Hi,
I live in a first floor apartment. I moved in last spring. Soon after that I had a very bad cricket infestation. I didn’t know what to do. The apartment management told me they’d spray, but if they did, it probably wouldn’t have any affect on the crickets.
I’ve got a very severe insect phobia. I doubt I’ll survive another season with all these crickets coming inside. I’ve been dreading the coming warm weather when they’ll be everywhere in my apartment, no matter how much I clean everything.
I saw your site on the internet and I want to try some of the products you have listed but I’m unsure what to order. I’d like something that kills them if they come inside. I read that I need to treat the outside as well as inside. Could you please advise me on what product would work best in my situation?
I don’t have a lot of money, but what I do have I’ll gladly spend to get rid of these horrible creatures and make them stay away for good Please let me know as soon as possible. I expect them to arrive any day now with this mild winter we’ve having & I’m really scared.
Thank you so much for your help.
Since you’re located on the ground floor, there is a chance crickets are coming in from outside. This means treating outside would probably help. Spraying all exterior foundation walls with CONQUER every 1-2 months should keep them off the building. Be sure to treat the mulch and ground as well since they love living in cracks around cement, siding and basically anything close to the structure.
Inside the unit you can do two things. The first is to apply some DRIONE to every void, crack or crevice that crickets can use to get inside. Drione is highly repellent to crickets and they’ll avoid anywhere Drione is present. Using a HAND DUSTER, you should be able to “exclude” insect entry. This means getting Drione into electric outlets, under switch plate covers, into light fixture mounts where they connect to the wall and ceiling as well as where pipes and electric lines pass through the walls. Crickets, along with many other insect pests, will use these points of entry to get inside.
Lastly, set out some CRICKET TRAPS along the baseboards where you find them active. The traps won’t solve the problem but they can capture any foraging around so they really help.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Conquer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/conquer-esfenvalerate
Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust
Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader
Cricket Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/glue/mouse-glueboard-5-x-8
Cricket Article: http://www.bugspray.com/articles98/fieldcrickets.html
I’m about to spend 3 months traveling by bus and we’ll be staying in some motels I know could have bed bugs. I’d like to take some kind of bug spray for bed bugs that won’t be too hazardous. I was looking at your small travel size but I’ll need more than that and was wondering if it came in a bigger size?
The best bed bug spray for travel is BED BUG RID. It’s made with natural ingredients that are federally exempt from having to be registered because the actives are so safe to use. Bed Bug Rid is labeled for use on beds so you’ll be able to treat any mattress you suspect might be infested. Bed Bug Rid is also good for treating suit cases and travel bags. And it comes in a small travel size as well as quarts with built in sprayer. The quart spray bottle should be the perfect size for your travels because it’s not too big and it comes with it’s own sprayer.
I also suggest you bring some BED BUG MONITORS. These traps are amazing at capturing bed bugs because they combine CO2, heat and pheromone scent to attract bed bugs. It’s the most complete bed bug trap on the market and a “must have” for anyone staying in a suspect motel room. Just set the trap up when you arrive and if there are bed bugs present, this trap will let you know.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Bed Bug Rid: http://www.bugspraycart.com/exempt/liquid/bed-bug-rid-exempt-liquid-insect-killer
Bed Bug Monitor: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/pheromone-and-food/bed-bug-first-response-trap-monitor
Bedbug Article: http://www.bugspray.com/article/bedbugs.html
I know I have a white grub problem. I had some landscape work done last fall and my grass was loaded with them. Especially under areas where the grass had just died. I thought it was the lack of water and had been watering trying to save the grass but that was a waste. There were thousands of grubs in there and I haven’t treated. When should I spray? Spring, like April? I want to get them under control early so the grass doesn’t die again.
Actually you should have started treating last fall when you first discovered the problem. White grubs are active year round as our GRUB CONTROL ARTICLE explains. And in the winter – especially mild winters – they’ll be extra active and right up top so they’re easy to kill. In fact, now is the best time to get them.
I suggest you get some COMPLETE LAWN GRANULES now and apply them over all your turf. Next spray some CYONARA RTS. Treat again in April the same way and by summer they will be gone.
Come next fall, you can reduce the treatments to just granules, no spray. Treating ever 3 months with nothing but the granules will keep them in check and they shouldn’t return. At that time you can change over to the MERIT GRANULES. These last 3-6 months and generally only need to be applied twice a year.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Grub Article: http://www.bugspray.com/article/grubs.html
Lawn Granules: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/granule/complete-insect-killer-granules
Cyonara RTS: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/cyonara-32-oz-rts
Merit Granules: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/granule/grub-free-g-10-lb-with-merit
WHAT CAN I USE TO LURE A MOTHER SKUNK AND HER 8 BABIES INTO A TRAP? THEY’RE LIVING UNDER MY DECK AND THE SMELL IS TERRIBLE. I DON’T WANT TO HURT THEM SO I NEED A TRAP TOO.
