Reddit mentions: The best pest control products

Okay so. Here's what I'm thinking. I only saw the picture you posted, so it looks like you have 1,000 square feet or less, yes? That makes it kinda easy.

First we'll need to know which zone you're in. That will help pick your grass type. It looks like you have cool season grasses, which means you'll be choosing among various fescues, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, etc. That's kind of up to you. Do a little googling and see what you come up with.

Second, you have a lot of weeds in there. It looks like you have either poa annua (annual bluegrass) or poa trivialis (Hell on Earth), or possibly both mixed in there. Those are seriously not good. Not only do you have a lot of weeds, it looks like you might have a significant mix of grass types, and I'm not positive that it's worth saving. Here's what I would do. Keep in mind that this might be overkill for you.

From now until July:

• Get a soil test. Your local agricultural or state university will probably have a soil test program. This will help you figure out how best to treat your soil with fertilizer when it comes time to grow real grass. (~$30)
  
• Kill off basic broadleaf weeds with a 2,4-D product before they can drop seeds and make next year worse. This one is probably one of the easiest. Your choice. (~$10)
  
• If you're feeling like you want to care for your soil, throw down some Milorganite. Not exactly necessary at this time cause we don't know what your soil test will come back with. (~$14)
  
  Sometime in July:
  
  
• Spray a glyphosate product to kill everything. I use this one, but you can also use RoundUp from any hardware or big box store. The active ingredient is the same. (~$30)
  
• It will take ~2 weeks to see results from the glyphosate. At roughly the 14 day mark, hit everything else that's green with another application.
  
• Optional but recommended: level out your soil and make sure it's flat, to help with a uniform look.
  
• Not recommended: tilling. It helps stir up weed seeds and encourages weed growth at the same time that you're trying to plant grass seed.
  
  Mid/late August:
  
  
• Seed with your given grass type. Do this at least 7 days after your last glyphosate application, 14 days afterwards is preferable. I suggest seed as opposed to sod because it's cheaper. Seeding is kinda its own post because you may need to cover with topsoil, flatten ground, irrigate, yadda yadda yadda. We can talk more about that when the time comes. ($10-$100)
  
• Add a starter fertilizer with your seed. Whichever fert you choose will be based off of the results of your soil test. ($10-$30)
  
  After a couple months, you should have a pretty healthy crop of baby grass, and then it will go dormant for the winter. Not a problem. Once spring hits, start following this lawn care schedule from the Lawn Care Nut. Most of that guy's videos are gold, and I strongly recommend that you watch them.
  
  It will take a little time and more than a fair amount of patience, but I'm pretty sure all of that will (at least for the first year) come in under budget, and it will end up with the results that you want. Especially in the long run.
  
  EDIT(s): Forgot to mention a couple things. I had a little more whiskey than I thought.
  
  Geographical zone will be in the sidebar.
  
  Also go with a pre-emergent in the spring if you aren't adding seed. The most popular 3 brand names are Barricade, Dimension, and Tenacity. Their generic names are prodiamine, dithiopyr, and...tenacity? Honestly I'm not sure if there's a generic for Tenacity cause it's not legally usable in my state. But seriously a pre-emergent will cut your weed problems down by SO MUCH.
  
  Estimated cost for the first year is $214 (minus water, topsoil/peat moss, and possibly tools such as a hand pump sprayer and a broadcast spreader) at the most, and $114 at the low end.

I say a samsung galaxy note the 10 inch or preferably for extra screen real estate 12 inch. Nice to have your book, internet tab for extra study material (or reddit), youtube and a some part to write on for notes. 4 apps simultaneously playing on the screen. PLUS unlimited browser opened! Its a must have. Changed my note taking and multitasking career. Also increased distractions but its a tool. ALSO get to kickstarter!

