There is at least one mole in my front yard. I see the tunnels in one section and I’m afraid he’s killing all my grass. Every day there are more and more tunnels and it’s confusing where to start. I tried stomping them down but they just keep coming back. What’s the best thing for moles in the lawn?
Start by reading through our MOLE CONTROL ARTICLE. In the article we go over various methods of controlling moles but in the end, you’ll need to choose whether to use a Mole Trap or Mole Bait. Clearly the MOLE BAIT is the easier method but in many cases it’s not accepted right away which leads to an ongoing problem. Especially when they’re feeding on something like grubs which are very active right now.
So if you want to use a bait, go with the TALPIRID over the pellets. It’s a sure bet when it comes to using a bait. As for traps; the TUNNEL TRAPS are discreet yet highly effective and efficient to deploy.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Mole Bait: http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/animal/mole-bait-rco
Talpirid: http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/animal/talpirid-mole-bait
Tunnel Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/snap-snare-and-tunnel/mole-tunnel-trap-4-pk
Mole Control: http://www.bugspray.com/articles98/moles.html
I’m looking for some kind of non toxic organic bugspray for my vegetable garden. I grow an organic garden with vegetables and some herbs and can’t use anything toxic. But I get aphids and sometimes whiteflies. Do you have anything I can spray or do I have to just keep pulling them off my plants by hand?
We get asked for non toxic bugspray all the time and really, it’s kind of a oxymoronic request. That sentence might sound rude but if you think about it, how can something be non toxic and yet be strong enough to kill something? What I think most people are asking for when they request something non toxic is a spray that can safely be used for some kind of pest yet not adversely affect the applicator, their plants, their family, their pets or their environment. So to answer your question using this as the guideline for what you believe to be non toxic; yes, we have some non toxic bugspray that will be safe enough to use on your organic garden.
In fact there is a whole group of products that are now approved for organic gardening. In general these products will target pests like aphids, spider mites, white flies, thrips, caterpillars and other garden pests yet not make the fruit or vegetable uneatable. The reason these products are safe enough for such applications is that in general, they don’t last long. In other words, if you apply them in the morning, by the next day most if not all of the active will be gone from the plants where it was sprayed.
And the ability of a spray to quickly breakdown and dissipate is fundamental for it to be labeled as organic. By quickly metabolizing, these products won’t pose a hazard to the people applying them, the plants they’re applied to or the harvest being grown that will someday be consumed. But keep in mind this ability comes with a price. In this case what we find is that products which break down quickly don’t protect the plants a long time so the treated plants are more likely to get re-infested faster compared to when a traditional pesticide is used. But that’s okay; it only means you’ll need to treat more frequently and if that’s what it takes for something to be safe enough for use on plants we grow for food, so be it.
So what do we have that’s approved for organic gardening and works on aphids and white flies? We’ve got a few products. The best is probably the MULTIPURPOSE INSECT KILLER. Another good choice is 3 IN ONE SPRAY. The Multipurpose controls most any common garden pest so it’s versatile and pretty much the only spray you’ll need. The 3 In 1 adds a fungicide, miticide and spreader sticker to the formulation so you’ll be able to take care of even more potential problems gardens typically fall victim to during the course of any growing season.
Here are direct links to the products listed above:
Organic Insect Killer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/organic/liquid/multi-purpose-insect-killer-24-oz
3 in 1 Spray: http://www.bugspraycart.com/organic/liquid/3-in-1-fungicide-miticide-insecticide
And for future reference, refer to our Non Toxic Pest Control site. This site features nothing but products that are either approved for organic gardening or federally exempt under section 25b of FIFRA. Products exempt use low impact actives like food extracts. plant oils and other essential elements.
Non Toxic Pest Control: http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/
How much does a repellent or granules or whatever cost to put on my yard to keep the dogs away so they won’t go to the bathroom on my yard?
It sounds like you need ROPEL DOG REPELLENT applied to the spots where the dogs are urinating. Ropel can also be applied along property borders so stray dogs won’t wander onto your land.