Skunks love grubs. Get some of our GRUB BAIT and set it out in front of their den. Just a teaspoon full on a small section of paper plate (cut it to 4 inches round). They’ll probably come out and take the offering in a matter of hours. Do this twice to get them “used” to finding the offering.
The third time you make the placement, do so at the opening of our LIVE SKUNK TRAP. The fourth time you make the set, place the plate halfway inside the trap and “wire” the trap door open. This will allow them to enter, get the bait and not have anything scare them.
The fifth time make the same set with the bait behind the trip pan and the door free to work like normal. This will enable you to catch whichever one enters. Relocate the trapped skunk at least 20 miles away and proceed to trap the others using the same method.
Once all the skunks are removed and relocated, spray the area with N7C. It will neutralize the skunk smell immediately. Be sure to spray quite a bit down into their den. And spray anywhere out in the yard where you can tell they were active. N7C won’t hurt anything and is fine to spray over turf.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Grub Bait: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/lure/grub-bait-8-oz
LT 11x12x30: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/cage/live-trap-11-x-12-x-30
N7C: http://www.bugspraycart.com/sanitizer/liquid/n-7c-64-oz
What can I use to treat my houseplants for centipedes? Two of them are infested. I see the centipedes coming out of the bottom and if I over water, some drown but they keep coming back. I don’t want to hurt the plants and but I don’t want to throw them away either.
CENTIPEDES are easy to control in house plants. You can use the organic MULTIPURPOSE INSECT KILLER which won’t hurt the plant at all. Just add some to your watering can, mix it up and water the plants like normal. The drench will kill any present. Just be sure to use the mixture 2-3 times in a row to insure you get any hatching young your initial treatment missed.
If you want something stronger that will solve the problem with one application, get BIFEN. Use it the same way but only one application will be needed every month or two for ongoing, long lasting control.
Both products will control any pest that may want to live in the soil or on any house plant. And both can be used inside or outside.
Organic Insect Killer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/organic/liquid/multi-purpose-insect-killer-24-oz
Bifen IT: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/bifen
Centipedes: http://www.bugspray.com/centipedes.html
I don’t know where they’re coming from but all of a sudden there are hundreds of giant blow flies in my house! I’m afraid they came from a dead mouse. I set out some mouse poison after seeing their poo in my garage. After a few days I cleaned up everything and the bait was gone. No new mouse poo was found but now I have flies. Shouldn’t I smell the dead mouse somehere? This is gross.
Blow flies are attracted to decaying flesh like dead mice or dead rats. And when using any kind of mouse killer, there is always a chance they’ll die somewhere in the home. This usually leads to a bad smell and if the dead mouse isn’t removed, MAGGOTS and BLOW FLIES.
For now, try to isolate where you think the body might be. It’s probably in the garage or under something just out of sight. Mice will usually seek what they feel is a safe place when sick. Being able to remove the carcass with help eliminate the Blow Flies as well as any odor.
To control the Blow Flies, use one of the products listed in our article. The most popular for large open areas is the PT-565 SPACE SPRAY. You can use it as needed and it can be applied anywhere in the home. It’s important that you kill the flies you see since they want to do nothing other than mate and lay eggs. This will cause the problem to persist.
But before you kill them all, you may want to spend a little time tracking their flying paths. Blow flies have a great sense of smell and can be used to track a path way to the dead animal that’s feeding them. Many times you’ll find them entering a crack that leads to a void in the wall. Maybe you’ll see them wanting to get into your garage or some other room. So just watching them fly can really help locate the reason they’re here in the first place.
Lastly, if an odor does ever develop, get some NNZ. Used in the areas where the odor is present, NNZ works great at neutralizing it so the problem can be eliminated.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Maggots: http://www.bugspray.com/article/maggots.html
Blow Flies: http://www.bugspray.com/blow-flies.html
PT-565: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/pt-565-xlo
Badgers are all over our neighborhood. Is there a way to scatter them or cause them to relocate? Some have started digging in my yard too. I need to stop the digging as the holes are huge.
Badgers will dig for food so my guess is you have some kind of small animal nesting in the yard. Badgers like prairie dogs, gophers, moles, ground squirrels, voles, moles and other animals that make dens in the ground. I suggest you try to remove any prey animals you have living in the yard as this will stop the badgers from digging. Go to our main page and on the left side you’ll see we have articles on any animal that might be nesting in your yard. Get control of this activity and this will really help keep the badgers away.
