The pest-control tag has no wiki summary.
23
votes
1answer
629 views
How do I find and dispose of the dead body in my ceiling?
We're trying to track the origin of a very putrid smell in our condominium. We have a loft type home, which means two floors with a drywall ceiling between the first and second floor.
I first noticed ...
17
votes
12answers
19k views
How can I get rid of a mouse in my house?
There is a mouse in my house.
What's the most effective way to get rid of the mouse (and any "friends" it might have) and ensure that it doesn't come back.
16
votes
7answers
5k views
What can I do to keep my shed (or house) free of spiders?
I've got an old shed at the end of my garden, this summer I gave it a complete cleanout, but within a few weeks it was back to its cobweb infested state. Being quite an arachnaphobe, it makes getting ...
15
votes
2answers
1k views
How can I get rid of ants in an environmently friendly way?
Is it enough to pour boiling water in their mount?
12
votes
1answer
361 views
How do I locate where bed bugs hide?
Location: Hong Kong
Recently I have had a problem with bed bugs in my house. I've seen them and confirmed they are bed bugs.
I've googled for a way to kill bed bugs. A most accepted solution is to ...
9
votes
5answers
520 views
How should I deal with an animal in the attic?
My tenants tell me that they hear an animal (possibly a raccoon) in the attic. This is an old (1880s) three story row house with a flat roof and a pretty low (2 ft average, maybe) attic. The house ...
9
votes
8answers
513 views
What are some at-home options for pest control?
I am thinking about ditching my pest guy and going straight DIY.
Raid has released a new product called Raid Max Bug Barrier.
Lowe's also carries a number of DIY insect treatments. I figure the ...
9
votes
7answers
9k views
How do I repair/prevent woodpecker holes in cedar siding?
What is the best way to patch woodpecker holes and deter the woodpeckers from returning?
I was thinking of filling the holes with Great Stuff, having the house sprayed inside/outside for insects and ...
9
votes
2answers
7k views
What is the proper, safe, and effective way to apply diatomaceous earth?
We are looking at using diatomaceous earth against bed bugs.
However, we're having trouble finding any reliable information on how to use it properly.
Our questions are:
how should it be applied?
...
8
votes
2answers
2k views
Is this termite damage and if so how do I repair it?
I was moving a bolt storage rack in the basement, and when I took it off the wall, I noticed that the wall behind it was moldy. Then I noticed a ripple in the paint going all the way up, and when I ...
7
votes
8answers
15k views
How can I prevent mice from entering my house?
Every fall when the weather gets cooler it is a given that a mouse will end up in my house. I understand that this happens probably to most home owners (especially considering the number of trees I ...
7
votes
3answers
2k views
How do I get rid of birds living in an air vent?
On the outside of my house I have at least one bird living in an air vent. I would rather that they lived somewhere else. I was thinking I could put some sort of netting over the vent when the bird ...
7
votes
2answers
2k views
How can I get rid of gnats and other flies all over my house?
We just moved to a new place and we're noticing that there is a lot of gnats and fruit fly type bugs all over the house! We've been killing 2 or 3 an hour and they keep coming back. We find them all ...
7
votes
1answer
289 views
Are these brown finger-like things on the outside of my house caused by termites?
Is this ground termite? This is on the outside of a wall in the backyard.
This is the only occurrence of this thing.
Should I be worried? Should I call someone to look at it? OR can I fix this ...
6
votes
3answers
6k views
How do I find where mice are entering my house?
So the house I just finished remodeling, and am now living in, has a small mouse problem. We have caught a couple of mice, and suspect there may be more. Catching the mice does little good, if more ...
6
votes
3answers
761 views
How to tell if my new, unfurnished apartment has bed bugs?
I just signed the lease on a new apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I did so after looking up the address and seeing that it had been listed twice in the bed bug registry. In 2009, a tenant said a ...
6
votes
5answers
340 views
How do I address a bedbug infestation?