We also suggest setting out one or two YARD GARD ULTRASOUND DEVICES. These emit a sound dogs do not like and will stay clear of the area in which the sound can be heard. You can set the devices to turn on by motion and when running them by battery, they can be discreetly placed in the yard around plants and bushes.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Ropel: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/granules/ropel-granules-2-lb
Yard Guard: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/sound/usd-acbatt-yard-gard-49
Dog Article: http://www.bugspray.com/articles98/dogs.html
Is it possible that there are more than one snake lurking about in my home? I started noticing something was weird when my two cats started tiptoeing around and acting so scared of something. They get real low to the floor and approach things totally terrified. They are 3 years old and just started doing this about a year ago. Then shortly after that I noticed I started smelling a very strong sweet smell, like corn. In another room I smell a strong musky like smell sometimes. Also I keep hearing some weird snorting sounds and so I am wondering what it is I am facing here?
Then I found a 4 foot long snake skin in my basement. My husband and father in law say it is just a rat snake. But I found a snake skin in the same place the year before that. It was a bit smaller but the same snake shed it I bet. Anyway I read that cottonmouths and rattlesnakes often den with rat snakes. I don’t know what to do but I am considering taking my cats and moving if I don’t find some alternative. Please any suggestions would be great!!!!!!!
If you review our SNAKE CONTROL article, you’ll learn about the various snake control options we have. Based on your story, it would appear that at least one snake has found your home to be a good place to spend some time. And it sounds like he’s coming back time and time again. Finding snake skins of various lengths over time with the skins becoming longer and longer is a good sign the same snake is using the structure. So even though you’ve found multiple length skins, its most likely from the same snake.
Now is there any reason to move? Not yet. For now, I recommend setting out a SNAKE LIVE TRAP where you found the skin. These traps don’t have to use bait to catch snakes. Just locate it along a wall where you think there might be activity. This will effectively force the snake to go around the trap and in doing so, enter through a door. Snakes are naturally curious and this entrance design tends to lure snakes naturally so it’s a great way to have something working for you that doesn’t require constant maintenance or management of any kind. And since you have cats, the live trap with no bait is the best option. This way there is no reason for the cats to mess with it.
A few other things worth mentioning. First, do you have a crawl space under the home? These are great hiding spots for snakes – especially rat snakes – during winter and summer. If you do, make a set down there with either a live trap or a SNAKE GUARD glue trap. Crawl spaces will commonly house snakes throughout the year and having a trap installed can help defeat a potential problem before it has a chance to escalate.
And second, have you had a mouse or rat problem? Snakes will naturally be attracted to homes with rodent activity and if you’ve had squirrels, rats, mice, chipmunks or any small animal, having a snake snooping around would very much be expected. So if you’ve had a small animal problem, it will need to be addressed too.
In summary, if you have had a small animal problem, make sure it’s corrected. This alone will many times force the snake to forage elsewhere. But if the home is rodent free but still has snake activity, the use of live traps is ideal because it can capture just one or several snakes with one set making it very efficient.
Lastly, once you know the home has been cleaned out of snakes, treat the outside foundation every 3-45 days with some SNAKE AWAY or SNAKE OUT snake repellent. Both will keep snakes away but don’t use it till the current problem is better evaluated and the snakes are gone.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Snake Trap: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/cage/snake-trap-med-18-x-12-x-8
Snake Guard: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/glue/snake-guard-trap
Snake Away: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/granules/snake-away
Snake Out: http://www.bugspraycart.com/exempt/granule/snake-out
Snake Article: http://www.bugspray.com/snakes.html
We have a serious problem with long eared brown bats in a house in Belgium. They are coming in to create a maternity nest into the loft space of a large old house. This loft has recently been converted into an apartment and the bats are making it unlivable. What can we do?
