[QUOTE=DAVEW0071Anonymous Coward, that’s a new one on me. Sounds like an awful lot of bother, though. And I wonder why the smell of the antifreeze doesn’t override the smell of the peanut butter. I still say a few well-placed snap traps will do as good a job as anything, and a better job than most. More economical, too.
[/QUOTE]
I think he uses it for longer term trapping (during the weeks/months between hunting trips.) so he can get multiple kills without resetting the trap.
What would you recommend using on antique furniture you suspect of harboring termites or borers? Specifically, I’ve got a 17th century French coffer made of chestnut that appears to have some small holes and dust on the inside. I’d hate to spray it with a pesticide as we frequently use it for the storage of blankets, throws, etc. Someone once recommended WD-40? Were they nuts?
**jacksen9, let me get this straight; you want to get rid of your mice, but you don’t want to use traps or poisons? Short of calling the Hogwarts Exterminating Company, there aren’t any other options. They’re not just going to up and leave on their own. And you can’t chase them out and exclude them, since you’ll never find all the potential access points (mice can squeeze through a hole no larger around than a dime). **
Thanks for this encouraging news. I can’t empty a trap but I guess I am going to have to in this case. UGH. Thanks for taking the time to write out all of these responses.
Well, I suppose that might work (and if, as you say, he swears by it, I suppose it does work).
I was going to say that using large glueboards would allow for multiple catches (I’ve caught as many as four mice on one large board), but if it’s going to be months before he gets to them, some kind of preservative would be necessary to prevent nasty smells/flies/scavengers. I guess the antifreeze would do it, but as I said, it’s a new one on me.
lieu, what does the residue look like? If it’s a very fine powder, it could be powder post beetles, which lay eggs in wood, and the larvae eat their way out, causing tiny round emergence holes and a soft, fine wood powder.
If they’re more like pellets, it could be drywood termites.
In any case, WD-40 probably wouldn’t help much. The holes are exit holes. If you treat inside the holes, you’ll be closing the barn door after the horse escaped.
Some companies are able to put the furniture in a chamber and fumigate it. Ask around. I’m unfamiliar with such procedures, since my company doesn’t do this kind of thing (at least not in New York). But there’s nothing wrong with asking about the possible aftereffects of a treatment.
As a rule of thumb, though, any product meant to fumigate won’t have a terribly long residual effect. Anyone doing this procedure with furniture will understand that the furniture is meant to be used afterwards, and therefore wouldn’t return a toxic chest or chair to the customer.
This is a case where do-it-yourself pest control is probably not the best idea. I can’t make a definite ID of the pest in question, and I can’t recommend a home remedy. As Ann Landers used to say, I suggest you get professional help.
In my boyfriend’s house, over the last couple of months, we have had several mouse sightings. In fact, we quasi-affectionately refer to him as ‘Fievel’ … Nothing has been done to discontinue Fievel’s existance aside from some strong language when he surprised one of us, which if he has tender ears, might have shocked him to death. The other roomies seem more or less unconcerned about sharing the habitation with him. We all have assumed up until this point that it is the same mouse. I mentioned this to my mother, though, and she came back with “Where you see one, there are fifty more that you don’t see!” I had heard this before, but thought that it was in relation to roaches. But since “Fievel” has been spotted in nearly every room of the house, I begin to wonder. What is your take on the likely number of Fievels we are actually playing host to? I won’t ask what your suggestion for taking him/them out would be, as I have already read the thread, and based on the info you’ve already provided, would probably go with sticky traps baited with peanut butter, if it comes to that. I am aware of the reputation of rodents as plague carriers, but as far as I know, Fievel has not chewed into any food items, or caused any damage at all … That being the case, in your more educated opinion, is there any pressing reason, (other than the ‘eek!’ factor), to take him out?
Edwardina, it’s likely there’s more than one mouse, but under certain circumstances, a lone rodent could be the culprit. I wouldn’t say there are fifty more, but two or three…it’s quite possible.
You don’t have to worry about Bubonic Plague, most likely, but personally, I wouldn’t want a mouse (or a few mice) occupying the same living space as myself. They will eventually chew things up and cause damage. As with most rodents, their teeth grow continuously, and they have to gnaw on things to keep them managable. And mice will gnaw on anything softer than their teeth, so they can cause a lot of damage.
Keep in mind, too, that mice are small and curious, and they’ll investigate any and everything they come across. They’re good climbers, and they just run all over the place. Add to this their charming habit of peeing and pooping wherever they happen to be, and you can imagine the delightful scenarios. Want to find mouse poo in your silverware drawer someday? I’ve seen it happen. And keep in mind that you won’t see their urine without a black light.
You really oughta put some traps out. Put them close to the walls in out-of-the-way places; close to corners and access points. If you do see droppings anywhere, it’s an indication of a traffic area, so put traps there.
Ask the Termite and Pest Control Guy… I hope I’ve understood this right…
I’d like to ask the Termite how he feels about leaving the colony and moving in with the Pest Control Guy. Do you really trust him now?
I’d also like to ask the Pest Control Guy whether he really has reconciled his differences with the Termite. Are you sure you don’t harbour any nagging grudges?
Thanks. I will look into that. What I’m concerned about: my house is off-grade and sits on “stilts” about 2 feet high. It really sounds like what you recommended means I need to crawl under my house and spray. True or false? While it doesn’t sound pleasant, there is access and this is possible. Is there some sort of bug bomb I could use – put it under the house and set it to go off to treat the whole area?
I’m not finding any new holes right now, which I take as a good sign, so your advice sounds right for trying to prevent the bees from deciding that my house will make a tasty treat for years to come.