A notebook that is a white board https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1470156778/wipebook-3

A phone powered breathalyzer for those fun nights https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/edgetechlabs/drinkmate-the-breathalyzer-that-fits-your-lifestyl

Turn your study table into a full blown white board! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1466102417/wrap-redefining-your-workspace

Other things I have for college life:
A credit card size phone charger that fits in your wallet. HANDY! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PMC8WRE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

TRUST ME you will count on your hands the times you made breakfast during school days in a semester. This meal replacement comes handy. When you have class at 8 and wont have break till lunch. You cant run on empty stomach. BUY THIS! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GIPJ0M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Its also nice to have a plant to keep you responsible and relaxes you. After a long unproductive day watering it just relieves you seeing it grow makes you feel accomplished. Just the right push you needed to not go crazy during finals week. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005L9YN6M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

WHY THIS PLANT? Cause its the best plant you can own! Its a plant that eats animals how metal is that! You thought gardening is for pussies!

Last but not the least
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009PJV6KK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

CAUSE!

You're going to have a lot of fun! When I started out I wanted to try out every component I could get my hands on and ended up spending "hundreds of dollars" (LOL: As if that's a lot of money compared to most other hobbies).

So it sounds like you've got everything you "need" so I'm going to tell you what you definitely don't need... But could have a lot of fun with:

• You definitely don't need a 5-pack of "frickin' LASERS" for $2.
  
• You definitely don't need a MQ-4 methane sensor for building a stink detector for $5.
  
• You definitely don't need a 6-axis accelerometer/gyro for $3.
  
• You definitely don't need a 2-pack of tiny Arduino Pro Micros (which can emulate a mouse/keyboard) for $15.
  
• You definitely don't need a 4-pack of small servos for $15.
  
• You definitely don't need a 300-pack assortment of superbright LEDs for $12.
  
• You definitely don't need a 10-pack of 5v buzzers that add beeps and boops to all your projects for $1.50.
  
• You definitely don't need a package of copper tape to make a capacitive touch-sensitive user interface for $8.
  
• You definitely don't need 4x brushless motors, 4x electronic speed controllers (ESCs), a flight controller, a transmitter & receiver, silicone wire, barrel connectors, LiPo batteries & charger, and loads of propellers to build your own quadcopter out of PVC.
  
  Have fun!
  
  Edit: I almost forgot one of my favorite toys: The 8x8 LED matrix! You definitely don't need a 10-pack of red 8x8 LED matrices for $10. Nope!

First of all, do you rent or own the place you are residing at?

If you rent and if you have bedbugs then this responsibility falls on the landlord.

If you own a home then you have to cover the expenses.

​

What type of evidence did you seek out? Bedbugs usually hand around at your mattress inside of the folds. Other forms of evidence include blood stains on your mattress and brownish stains that are their fecal matter.

If your mattress is off of the floor consider investing into some bedbug traps. The bedbugs will try and feed off of you during the night. The only way they can get to you is by climbing up your bedframe. They will try to climb up the bedframe and fall into these interceptors where they will be unable to climb out. NOTE: make sure that you bed is not touching the walls. The bedbugs will be able to climb their way to your mattress if that's the case. Mattress off the floor and away from the walls. https://www.amazon.com/ClimbUp-Interceptors-pack-passive-traps/dp/B0028Z0LDQ

There are some exterminators who would be happy to come into your home and provide a free inspection. This does depend on where you live and what companies you have to turn to. You have absolutely nothing to lose by talking to them however.

To answer your question, it really does depend. Heat is very effective at killing bedbugs but the process is very difficult to properly setup. You have to basically clear any form of clutter and ensure that there are 0 cold spots in your home whilst the process is running its course. A cold spot is anywhere bedbugs can escape to during the heat treatment process that will avoid them dying due to the heat. Trust me, if theres any spot in your house bedbugs would be able to escape to avoid death by heat, they will take full advantage of it. If it is done be a competent exterminator and the process is done almost perfectly it is regarded as one of the best ways to get rid of bedbugs.

With that being said, this process is very expensive. You are looking at a couple of grand or even more to do this just once, and even then there is no guarantee. Please make sure that you find a company that offers a 90 day guarantee or something similar and get to know that policy incase things do not work out.

Regardless of what you do, I highly recommend the climbup interceptors for a peace of mind. That is assuming your mattress is not on the floor.