This should be an easy fix. If you review our BAT CONTROL article, you’ll see we have a section that discusses various devices that emit a sound bats don’t like. When installed, you can direct the sound at the area they’re using and this will make the area uncomfortable for them. In most cases, they’ll leave within a day of the unit being installed.
The unit best suited for small areas and small bat colonies is the TRANSONIC. This unit has multiple settings and when using them for bats, it’s entirely possible people living in the structure may hear the setting best used for bats. This is okay and no cause for alarm.
First, the sound is not harmful so there is no need to worry about pro longed exposure if anyone can hear it. And if the area involved where the unit is installed is enclosed, the sound may not be audible in the living space anyway.
But more importantly, you only need to keep the Transonic running to scare the bats away. In most cases having a light switch for the outlet used that powers the Transonic or simply plugging and unplugging the power cord when needed will make it’s use efficient and effective because again, this should not be viewed as a permanent solution.
What would be more permanent fix would be to install some BAT SCREENING on the outside of the home once the bats left. When properly installed, small sections of screening can be stapled to the structure over the entrance/exit holes thus excluding the bats for good. So the Transonic need only be deployed to chase the bats away and once gone, the screening installed as the permanent fix.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Ultra Sound Repeller: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/sound/usd-transonic-tx-pro
Bat Screening: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/netting/screening-48-x-12
Transonic: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/sound/usd-transonic-tx-pro
My husband just found a 6 foot long snake skin in our attic!! Does this mean we’re infested? I haven’t seen or heard anything up there but he went to put away some boxes and there it was. He also said there are dropping up there like mouse poo. What do we need to do?
Start by reviewing our SNAKE article which will help educate you on what might be happening. As you’ll learn, snakes will commonly forage into homes for the winter hibernation but they’ll also be attracted to food like rats or mice. If you had or have mice active up in the attic, there is a good chance some kind of predator like a snake would be curious and come inside. Snakes have a strong sense of smell and will track rodents and other prey food so if you have mice or rats around or in your home, it’s only a matter of time before snakes came around looking for a meal.
At this point I recommend setting out at least one SNAKE LIVE TRAP and/or SNAKE GUARD GLUE TRAP. Either can catch snakes well and help provide more information about the extent of the problem, where it’s most active, etc. Be sure to bait either with SNAKE LURE.
You should also clean up any mouse droppings and snake skins. Once the area is clean and the traps are deployed, go back up at least once a week to inspect the areas and see if anything new happens. Look for any new activity and take further action if necessary. For now it’s too early to panic but based on what you found, I’d be prepared to deal with both Snakes and Mice in the coming months as winter turns to spring.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Snake Trap: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/cage/snake-trap-med-18-x-12-x-8
Snake Guard: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/glue/snake-guard-trap
Snake Lure: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/lure/snake-lure-4-oz
Snake Article: http://www.bugspray.com/snakes.html
I’ve got what looks like mealy bugs on my cactus plants. I had a similar problem a few years ago on my jade plant and before I knew what was going on, it died. Can you help me treat my cacti without killing it?
Mealy bugs can be active year round if you keep potted plants. They will target most any plant and no doubt cactus and jade plants are high on their list of preferred food. Anything succulent is a sure target for mealy bugs and since mealy bugs can transmit all kinds of disease, even a small infestation can turn deadly.
I suggest you treat with some 3IN 1 CONCENTRATE. This is an organic product, approved for organic gardening, and includes a spreader sticker mixed with the concentrate. This is critical when treating mealy bugs because they’re naturally protected with a white, waxy coating. This coating makes it particularly difficult for most standard insecticides to penetrate for a good kill.
What makes 3 In 1 Spray work well is that it has what’s called “spreader sticker” built already built in. These are “agents” which work by enabling the active ingredient to better spread and “cover” the target area. In this case the cacti limbs and trunk as well as the mealy bugs themselves are all important to spray so don’t miss any when treating.
