|
|
Post by moggyfan on Jul 29, 2009 23:22:39 GMT -5
Do you think with a mask & gloves you could at least do the guinea pig cage? They are really vulnerable :-(
Maybe now really **is** the time to give them away?
Best to you, Blackswan.
|
|
Blackswan
Banned
Joined: October 2008
Posts: 6,388
|
Post by Blackswan on Jul 29, 2009 23:23:55 GMT -5
Annie, All drugs and alcohol are completely removed from the house.  They have been since the day before my son came home. Thank god! Thank you to everyone for the advice. I guess the consensus is to use some gloves and be brave. |
|
Blackswan
Banned
Joined: October 2008
Posts: 6,388
|
Post by Blackswan on Jul 29, 2009 23:24:17 GMT -5
Yeah, I think the guinea pigs do need to go...
|
|
|
|
Post by 60isolderthanithot on Jul 30, 2009 1:30:58 GMT -5
I had so many of the same symptoms! I learned to suit up from head to toe. It helped so much, I eventually began to overcome my phobias. Do whatever it takes to separate yourself from the items you have to touch. I wore a heavy vinyl apron over a pair of tyvek coveralls I got at a paint store. I wore an air filter that was designed to keep out acid fumes. Sometimes I even wore a plastic face shield. Heavy gloves, a few times more than one pair. Do whatever it takes. Don't force yourself to touch or smell things that make you sick and scared. You will get over it by desensitization if you cover yourself up and just keep going. If a cockroach can't really touch you, it's only the visual in your head that makes you uncomfortable.
Keep trying. You cannot succeed if you don't try. You can do this.
|
|
|
|
Post by notsomessyshell on Jul 30, 2009 1:42:46 GMT -5
Great ideas! I can only add that I put cotton up my nose because I was SURE one of those gnat/fruit flies was going to go up my nose. Even with a mask. I know it is irrational, but if it made me feel better and I got it cleaned up, who cares! You can do this. I know you can.  |
|
|
|
Post by marigold on Jul 30, 2009 2:47:37 GMT -5
Also, the more you clean up, the less there'll be those creatures around. A worthy goal.
|
|
sweets
New Member
Joined: August 2008
Posts: 11 
|
Post by sweets on Jul 30, 2009 6:04:44 GMT -5
A shop vac is my favorite way to deal with bugs. Preferably one with no bags- then you can just dump the whole thing into the garbage without looking at or touching the contents. I found mine on sale for $30 Canadian- it's a good size and has a super-long hose, and was the best investment I ever made.
|
|
|
|
Post by AnnieOkie on Jul 30, 2009 8:17:28 GMT -5
Blackswan-I'm glad the drugs/alcohol aren't in the picture. I was just worried.
I KNOW you can do this! There has been some excellent advice given. Let us know how it's going.
|
|
|
|
Post by eatingbonbons on Jul 30, 2009 14:59:17 GMT -5
Swan, when I had guinea pigs I used a putty knife to clean their cages. You can pick up a plastic one for just a buck or two wherever painting supplies are sold. It works superfast, does a good job (even into the corners), and you never have to touch any soiled bedding. I hope the guinea pigs are high on your list. If it's creepy for you, you can guess how they feel! Good luck!
Here's a link to what I'm talking about:
www.cksinfo.com/clipart/construction/tools/painting/putty-knife-large.png
|
|
|
|
Post by CourageouslyLion SeeksSerenity on Jul 30, 2009 17:25:04 GMT -5
-
HAIR SPRAY.
cheap.
Kills bugs dead.
Go into each room armed with a can!
(open windows for ventilation)
In a pinch, I've used spray-on hair conditioner. Whatever was around.
Pump or aerosol. Either works.
Works on spiders, clothing moths, gnats, etc., etc.
(throw sheet or towel or old shirt over the guinea pig cage before spraying that room). Then remove cloth to take them out of their cages.
-
|
|
|
|
Post by gettingsomewhere on Jul 30, 2009 17:46:00 GMT -5
keep us posted swannie, thinking of you.
|
|
|
|
Post by eagle on Jul 30, 2009 19:22:31 GMT -5
Just yesterday, Hubby used the vacuum cleaner to vacuum up mosquitoes when he was cleaning the screens outside. Every time one came near him, he vacuumed it right up.
Blackswan, I have had to do the same things in the past. Cover yourself well. If you fear you will be bitten, spray Off on yourself. You can spray it on your clothes, if you don't want any bare skin. Just avoid spraying on your face. You neck is oky, but not your face.
If you want, you can even wear mosquito netting to cover your face. If you can't find mosquito netting, tie a kercheif over your nose & mouth (like the cowboys in the old westerns on a cattle drive). And wear safety glasses, preferably the wrap-around kind, if you would feel safer. They aren't really necessary, but sometimes makes it easier to see in an onslaught of flying bugs.
However, if you spray Off on you and your hat, they shouldn't swarm your face anyway.
|
|
|
|
Post by yearning4order on Jul 31, 2009 2:12:33 GMT -5
OK, so I'm going to ask something silly--is there any positive effect when you tell yourself "If I remove that glass, the gnats will go away?" I know you mentioned a glass that gnats were frolicking around--my thought is wondering if there is any comfort in knowing that when you remove the thing they are attracted to that they will go away?
I know that feeling of certain bugs totally freaking me out--cockroaches, cane spiders to name a couple.
I like all the ideas about making a mini-haz-mat suit for yourself. There have been some great spray recommendations--I say spray whatever makes you feel safe, keeps the bugs down, and doesn't make it unsafe for you.