Okay, I'm going to try and keep it manageable.

If you live in an apartment, you need to tell the super if only because you risk them going into other places and reinfesting.

There are kits you can buy, though just be sure anything you buy also has a sprayer of some kind if it's mixed

If a kit doesn't have encasements you should order those on amazon.

That said, here are some steps:

Wash and machine dry everything you own, and put them in these or these. Don't be stingy on this, buy 2-3 of them. Make outfits for work and home and organize them bag by bag. Lets call this 25 dollars.

Do this with your linens, pillow cases, and pillows. If your bedsheets are not light colored and plain, then buy some light colored plain ones. White is good, a little off white is best as nymphs can appear white if they haven't eaten, eggs too. Wash your linens every 4 days or so.

Buy mattress encasements for your bed AND your box spring. Measure both to make sure you don't buy one that's too big, the snugger the fit the better. Do not go too cheap on this, look at the reviews. A good one will have not only a zipper but a folding flap to secure it. Lets call this 60 bucks. Once on, never remove the encasement without a PCO telling you to. Do not try to make your own, it never works out well. Important note, do NOT under any circumstance have any kind of bed skirt or blanket that's so large it touches the floor easily. You're going to want to make it so the bugs have to crawl up the legs so they die on the cimexa.

If you do not have an iron/steel bed frame, I recommend getting the cheapest one you can find.

Clean everything off the floor, make sure no furniture is touching any other furniture or the wall. If you can't do that, you need to lose some stuff. Believe me it's worth it.

Vacuum daily if you can, and immediately toss out whatever you vacuum up in whatever trash is outside. Do not keep it inside. I wouldn't recommend vacuuming less than every other day. Vacuum early in the morning if at all possible.

Buy interceptors. These babies are pricey unfortunately. but a 12 pack should be good for a bed and something else. That's about 40. Make sure whatever bed post you have will fit in them, they're not the widest.

Buy two cans of bedlam plus. Spray it along each joint and crevice in all the furniture after you've emptied it out. Do not use over the counter sprays, they're almost always things bed bugs are already resistant to.

Buy two bottles of Cimexa and a bellows. Apply the cimexa on the perimeter of every piece of furniture that is on the floor as well as along the wall of the room. Unscrew every outlet and switch cover and put it there as well. Don't go overboard, less is more. This will be about 40 total for the set. I recommend spraying the legs of your chairs. Make sure to cover your face while you're doing this. Cimexa will kill them if they crawl over it, however if it's clumped up in big piles they'll walk around it because they don't like it.

Do NOT switch where you sleep. They'll follow you and spread to other parts of where you live. You're live bait. It sucks, but having them come to where you're sleeping is the best way to kill them. You want them feeling safe and secure as they walk over the poisons and cimexa you've laid out.

You'll be living out of bags for a long long time, so get used to it. I recommend scheduling something you enjoy every week to keep your sanity and have something to look forward to.

Whatever you do, do NOT buy a bed bug bomb. It will scatter them and make them harder to clear.

Nothing goes on the bed unless it's sterile, and nothing leaves the bed without being washed and dried ASAP.

Haha sorry!

So you do have grass there. It's dormant from the cold. Now is the time to prepare it for the transition to summer. The best offense against the weeds that come with summer is a good defense. A pre-emergent, like the name suggests, stops weeds before they have time to emerge/germinate. A weed control, also known as a post-emergent, is used to control the weeds that are currently visible.

http://www.imageforweeds.com/St-Augustine/index.html

The active ingredient in this product is Atrazine (always check the package label to make sure Atrazine is the listed active. Image for nuts edge is imazaquin which is not what you're looking for). It is a dual purpose herbicide that prevents and controls weeds to come and those visible. You can purchase it in a garden hose attachment form which makes application easy.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Trba9R9oU78

This is a pretty good tutorial. He's spraying ppre emergent but you can substitute any herbicide or pesticide. Measurements are key to a successful application. Measure the area of your backyard. If you have a 4,000 soft back yard, and the product calls for 1oz/1000 sqft, then you know to mix and apply for 4oz of material. Sometimes you'll see 16oz/acre ~ 16oz/44,000sqft ~ .4oz/1000sqft ~ 1.6oz/4,000sqft.