And for badgers that won’t leave, you have two options. If you review our BADGER ARTICLE, you’ll see we have a few BADGER TRAPS listed. Set these where they’re digging and once trapped, relocate them 20 miles away to insure they won’t return. Badgers are easy to catch but you must relocate them a good distance since they’re easily return 5-10 miles.
We also know the WATER SPRAYER REPELLER can help keep them off the yard as can the YARD GUARD ULTRASOUND. Install either of these where the badger’s digging and they’ll move away.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Badgers: http://www.bugspray.com/article/badgers.html
LT 11x12x30: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/cage/live-trap-11-x-12-x-30
Scare Crow: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/visual/scare-crow
Yard Guard: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/sound/usd-acbatt-yard-gard-49
Every spring and I have trouble with small ants in my bathroom. In the past, I’ve used Drax Dual and also bait stations with good results but they keep coming. What else should I do?
If you read our ANT article, you’ll learn that spraying the outside is just as important as baiting inside. Get some CYPERMETHRIN applied before it gets warm, maybe by Februaray, and if you treat using 1-2 gallons every 4-6 weeks, ants won’t be able to get inside.
Now if they do show up, change the ant bait you’ve been using to MAXFORCE GEL. It uses a different active that will infiltrate the entire nest. Drax will only get the ones that feed on it which is one of the reasons why the ants keep coming back. Maxforce Ant Gel will get the nest which is critical for long term control
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Ants: http://www.bugspray.com/article/ants.html
Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin
Ant Gel: http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/gel/maxforce-ant-gel-1-oz
I have really big american roaches in my kitchen. They seem to be coming from under the sink cabinet. I’ve sprayed the area but they just keep coming. I do kill a few but how do I solve the problem? These are really big. like 3-4 inches long.
American roach infestations usually happen close to moisture like sinks and tubs. Many times they come from sewer and drain lines up into homes and apartments. Basements seem to be particularly susceptible to american roach infestations as are crawl spaces, garages, pine straw mulch, compost piles and rain gutters.
The first thing to understand is that they’re most likely living in between the cabinet bottom and the floor. They can also be in the wall void behind the sink or under the home. If this part of the house is built on slab, they may be coming up where water pipes or drain lines pass through the cement.
If you have a crawl space under the kitchen, they could be nesting there. The bottom line is you need to treat these areas with a dust for long term, permanent protection. And the best dust for the job is either DRIONE or DELTAMETHRIN.
Use the Drione if they’re nesting mostly in a wall void or the area under the cabinets. If you need to treat a crawl space that’s damp, go with the Deltamethrin.
Since American roaches love attic spaces, they’ll commonly live around gutters and roof shingles and from there move into attics. If you suspect they’re up high in the home, dust the attic space as well.
Next, set out some ROACH TRAPS in the cabinet and along the walls where you see activity. American roaches are easy to catch with these traps and they’ll work much better than spraying.
This should solve the problem but if they persist, get some ROACH GEL to place in any cabinet where you see activity.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Drione: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust
Delta Dust: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/deltamethrin-dust
Roach Traps: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/pheromone-and-food/roach-trap-6-pack
Roach Gel: http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/gel/maxforce-magnum-roach-gel-1-oz
An armadillo has been making his rounds in my flower beds every couple of nights for the last three weeks. I put a trap in its path last night(got from animal control)and used earthworms as bait. Unfortunately I did not have success even though there were armadillo holes right next to the trap. What do you recommend for traps? The one I have is about 8 x 8 and maybe 24 inches long. He is following the same pattern over and over. I know just where he’s traveling and I’m thinking about one of the kill traps or a larger live cage. Please advise – Jason
I bet he’s digging up grubs. Get the LT111230 TRAP and bait it with some GRUB LURE. Armadillos love this stuff. Put a teaspoonful on the trip pan of the trap along with a few dabs right at the trap entrance. Armadillo can miss trap entrances so it’s important you lead them in.
You may want to read through our ARMADILLO article too for some more trapping tips.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
LT 11x12x30: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/cage/live-trap-11-x-12-x-30
Grub Bait: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/lure/grub-bait-8-oz
Armadillo Article: http://www.bugspray.com/articles98/armadillo.html
We have a bunch of armadillos and babies over the past month in our backyard. Which of your products would work to get rid of the armadillos and not affect our own dog when we take her out on leash? The armadillos come out of the woods approx. 50 ft .from where are dog goes out in backyard and they start digging. Our dogs want to dig where they dig so I’m afraid to set anything there.
If you read through our ARMADILLO article, you’ll learn you have 2-3 treatment options. However, some are hazardous to pets that have access to the same area. Based on the fact your dogs are going right where the armadillo are digging, I suggest you consider live trapping to start. It’s easy and effective.