Very good luck to you, you can do this!
|
|
seraphina
New Member
Joined: July 2009
Posts: 34
|
Post by seraphina on Jul 31, 2009 8:18:36 GMT -5
*I should probably warn y'all that this is a very long, chatty post. But I'm bored, DH has been playing "war games" in the field for a week so I'm lonely and miss him, and much as I love her a ten year old isn't great for conversation, and I'm the chatty type. And good lord, I just realized even my disclaimer is chatty  * As a bug fearer, not sure if that's a real term, who doesn't discriminate against any type, the first thing I did when I decided to dig my way out of my mess was pack up my pets and daughter and set off bug bombs in every room. Our rooms weren't very big bug I set off two in every room, and for the rooms with cabinets, i.e. the bathrooms and kitchen I made sure to open the doors and fridge (having put the food I was planning on keeping in the deep freeze, and just blanket throwing out the tupperware full of the unidentifiable horrors and the other stuff. Then came back in a few hours with more peace of mind about starting my cleaning, at least in regards to the mess. I found what for me was a great product, since I found 2 dead brown recluses in the basement afterwards, I think it was made by Raid and was a can you put water in and it was more of a "fumigator" than just a spray. Very powerful. Think I had to buy it at lowe's or homedepot. The gloves and mask are great suggestions too. I believe it was in 2004, after my husband came home from Iraq we were gone for a month during May or June on vacation out of the state, and during that time a hurricane hit (I think it was in Florida but dont' quote me), and a lot of the eastern coastline got some fallout. Living 'bout 60 miles inland, Ft Bragg got hit and lost power for about a week. During this time, DH and I were on a second honeymoon thing in Niagra Falls Canada side, and the NC part didn't really make the news up there, and our parents were watching DD and didn't want to bother us with that. When we got back to Ohio for the rest of our vacay my grandmother died, so we didn't really give a thought to what might have happened to our house back home, and we didn't know about the power outage. (I PROMISE this is getting somewhere). Well anyway, by the time we returned to NC the power had been restored for about a week and a half. However, the power company had sent out bulletins asking for anyone whose power hadn't come back on to call in, so they could check their gridline. Our lines were underground and apparently our subdivision had had problems. But obviously we hadn't called in. We came home to a 'fridge full of maggots and the most g**awful smell you can imagine permeating the main living area:thankfully the bedrooms were detached from the kitchen, lr and dr. We had to stay in a hotel that night and wait for the power and thus the a/c to come back on. The next day, armed with two sets of to the elbow gloves taped to my sleeves, my long hair tucked into a cap and an army respirator mask and goggles i tackled the fridge. I just couldnt' do it. The sight of the maggots and the horrible smell had me puking in the mask in under 5 minutes. And by that time I'd been a nurse for 7 years and was no stranger to smells. I called my husband bawling, and this is what we came up with for the fridge, if you're able to manage it. ~He put everything in it, including the icemaker in double bagged garbage bags and threw them in the nearest dumpster. ~put the fridge on a dolly and rolled it to the farthest part of the yard. ~filled our pressure washer with a mixture of pure pine scented lysol, dish soap and oxyclean and sprayed, let dry, rinse and then repeat for about 5 times. There was still a very small lingering odor for maybe a few weeks, but to counter act that, we put a small bowl of charcoal in both the fridge and freezer. Some people's fridge are obviously not this bad, or dont' have a pressure washer, even a cheap as hell one like ours. But the throw everything out and that mixture worked fantastic for us. Best of luck to you, and as many have said, the longest journey starts with a single step. The advice and support of these women is so wonderful and dead on accurate, I wish so much I'd known this site was here when I was so miserable and doing everything on my own. |
|
|
|
Post by howardsgirlfriend on Jul 31, 2009 10:37:06 GMT -5
I particularly like moving the fridge outside! And what a brave and considerate DH you have!
Give him an "atta-boy" from me!
For those of us without a pressure washer, here's an alternative: first see if you can rent or borrow one. If not, a garden hose would work pretty well. I have a hose attachment for garden fertilizer that I'd put the cleaner in. If I didn't have that, I'd start by hosing the fridge down, which would drown most vermin, then throwing buckets of soapy water all over it, letting it sit for a few minutes, then hosing again. This remove the worst of the nastiest filth, and wouldn't even damage nearby plants. After that I'd go at it with stronger chemicals, as you describe. For those who want the most enviromentally-friendly techniques, options include: soapy water with vinegar, salt, borax, or baking soda as an abrasive (you can even make a mixture of liquid soap and abrasive), baking soda with vinegar poured on top ("scrubbing bubbles"), or lemon juice instead of the vinegar if you want it to smell better. Sometimes, I cut a lemon or other citrus fruit in half, pour some abrasive on it, and use it as a scouring pad (great for bathroom and kitchen filth). I wouldn't do this stuff on my lawn, but you can certainly hose these substances down your storm drain with a clear conscience.) If I still wanted to use a lttle chlorine bleach, at least I wouldn't have to use as much, nor slosh it all over my yard.
For filth that's sticking to surfaces, I apply the cleaner, then lay a hot, wet towel on the mess, and leave it for 10-20 minutes. Most mess will wipe right up; any remainder comes up great with a spatula or a winshield scraper.
I'm sort of compelled to think of alternatives, so I don't get too perfectionistic about having exactly the right product or piece of equipment.
Remember: NEVER mix ammonia and chlorine bleach! It creates chlorine gas, which can be fatal to you and yours.
|
|