While Atrazine does a good job, it does not do a great job, and it is not your only option. Were it my lawn, I would use a half rate of Atrazine + a regular St Augustine rate of speed zone southern.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B006LBBHE0

The Speedzone will catch more weeds that Atrazine will leave behind. And for a pre-emergent, I would use Barricade ( Prodiamine).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004GTQBEK/ref=pd_aw_sbs_lg_1

You can purchase it in WDG form (water dispensable granules) which allows you to dissolve it in water, mix, and spray it, OR you can apply it as granular with a spreader. You can buy it for a very high prices in flowable liquid form as well. Anytime you can spray pre-emergent either with WDG or flow able form, you will get consistently better results than granular.

One application of these three products will have you in the right direction. Mid May I would fertilize with a slow release fertilizer with iron (4.0% or higher iron content. Check the bag for percentages). You're safe to use a higher nitrogen blend like a 24-4-8 or a 34-0-4. The important aspects will be the iron and the slow release. You want to apply this at 3-4lbs/1000sqft.

Let me know if you have anymore questions. By the way repeat the pre-emergent process come September. You'll need to do pre-emergent applications every fall and spring otherwise, see original lawn photos.

This item would be a wonderful addition to my school supplies. It would be meant for relaxing after a long day of studying for my final Potions exam, of course.

This item would be perfect for helping to clean off Seamus Finnigan in our Transfiguration class. He's always getting himself blown up.. OR...This item because they also have bristles and are good for cleaning up bugs. Absolutely perfect for Herbology!

This would be perfect to bring for warmth when sending out post in the winter. I mustn't forget my owl!

Something to help me study for my Care of Magical Creatures class. Don't know what I'd do without it. But surely this would help me at least carry such items since I'd have many to drag around from class to class.

A final thing that would help with my magic school endeavors, a secret place to hide Neville's toad, Trevor. (Or to hide my student-illegal potions and whatnot :P).

Oh boy. That's a blessing and a curse, I suppose - there is still action you can take to prevent a home infestation.

The best way to prevent bringing them home is heat. Immediately take pretty much any article of clothing you think might have come into contact with him (or any others), head on over to the nearest industrial laundromat, and toss your stuff into the largest dryer they have and let it run on high for a long time. Also, DON'T take your suitcase into your car with you. Put all of your clothes in plastic trash bags first, and tie them. Assume that your suitcase has been infiltrated, so placing it in your car could release them in there.


Periodically, once you get home, go do a thorough search of your bedroom. The first thing to look for are dark stains on your mattress. These are usually blood stains (since bedbugs are easily squished if you roll over). Also, check every crack & crevice on the mattress for small black objects like these, which are bedbug p00p. Also, keep an eye out for any shed skin remnants which'll look translucent like those.

If you do have any of those visible signs on your mattress, you'll need to call an exterminator. Seriously, it's pretty much impossible to deal with an infestation by yourself since they hide EVERYWHERE. Including in your walls.

Also, please inform your college's residential services department. They're liable for this sort of stuff.

If you'd like an additional safety measure, just to be safe, get some of this stuff and apply it to your bedframe at home. It's kinda like post exposure prophylaxis to ensure that none have the opportunity to set up shop once you get home should they still successfully hitchhike. It's a desiccating agent that isn't toxic to you.

There are going to be a lot of recommendations from people to hire exterminators, but I would recommend getting the equipment and doing it yourself.

One of the issues is that most exterminators come around once a month, but the life cycle of most roaches is half that, so even if you catch one wave of them, the eggs they are carrying are unaffected and will hatch, grow up, and reproduce within a couple of weeks.