Get one of the LT111230 LIVE TRAPS and set it out using our GRUB BAIT. Trapping armadillo are easy when you know where they’re coming from and where they’re active. In this case, it sounds like you’ve got these locations nailed. Now it’s just a matter of setting up some traps and removing the animals.
Once trapped you must relocate them at least 10 miles away so they won’t return. Based on the fact you have woods close by and a lawn they want to dig in, getting a live trap is probably a good idea because I suspect there could be more coming around any time of year. A good live trap can last many years and this is a commercial model we’re recommending so it will work for many years to come. This is the best way to handle a problem like this since it won’t pose a hazard to your dogs.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Armadillo Article: http://www.bugspray.com/articles98/armadillo.html
LT 11x12x30: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/cage/live-trap-11-x-12-x-30
Grub Bait: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/lure/grub-bait-8-oz
I see tunnels all over my neighbors yard and some are coming into my grass. I need your best mole repellent. Something I can spray or maybe a granule?
In our MOLE article you’ll see we have MOLE REPELLENT GRANULES which should be applied first. Next, spray over them with MOLE REPELLENT SPRAY. If you treat once a month anytime you see activity close to your grass, you should be able to keep them out.
Also discussed in our article is how much it will help if you treat for grubs in grass you want to keep mole free. The concept here is that by reducing the mole food, you can effectively reduce the ones coming around because if they don’t find anything to eat, they’ll need to move on.
Mole Control: http://www.bugspray.com/articles98/moles.html
Mole Out: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/granules/mole-out-repel
Whole Control: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/liquid/whole-control
Your article on stinkbugs was very helpful. I wasn’t sure what critters I had infesting my house but after seeing the video, i know now! This is the first year I have ever had them in my house and I never saw them outside. Last fall I had to exterminate under the siding for yellow jackets. Could this have been what stirred up the stinkbugs? I kill at least 1 or 2 each day. Everyone in this area is infested with them and I’d like to do some treatments. What kind of bugspray do you have for inside?
If you read through our STINKBUG article, you’ll see we’ve got 2-3 stinkbug sprays that work well. For now, go with either the DFORCE or PHANTOM. I prefer the Phantom because it’s odorless and works better in the long run. Dforce is best for when you have large populations visible and need quick control. based on what you’re seeing right now, it doesn’t sound like you need the Dforce.
I also suggest setting out a STINKBUG LIGHT TRAP. Place one in any room where you see activity and it will help remove stinkbugs as they emerge and this will cut down on the amount of spraying you’ll have to do.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Stink Bugs: http://www.bugspray.com/article/stinkbug.html
D-Force: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/d-force-14-oz-aerosol
Phantom: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/pt-phantom-17-5oz
I’ve got several squirrels going in my attic. I see them entering this hole that looks like it’s under the roof shingle behind the gutter. In my attick its tough to get over to that section. I hear them moving around most mornings and evenings but I’m not seeing any droppings so I don’t know where to trap them. I want to get one of your traps but where should I set it?
Fortunately squirrels are usually easy to trap. The key is making your set as close as possible to where they’re feeding. You didn’t say how they’re getting onto your roof but you probably know already. If it’s a tree, watch them to see where they come down the tree to walk on the ground. At the base of that tree would be a great place to make the set.
Now if they’re climbing the side of the home or going up a down spout or other pipe, I’d recommend at the ground where they land.
Since you’ll be making your set outside, get the LT5518RD Trap and bait it with something like a nut or bird seed they’re finding locally. Add some some PECAN PASTE to the set as explained in our article and you should get quick results.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Squirrel Trap: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/cage/live-trap-5-x-5-x-18
Pecan Paste: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/lure/pecan-paste
Squirrel Article: http://www.bugspray.com/article/squirrels.html
I’ve got small black beetles in my kitchen cabinets. They seem to be coming from some cereal. How do I treat them without poisoning my food?
Cabinet beetles will infest most any stored food item like cereal, rice, flour and other boxed products we get from the store. Unfortunately we can easily bring a box home that has a problem which we cannot see. Once the box is in our home, it’s highly likely the beetles will forage out and into other food close by which in turn causes the infestation to prosper.
For now, you’ll need to remove all the items from the cabinet. Next, throw away anything you suspect might have beetles. Next, vacuum out the cabinet thoroughly and treat with DFORCE aerosol as explained in our CABINET beetle article. Lastly, set out some TRAPS and you should be good to go as long as you were able to identify the infested product and removed it.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
D-Force: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/d-force-14-oz-aerosol
Trap: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/pheromone-and-food/3pk-cf-rf-k-rw-st-pp
Cabinet Beetles: http://www.bugspray.com/article/khapra.html
Recent Comments