Now if you have a large area to treat, you will find BIFEN to be more economical to use. You’ll need to add some SPREADER STICKER to the tank mix to insure proper coverage because Bifen does not include this additive. But compared to 3 In 1, the Bifen mix will last 4 weeks or more making it economically advantageous. And it has no odor at all which is nice.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
3 in 1 Spray: http://www.bugspraycart.com/organic/liquid/3-in-1-fungicide-miticide-insecticide
Bifen IT: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/bifen
Spreader Sticker: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/additive/spreader-sticker
Help ! I have read your information on thrip control. They showed up on my pink roses here in Ohio last summer and absolutely nothing killed them that I could buy locally. They ruined every pink rose I had last summer. I finally cut all the blooms off (just about killed me!!) to get rid of them….but alas of course they returned. I had these bugs when I lived in S Carolina, but never experienced them here in Ohio…until summer of 2011. The only thing I found that killed some of them was yellow sticky fly/bug strips….which just looked lovely next to my bushes.. :( I hate using dangerous and expensive methods on my roses…..but I know they will show up with the first blooms of summer this year. I am printing out your info….but can you offer anymore. I live in NE Ohio. We are having a very mild…warmer than usual winter. Thank you for any more information.
I’m not sure what else I can offer information wise. In our article we list the organic thrip repellent PEST RID that you should start spraying now. And if you get thrips, use either the organic MULTIPURPOSE INSECT KILLER or the strongest product listed called BIFEN. The Pest Rid won’t kill them and it does have a slight odor but if you keep treatments fresh throughout the season, you can keep thrips away without having to use either of the thrip killers.
The organic Insect Killer will have an odor too but it’s approved for organic gardening and works good on thrips. Expect to use it every 1-2 weeks in season and more frequently if the thrips persist. The Bifen will last 2-4 weeks no problem, has no odor, and will definitely knock them out. I’ve dealt with thrips many times and prefer the Bifen because it handles so many pests, is so inexpensive to use since you only need 1/2 ounce per gallon of water when mixing and since it lasts so long. Plus it’s odorless so you don’t even know it’s there. But as the expression goes, you need to “choose your poison” because in the end, thrips are highly destructive if left to do as they please and will no doubt kill your roses if you don’t treat.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Pest Rid: http://www.bugspraycart.com/exempt/liquid/pest-rid-exempt-liquid-repellent
Organic Insect Killer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/organic/liquid/multi-purpose-insect-killer-24-oz
Bifen IT: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/bifen
Thrip Repellent: http://www.bugspray.com/article/thrips.html#thrip-repellent-for-plants
I recently moved to Virginia Beach and in the past week I have seen two very BIG roaches in my house. These big roaches are fast and at first I thought they were mice. I was finally able to smash one and that’s when I could tell it looks just like a roach but much bigger than the ones I know about. Does this mean that these things are living in my house somewhere? Just coming in from outside? I can’t deal with living in another house that has roaches so I’d really like to get some advice on how to treat.
Big roaches are almost always American Roaches. They thrive in sewer lines, crawl spaces, basements and adjacent to homes and other buildings. When populations get big enough, some will forage out into the living spaces and it sounds like this is what you have happening in your house. The good news is that american roaches don’t reproduce fast like GERMAN ROACHES. But they will readily nest in your cabinets and other living spaces if given the chance so you need to take of the problem by treating.
In our AMERICAN ROACH CONTROL ARTICLE, you will see we have a product called MAXFORCE GEL and ROACH TRAPS listed. In most cases these are the only two products you need to apply inside. Bait the area you see them active with the gel. American roaches love this stuff and will no doubt eat some and die. The Roach Traps can help monitor the problem by catching some and alerting you to where problems are still active.