This bug problem is really stressing me out. I doubt they are bedbugs though because there aren't a lot. I remove 3-8 from my bed a day, and I've read that bedbugs are present in much greater numbers.
...
6
votes
1answer
234 views
How can I stop mortar plugs from popping out of slab holes?
Our termite people plugged their dozens of chemical insertion holes using a regular grout. Needless to say the plugs are popping out left and right. (They tell me that is normal, the plugs pop out in ...
6
votes
1answer
194 views
How do I eliminate and prevent future stink bug infestations?
Throughout the winter we tended to have 1-2 stink bugs buzzing around the house on any given day. We'd either vacuum them up or put them in the disposal. The humidity picked up for a bit and yesterday ...
6
votes
2answers
693 views
How do I set traps in the kitchen ceiling when my roof is flat and I lack access?
At night we can hear mice scuttling about over the kitchen. This area of the house has a flat roof above it, and a solid drywall ceiling with no access to the space between the ceiling and the roof. ...
5
votes
7answers
4k views
How can I remove mice from my house?
I live in a townhome which is a 2nd and 3rd floor unit. On the 3rd floor is a closet with a crawlspace entrance which is the attic. There are definitely mice running around in there.
I tried to ...
5
votes
2answers
640 views
What is the best way to fill a 3 inch gap under my concrete front porch?
I'm in need of some help with my concrete foundation. As I was leaving the house this morning I discovered two or three skunks crawling into a gap under my porch. The hole is on the bottom of the ...
5
votes
2answers
290 views
How can I get rid of fleas in my crawlspace forever?
I have lived in my house since 2007. I have a large crawlspace (dirt floor, ranging in height) where I have a nice woodworking shop.
In 2011 the shop became infested with fleas, but not the ...
5
votes
6answers
339 views
Any words of advice on dealing with termites?
I have confirmed today that I have a termite infestation in my house. We found a recent tube build through the crack in the foundation and some termite activity outside.
Any words of advice on ...
5
votes
1answer
145 views
Should I apply termite preventative products to pressure treated wood?
There are pressure treated (4"x4") fence posts (set in concrete) nearby to a house. In that area there were previously termites (professionally treated in-ground). This is in a humid region, along the ...
5
votes
4answers
588 views
What is the most effective way to get rid of silverfish?
I recently moved to an apartment near the ocean and the air is more humid/moist than any of my previous homes. I've noticed that at night a few silverfish always come out in my bathroom (linoleum ...
5
votes
1answer
328 views
Are ultrasonic ant repellents effective?
I'm considering an ultrasonic ant repellent for the kitchen (where I'd rather not use a chemical pesticide).
Do these things work?
4
votes
5answers
731 views
How do I deal with a wasp nest?
I recently discovered a fairly large (a few hundred wasps, from the look of it) wasp-nest under the eaves on the side of my house.
Anyways, I called a exterminator (Terminix, actually), and they ...
4
votes
4answers
1k views
How to get rid of gophers in the back yard without poison?
We don't want to put out poisons, and we have tried most everything else with no success:
vibrating pegs
traps
water in the holes
pepper
Its to the point where we're ready to pave over the lawn. ...
4
votes
5answers
2k views
How can I safely get rid of fire ant mounds in my backyard?
I've got around 8-10 fire ant mounds in my backyard, and a puppy that has recently discovered a love for digging in them. We haven't let her out in the backyard unsupervised for the past week since ...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
When to stop putting out mouse traps?
So last week my wife and I discovered some evidence of mice fooling around in our kitchen at night (e.g. shuffled cleaning supplies under the sink, hoarded dog food, and of course their droppings). ...
4
votes
4answers
1k views
What should I do about a gap between hardwood and drywall?
First-time home-owner - house less than 1 year old.
We had our home built last December, and have been discovering all sorts of problems with it. The latest was a trail of ants within our kitchen ...
4
votes
1answer
328 views
Does anything need to be done to prep the ground before building a low height deck?
