|
Post by handymandy on Oct 30, 2009 9:28:44 GMT -5
I haven't read this thread thoroughly but I can tell you what I did for carpet beetles. This will work for most crawley things. I vacuumed as best I could and sprinkled Diatomaceous Earth everywhere on carpets, especially under bed and furniture and along baseboards. It is like sand, totally non toxic and it is even safe to put it on cabinet shelves. This product damages the outer covering of crawling insects and they die.
Smaller boxes of this product are available at garden plant nurseries. I bought a large bag at a reasonable price at a farm supply store. I also sprinkle it around the garden and it kills slugs and beetles.
When I have an outbreak of gnats I leave a lamp on (on top of the microwave about shoulder high in a corner). The gnats are attracted to that corner so my house spider spins a web in the corner and catches a lot of them. And many of them die from flying against the light bulb. I sometimes hang a fly strip (the sticky kind, not the poison one) and it traps them also.
Hope this is helpful. Good luck.
|
|
|
Post by StuffNoMore on Oct 30, 2009 9:50:28 GMT -5
I haven't read this thread thoroughly but I can tell you what I did for carpet beetles. This will work for most crawley things. I vacuumed as best I could and sprinkled Diatomaceous Earth everywhere on carpets, especially under bed and furniture and along baseboards. It is like sand, totally non toxic and it is even safe to put it on cabinet shelves. This product damages the outer covering of crawling insects and they die. Smaller boxes of this product are available at garden plant nurseries. I bought a large bag at a reasonable price at a farm supply store. I also sprinkle it around the garden and it kills slugs and beetles. . Just think when you purchase DE the cashiers will think you have this lovely inground pool and will have no idea what it's "really" being used for. Chryso, my offer still stands should you want to go with the Borax gal. Just PM me. Hugs SNM
|
|
|
Post by Chrysoprase on Oct 30, 2009 11:12:21 GMT -5
Thankyou, HandyMandy. I've never even heard of Diatomaceous Earth before. I've no idea if I even have a garden centre nearby that I can purchase it from. I'll have a look for it when I next venture out though.
StuffNoMore, I know it still stands and your kindness is so wonderful it made me cry that you'd think of doing something so nice for me. I'd feel awfully guilty about it though.
|
|
|
Post by StuffNoMore on Oct 30, 2009 11:18:04 GMT -5
Ahhh Chryso, you need to remember gal, this is a guilt free forum Offer still stands. DE is also available at any pool supply store. Hugs SNM
|
|
|
Post by mouseanne on Oct 30, 2009 11:44:51 GMT -5
one of the main ingredients in powdered flea carpet stuff is boric acid. Can you get that? It's realitively inexpensive in US. dunno bout UK. It's a pretty mild poison, it even used to be used in solution as a wound wash. It would not hurt you or your pets, or crawling babies. You sprinkle it on carpet & brush it into the pile with a broom. Then you vacuum the surface. for flat surfaces like kitchen counters... you put it down & then with a paper towel, sweep most of it up, save it to use again if you want (properly labeled !!!! ) the way it works is the less you use, the better it works... just a light film. If it's a puddle/pile, they walk around it. But a light film, walk thru it then they lick it off their feet. It's okay on your counters. I mean, it won't poof onto your food & kill you. I wouldnt lay food on the treated counter. All you have to do is be reasonably careful.
I like the idea of the hairspray. You can "down" any flying insect with this... mosquitos, wasps, bees...
If the alcohol bothers you (does me, emphysema & I lean toward EI-environmental illness) In a spray bottle, 4 oz hot water, disolve 1 tsp sugar, then add 4 oz vodka. The vodka becomes your evaporating agent. This is actually what I use for hairspray... but you could use it on your drain flies. You need a fine mist sprayer. in US can buy at beauty supply stores... actually hairspray bottles.
|
|
|
Post by gini on Oct 30, 2009 15:54:04 GMT -5
Oh those creepy crawlies must be driving you crazy!
I don't like to use poisons either. But I also wouldn't want to squash them and hear that awful crunchy/wet sound. And then you have to pick up their disgusting remains with a tissue or something. Yuck.
You should give Diatomaceous Earth a try. It is a great insect killer.
It will not harm humans or pets. It won't harm food, in fact it is used to filter sediment out of wine before bottling.
It is not a chemical at all, but kills insects mechanically, making tiny cuts in their armour when they walk through the earth or ingest it. They then lose their body fluid and die in about 2 days.
Diatomaceous Earth is dry and looks like fine sand. It has absolutely no odour. It comes in a squishy plastic bottle with a pointy end.
When you see the evil bug, squoosh out a big blob of it right on him, then on the trail where he came from - along the baseboards or counter or wherever. The insect will not seem to be bothered, and will keep on walking, but he is DOOMED.
I don't know where they go to die, because I have never found any bodies, but in a few days they will be GONE.
You can buy Diatomaceous Earth at a hardware or garden centre.
Good luck in your battle with the bugs! With the right ammunition, victory will be yours!
|
|
|
Post by Chrysoprase on Oct 30, 2009 16:22:39 GMT -5
Thankyou Gini! That stuff sounds perfect. Thank you. Your post was wonderful. I'm ready to go buy a huge crate of the stuff now. Now to find a source of it that I can actually get to. I've no garden centres nearby. I do know where a couple of hardware stores are though. And no panic attacks about worrying about the stuff killing me.
Thankyou everyone else too.
|
|
shanda5303
New Member
Joined: September 2016
Posts: 1
|
Post by shanda5303 on Sept 5, 2016 22:04:31 GMT -5
I know this is a super old thread but thanks for all your tips, I'm currently battling this problem as well and I'm hoping the Raid Flea Spray will help.
|
|