Ideally you really need to figure out where they’re coming from. If you have a crawl space under the home, they could be living in there. If the house is a slab, they could be living in mulch alongside the home and from there migrating inside. With the mild winter we’re having, they’ll be extra active and moving around quite a bit. This means you should probably treat the exterior too focusing on mulch, pine straw, wood chips, gutters, shutters and any place else they might choose to nest. Spray the entire exterior with some CYPERMETHRIN and this will take care of anything outside that might come in. Do this every 1-2 months and you’ll effectively take care of most any pest control needs for the home including these big roaches.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Roach Gel: http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/gel/maxforce-magnum-roach-gel-1-oz
Roach Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/pheromone-and-food/roach-trap-6-pack
Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin
American Roaches: http://www.bugspray.com/american-roaches.html
Roach Control: http://www.germanroaches.com/roach-control
I have California Ground Squirrels and now a Gopher in my lawn. It looks like the ground squirrels have hibernated for the winter because I have not seen them for a month or more now but now a gopher is using their tunnels! He pokes his head up several times a day so he doesn’t seem to be sleeping much for the winter. Any suggestions on how to take care of these two pests with one kind of trap? I wanted to get the body grip traps for the ground squirrels but don’t know if they’ll work for the gophers. Thanks, Mark
We have articles on both GROUND SQUIRRELS and GOPHERS. In our articles we list traps for each and if you review the options, you’ll see the BODYGRIP TRAPS that work well for ground squirrels aren’t listed for gophers. This is because the two animals behave differently and can vary a lot in size.
Now if you want a trap that will work for both, I would only recommend the LT5518. This is a true live trap cage design which would be deployed above ground, just alongside their dens. Using a local food as lure, you should be able to capture any animal that wanted to use the tunnels in your yard.
But if you decide you want to stick with kill traps, the Bodygrip for the ground squirrels and the CINCH TRAP for the gophers would be the way to go.
Lastly, don’t forget to treat the dens with COYOTE URINE once the animals are removed and then fill them in as best as possible. This should help stop new animals from coming around wanting to use the tunnels and dens as their home.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
BG 110: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/conibear/body-grip-110-5-x-5
Live Trap: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/cage/live-trap-5-x-5-x-18
Cinch Trap: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/snap-snare-and-tunnel/gophermole-cinch-traps
Coyote Urine: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/liquid/coyote-urine
Ground Squirrels: http://www.bugspray.com/article/groundsquirrel.html
Gophers: http://www.bugspray.com/article/gopher.html
We have a lot of potted plants in our home. Last week we started getting these little flying bugs (they kind of look like fruit flies but are actually coming out of the soil). I’m not sure how to treat for these flys. Can you help? It does seem to get worse when we water and I notice there are little worm like larva in the dirt too. I can’t say these are in every plant but after checking 12-14, at least half if not more was infested. What is this bug in my plants?
Most likely a FUNGUS FLY. These are little gnat like creatures but they don’t bite or sting. That being said, they are annoying. You’ll probably notice them at the dinner table and they love ketchup, salsa and basically any kind of fruit or vegetable. The more natural and unprocessed the food you serve, the more they’ll be attracted to it.
The good news is that fungus flies are easy to control. For now, start with the plants. Get some organic MULTIPURPOSE INSECT KILLER. Mix it up with the water you’ll use for watering. Basically what you’ll be doing is drenching the soil of your plants when you water. The treatment will kill them all on contact and though it won’t kill the eggs, these will naturally hatch every day and in time, all will die.
Remember to use this method of watering till the problem is resolved. In most cases it will be gone within a week and you can go back to your normal watering schedule. But the Insect Killer works on most anything including thrips, aphids, white flys and mealy bugs so it may come in handy down the road. Happy growing!
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Organic Insect Killer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/organic/liquid/multi-purpose-insect-killer-24-oz
Fungus Flies: http://www.bugspray.com/fungus_fly_control.html
I live in NYC and believe squirrels (possibly rats but I lean toward squirrel) are running across the top of my flat roof of a 2 story home. This is not in attic (I supposedly don’t have one). My home is attached to homes on each side also with flat roof’s. Anyway is there a suggestion so that they will avoid my roof?