Previously I asked about How to add on to a concrete patio? I am still considering my options and am now considering making a wood deck instead of a concrete patio. The deck would be about 14 feet by ...
4
votes
1answer
369 views
How are the rats getting in?
I have rat traps in my attic and I catch a rat every few months.
Answers on rat/mice problems - such this one There's a mouse in my house! - always include the suggestion to track down how they ...
4
votes
1answer
320 views
Do termites stay in the wall?
I feel a need to double check this. I found a couple mud tubes going into a wall along with some minor damage to some paneling inside. I removed the paneling, sprayed some termite killer in there and ...
4
votes
2answers
119 views
How to check my house for termites?
I may just be paranoid so I don't want to call out an exterminator, or buy a bunch of stuff I don't need.
How to I tell if I have termites?
Are there preventative measures I should take even if I ...
4
votes
2answers
345 views
Are there pet friendly insecticides that kill only spiders?
Is there a insecticide that only kills spiders? I have a cat and a dog. So, I have to be careful what I use.
4
votes
1answer
243 views
How can I prevent insects from entering my house? How can I find their entry point?
We just moved into a different house. There seems to be an unusually high probability of insects entering the house compared to other houses. No infestation, but a lot of one-off incidents. The worst ...
4
votes
2answers
198 views
How can I prevent animals from eating my wooden swingset?
I have a Rainbow swingset made of a Chinese wood called Cunninghamia. The squirrels and deer in my backyard have begun to chew the wood relentlessly. Is there anything I can do to prevent them from ...
3
votes
1answer
163 views
Do Victor Poison-Free Insect Magnet Traps actually work on spiders?
Victor Poison-Free Insect Traps
I trapped a few in an old apartment. But I've had spiders running free in my own room - despite the presence of THREE traps.
3
votes
2answers
168 views
OK to use fallen branch in garden without treatment?
Recently a large branch fell off of one of our trees (a gum tree, ie hard wood). The branch is about thigh thick and parts of it would make a good garden-bed liner or similar as it is quite straight ...
3
votes
1answer
416 views
What is the best way to stop tiny ants from entering my home? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How can I prevent insects from entering my house? How can I find their entry point?
I've got tiny ants coming in from the window above the sink in the kitchen. We are ...
3
votes
3answers
465 views
How do I stop bats from nesting in an attic?
What is the best way to discourage bats from taking up residence in a house?
3
votes
2answers
393 views
How can I mitigate copper naphthenate (copper green) smell indoors?
Our contractor treated the edge of some plywood and the bottom of some studs with copper naphthenate. The goal was to treat yummy wood at the concrete interface, which is a good thing since termites ...
2
votes
3answers
407 views
How to deal with Mice coming into the Baby's Room [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How can I get rid of a mouse in my house?
Our first child is due any day now, and we've got a mouse infestation. We noticed it for the first time at my girlfriend's baby ...
2
votes
2answers
384 views
What is the best time of year to remove bee nests?
Is there a season when it's easiest to remove bee nests?
I.E. The bees are dormant?
2
votes
4answers
661 views
How to repel pigeons so that they don't loiter behind my windows?
I live in a apartment in a multistory building. Pigeons often sit onto edges of window openings behind my windows and leave excrements which is rather annoying.
Is there some simple, preferably ...
2
votes
2answers
123 views
What's the best way to get rid of ants?
I have ants occasionally in the summer come through the cracks in my garage floor. What is the best way to eliminate them?
2
votes
1answer
139 views
How can I handle carpenter ants?
Last year, my wife and I purchased a house just south of Houston (Stafford, TX exactly). A couple of months into occupancy, we discovered that we had a problem with some Camponotus vicinus (Brown ...
2
votes
1answer
135 views
What kind of paint/stain will prevent bees?
For exposed pine, like a roof eave, how can the wood be treated to
prevent bees from tunneling into the wood, or building nests?
Edit: Currently, I'm using a water-based stain, to no effect.