Also, we are talking about a fully painted, two-story house. Do I need to borrow a big-ass ladder to get all the way up there to treat the facia boards/eaves? (If I do this, I might as well clean the gutters out while I’m at it.)
Are there any male Dopers out there who own big-ass ladders and are willing to come over and do this stuff to my house for, say, pie?
Dogzilla, you really don’t have to spray the entire underside of your house. Carpenter bees make their holes pretty much nearby the perimeter. After all, they don’t want to fly forty feet to get out into the wide open spaces. So spraying the outer foot or so will probably be effective. I wouldn’t use a bomb, because they don’t have the same residual effect as a microencapsulated formula.
And yes, you’ll have to get a big-ass ladder to do the eaves. Don’t be lazy, now. You’ll only regret it later.
Mangetout, we’re seeking counseling, and we’re determined to make it work.
I look forward to the release of the movie (a low-budget, cheesy made-for-TV romantic comedy with bad CGI): “He was a Pest Control Officer. She was a Termite. A pair of star-crossed lovers - everyone knew it would never work; everyone was wrong - they were made for each other, it was Insect Romance”
Is there any specific kind of poison I should ask an exterminator to use if he sprays for roaches, silverfish, etc., that is safer or better for children? I’m a bit concerned that spraying for pests in the building may have adverse effects on my children. Any advice?
It’s not Lady Bugs that are driving me nuts. It’s the damnable Asian Soya Bean Aphid Beatle! They look like Lady Bugs except that they are orange instead of red to red-brown. They are all over the place. Right now I look at the ceiling and there are at least 20 of them gathered around the ceiling light. They are just awful–they are all over the place, in the windows, on the ceiling, in the refrigerator, in the silverware drawer, in my drawers. They pinch! When they fall in a lamp they smolder and put off a foul smelling vapor. They climb in your mouth and nose as you sleep.
And then there is the Box Elder Bugs.
What can I do about these little bastards? A pair of False Lady Bugs is copulating on the monitor as I type this.
I had to call my pest control guy Monday morning, so this thread is timed perfectly!
I live next to a restaurant. Specifically, next to the dumpsters and the grease pit. Sunday night we discovered a Norwegian Rat living in the crawlspace in the basement. He had created an entire home in there, including a stereo, satellite and refrigerator. The little bugger was getting better takeout from the restaurant than I do, and the Norwegian music was driving me nuts!
He was about the size of a guinea pig. Approximately how old was he? Was he old enough for the 6-pack I found in his fridge? How long did it take him to build his nest and move all of his possessions into my abode? Can I charge him back rent?
I’ve got three cats. 2 of them have taken on mice, sparrows, and the occasional cardinal. Of course, the feline deadbeats did nothing to muscle the rat out of the neighborhood. Could one of them have eliminated a rat that size, without serious injury (To the cat, of course)? Or should I have turned this into a cage match, and let all three take him on?
Not being sure of their chance of success, or my ability to sell tickets to this event, I opted for the safer route of calling in a professional. He’s served the eviction notices, and inspected the premises for damage. We don’t think any serious damage was done, and we did plug a few holes that he might have been using for the delivery service.
What can I do to keep my unwanted tenant or others of his ilk from intruding on my property again? Is just closing the holes enough, or should I firebomb the restaurant’s garbage so that they lose their interest in my neighborhood?
My Norwegian rat has some brethren of the flying, cooing variety. Since I’ve served eviction notices on him, how do I evict the pigeons? Their mailbox is always full, and they never come to the door when I knock. They’re living in the decorative awning above my bay window.
The cats ignore these guys, completely. I’m beginning to think that the felines have a little protection racket going. ("Yo, boid! Cough up the seed.”) I’m not getting my cut.
I’ve been told that having a human professional deal with them is prohibitively expensive. Poisons are out, at least legally. Something to do with kids and pets, I dunno what all the fuss is.
I’m not that good a shot, so firearms are out. Besides, in my neighborhood, the pigeons might shoot back.
I’m not sure what sort of trap you would use for a flying rat. One of those cartoon net guns seems like a good option, but I have not been able to find one in local stores.
Well I live in the south and the bugs here are enormous. Yuck. Anyway, I have a big wasp problem. OH and bumble bees too, though they don’t bother as much. The bumble bees haven’t tried to get into the house, but the wasps do. Just since spring started I’ve killed three wasps in my house. They are just swarming all around outside, though I haven’t seen a nest. Suggestions? If I find a nest, should I kill it, and if so, how?
I also had a pest control guy tell me that the Combat gel you can buy at lets say, Walmart, is similar to the stuf he uses. Except the stuff he uses is stronger, so they don’t need as much. I tried it, and it works! I had a roach problem, and it took care of it. Found dead roaches everywhere. Gross, but also good in a way.
Well it’s springtime and I’ve spotted a few silverfish in the upstairs rooms. Are they coming up from the basement or down from the attic? Is there a chemical I (average consumer) can buy and spray in those places to kill them, or do I need a professional?
I have recently noticed these teeny-tiny black ants (about 1-2 millimeters) on my bathroom sink, and sometimes in the bathtub. I cannot figure out where they are coming from. Could they be coming from the drain? Should I just spray or dust underneath the sink?
Also, I have these camel-back crickets that like to visit me. They are big and hop around everywhere. The cats do like to play with them though. But I wonder how they are getting in? There aren’t too many, though, so they are easy to scoop up and take outside (or flush!)
I live in Virginia in a 50-year-old brick house, on the ground level, if that makes any difference.