First be sure you don’t have a hidden or inaccessible attic. This is critical for two reasons. Mostly because if you do have such a space, animal activity there is usually not good regardless of what it might be. Besides causing structural issues, animals can chew wires, pipes, relocate insulation and in general do nothing but destroy the integrity of the structure so it’s important you know for sure this area is free and clear of any animal.
Secondly, there are some options for the roof if you want to deploy a squirrel repellent. The simplest yet highly effective option is to install an ultra sound repeller. For squirrels, we’ve found the YARD GARD is best suited for outside, “in the weather” applications. It can be powered by an AC Power Supply which is included. Just set it up in one corner pointing in a direction that will most “cover” the suspected areas this animal is active.
Remember, these units project sound like a flashlight so it’s usually quite difficult to get complete coverage with just one unit. Now you did mention your roof is flat and if that’s true, you could be in luck. But again, coverage will be determined by factors such as obstructions, roof tilt, where the animal is active, where you can mount the units, etc. Send a diagram of the roof top layout including dimensions, any obstructions, where you plan on mounting the unit and where the animal is most active. From this we should be able to help determine if you’ll need one or more units, where they’d best be deployed, etc.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Yard Guard: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/sound/usd-acbatt-yard-gard-49
Squirrel Article: http://www.bugspray.com/article/squirrels.html#squirrel-control-sound-repeller
Hi. I have a terrible infestation of black carpet beetles. I liked your article; it makes a lot of sense. I want to spray my carpet and set out some traps but what about my clothing? I’ve found some damage so I know they’ve been eating my suits. Do I spray them too?
In most cases you don’t need to spray the clothing. But you should remove anything you want to save or protect, vacuum these pieces down and do a good inspection to make sure nothing is on them or been on them. If you start finding damage or other evidence carpet beetles were feeding, lightly spray any piece you want to protect with some PERMETHRIN AEROSOL. It’s odorless and will kill larvae and adult beetles.
And be sure to get some BLACK CARPET BEETLE TRAPS set out around the home to help monitor the problem. A good thorough treatment is very important if you want to get rid of them for good and as our article explains, this can take some time and persistence.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Permethrin Aerosol: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/aerosol/permethrin-aerosol-6-oz
Black Carpet Beetle Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/pheromone-and-food/black-carpet-beetle-traps
Carpet Beetles: http://www.bugspray.com/articles98/carpetbeetle.html
I have a bad problem with drain flys. They’re in my kitchen flying around the main sink and incinerator. These are small black flys that are very weak. We can kill them easily but they keep coming and coming. I’ve been pouring bleach down the drain but that doesn’t seem to help. I know it’s related to the rain and we’re on a septic system too. What can I use?
DRAIN FLYS will thrive in the drain lines by living on organic matter that builds up over time. Bleach won’t help since it goes right over where they’re laying eggs and nesting. Basically there is a protective slime deep in the pipes and it’s here where the drain flies prosper. They can also live right in the septic tank down in the ground and from there come up eventually getting inside the home. This commonly happens following a good rain.
To stop the invasion, pour SURVIVORS liquid down the drain. It works by eating the slime and buildup in your pipes. This will effectively take away their prime nest site and will have an immediate impact.
Next spray some GENTROL AEROSOL down the drain too. It’s a growth regulator which will effectively stop the development of drain fly larvae so they cannot reach maturity. It won’t kill anything, not even the adult flys, but it works great on the young larvae and eggs. Gentrol is labeled for use down the drain and should be applied every few weeks to keep them under control.
If you follow the two procedures listed above, the problem should go away in a week or two and eventually you won’t be seeing any drain flys in the kitchen. But if you want something to control the drain flys you see right now, get the PT-565 space spray. It can be applied out into the area and will easily kill any drain flys in the room. 565 can be used daily as needed.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Survivors: http://www.bugspraycart.com/sanitizer/liquid/survivors
Gentrol: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/gentrol-aerosol-16-oz
PT-565: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/pt-565-xlo
Drain Fly Article: http://www.bugspray.com/drain-flies.html
Recent Comments