There are basically three things you need to get:

Get some Fipronil Gel: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GESOI6 Super cheap online, and 10 times more powerful than what you can get at the local store. This is what the pros use. Put this in places like under cabinets in the kitchen, near water sources, etc. Roaches like to rest in warm places. Anyplace in the apartment that is warm is a likely base for the roaches. This might be lighting fixtures, around the hot water pipes. Worst of all they might be inside your electronics such as your television or computers. They also like tight spaces, spaces they can just barely get into. Loose papers, inside the spines of hardcover books, the spaces between a shelf and the wall, places like that. Look for the roach shit, that's always a sure way to recognize where they have been hanging out.

The Fipronil on it's own is a cheap solution, but it's not the best. To really go to war you have to invest in a good sprayer: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009KM25W You can go for a cheaper one, but I would suggest it's worth the investment. If you solve the problem in the long run, you can easily resell it and recoup most of the cost, though I recommend holding on to it. Remember to let the pressure out when you are done with it, you don't want to ruin the rubber seals on it.

Fill it with Acephate Insecticide: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005662Z6A and spray down the apartment twice a month.

I would also recommend a powerful plugin handheld vacuum such as this: https://www.amazon.com/Eureka-EasyClean-Lightweight-Handheld-71B/dp/B0006HUYGM/ It's powerful enough that it eviscerates the roaches as they get sucked up. A battery operated vacuum is weak enough that they don't die and they just crawl back out.

Lastly, you have to develop the discipline to starve them. They wouldn't be growing in number if they didn't have something to eat. You have to clean *every day*. Everytime you use a dish, immediately wash it after you are done with it. Open up a can of spaghettios? Wash the can out before you throw it away. Only have one trash can in the apartment and put Fipronil in it and keep an eye on it. Don't wait for the bag to be full before you empty it out. Don't leave loose papers around, throw away junk mail immediately. Got a leaky faucet? Get it fixed. Turn off your electronics and unplug them if you aren't using them. Don't leave lights on longer than you need to.

This is *your* war, you have to win it on your own. If you wait around for the apartment manager, or an exterminator to win it for you, you'll be waiting a long time. Why pay someone else to do it when you can use the same exact products they use, and do it yourself.

Ya, np. I can tell you, I got all my materials from Amazon. The guide will mention copper conductive tape, most commonly associated with guitar repair. However, if you order this "guitar repair" tape it's marked up. I used Slug Tape and it works just fine for a lot less money.

In fact here's the rest of the mats:

Pre Back

Touchstone

Wall adapter -- though any should work fine I just didn't have spares and it's <$5

Soldering Iron -- I didn't have one

Guitar Picks if you lack enough -- I used about 6-8 popping the bezel

If you don't already have extended battery and cover

The only thing I didn't buy off Amazon were the magnets. I picked mine up from K&J Magnetics. Go for any of the disc type that are 1/32" thick. I think I got a pack of ten for a little over a dollar, and I believe each is rated for about 0.4lbs of force, more than enough.

It took me about 2 hours to finish the project, but read through the whole thing first, don't just wing it, and make sure you're comortable with popping the glass out of the bezel and soldering on your device. For what's it's worth this was the first time I've ever soldered, and it went better than expected. I practiced making little weld dolops for about 5 minutes before I trusted myself on the back of the device. Good luck!

They get mobile in the summer and will travel into your home. This is the most important time to keep a handle on them, you'll see giant watering style roaches and teeny German cockroaches in Houston.

Germans are the bigger concern, they're the sort that likes to infest homes and when an infestation gets going it can be tough, if you're infested you'll see tens or hundreds scatter when you turn on the kitchen lights at night.

If you just see one or two on wet objects occasionally they're probably traveling. Best to use some sort of bait poison in my opinion. I swear by advion cockroach bait which I buy in syringes from Amazon.

It's peanut butter looking gel you lay out near cracks and crevices, along baseboards, backs of cabinets, between the stove and the wall, behind the fridge, countertops on slips of thin cardboard. They'll eat and carry it in and on their bodies back to their nests, where they die. Then their cannibal brethren will eat them, and die. Makes for a very effective treatment, I've used it to help friends fix up terrible German roach infestations in a week or two.

The waterbug varieties die to it too, but they're not so much indoor dwelling roaches so they rarely infest clean appearing homes.

