I am getting some hair slippage and took an antelope mount back to the taxadermist to check. He said there is a weavel infestation going on. What is the best product to use that won't stain the fur and is somewhat enviornmentally friendly as we have small children around?
You've got a few options here. The exempt option would be ECO KO AEROSOL. Made from food stuff, it's very safe to use and if applied a couple of times a month, you'll get the problem under control and keep it under control.
For longer control, use the PHANTOM AEROSOL. It's odorless and goes on dry. I use it all around my home for many pests because I have hardwood floors and the Phantom doesn't go on wet or messy. Even after it's applied you can't tell it's there. Phantom will last a good long time so treatments would be a lot less. Maybe once every 1-2 months. Over time this would be less costly and more efficient.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
ECO KO Aerosol: http://www.bugspraycart.com/exempt/aerosol/eco-exempt-org-ko-aero-14-oz
Phantom Aerosol: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/pt-phantom-17-5oz
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