Mostly harmless to animals, active ingredient is indoxacarb which is used in some flea drops.

It used to be about $25 with prime shipping from Amazon but it seems that's not the case at the moment. This was the best I could find.

advion 4 Tubes and 4 Plungers Cockroach German Roach Pest Control Insecticide Bait Gel, Kill German, American, Australian, Smoky, Brown https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00730QW70/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_prdsDbEHJXGCS

Invict Gold seems similar, imidacloprid is its main ingredient, same as advantage II flea drops for animals, and at $25 on amazon not bad.
Rockwell Labs - Invict Gold - Cockroach Gel - 4 Tubes https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049I6CT2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_HldsDbDGN91FC



Note on animal toxicity, these chemicals are safe because they're being spread at low concentrations in small areas, not broadly and widely like with sprays. If your animals seek and consume the roach bait that will not only increase the dose but reduce the effectiveness of your bait. I've never had issues with my cats being interested, but maybe a dog would. Just keep the bait out of reach of them as best you can,

I had the same issue and these are a god send ...

Catcha 2 Piece Humane Smart Mouse Trap Live Catch and Release Rodents, Safe Around Children and Pets https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XKZMWF4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_5FoUBb8F2G1HT


The glue traps or snap traps made me too sad to think about but these I would just take a dab of peanut butter and a morsel of some type of food and put it towards the back and it pretty much instantly caught one at a time and then I’d take them a few miles from my house and set them free in the woods. Just sit them along the high traffic area and make sure it’s flush w the wall cause they like to stay close to walls. Worked like a charm!

Plenty of good advice here already.

I don't think it's been said already, but keep the place clean and swept, don't leave food out.

These are the absolute best style mouse traps, been using them for years. I have a few of these with probably over a dozen kills. Just put a dab of peanut butter in the reservoir, they work awesome. Easy to set, and almost impossible to get the bait without setting it off.

The absolute best (and undeniably sinister) way of catching mice is to bait several traps around the home, but do not set them. Leave these for a few days, re-baiting them with peanut butter as needed. The mice become accustomed to visiting the trap every day for a free meal.

Then, one day, bait and set them all, you'll catch a mouse in every trap.

Reylight Titanium Ti Lan Special Edition in either smooth or bead blasted. Picture Album

Beautiful clean battery tubes with no flat spots, knurling or machining. I custom ordered 150 of these and can be found nowhere else.

Nichia 219C 4000K high CRI emitter, with smooth beam profile

Benifits of the V2 are, slightly longer battery tube and are supposed to now accept a protected 14500, and brighter. V1 on the Left, V2 on the right

$59.00 + $2.77 shipping (within US). I can ship international, but would have to calculate the cheapest method. A free $6.00 trit for the switch for reddit/flashlight folks

This sale is posted on BLF with more information. PM me if interested.

Also in my Amazon store. Click on "these sellers" to get there. I have to fix this link with Amazon.

Thanks for looking

SO! I've done I guess 5 total months over a few trips with this gear, and I'm pretty happy with it all. Here's how I pack.

REI's stuff has served me well for a few months on the road at a time. In particular, their Polar Pod sleeping bag has been cozy in shorts and t-shirt to the 40s. I don't think they sell it anymore, but whatever replaced it should be fine. I sprung for the name-brand Thermarest ProLite, and it works great. Just wide enough, just long enough, and packs down well. I sleep in an ALPS Mountaineering Lynx 4 tent. It's big enough for two people and their gear, so if you're willing to double up with a buddy.

I pack the sleeping bag and a week's worth of clothes into (separate) Sea-To-Summit eVent compression dry bags (medium). They're absolutely bulletproof and I love them.

All of this (including the tent, in its original bag) packs down into the main compartment of a North Face Base Camp duffel bag (large) that gets cam-buckle strapped (two straps!) to the top of my V-Strom. The bag isn't properly waterproof, but I've ridden it through a day of steady rain that culminated in literally blinding rain, and finally forced us off the road. The bag only let a few drops of water in through the zipper. There's room to spare, so I also carry a hatchet, shock cord, bottle of whisky, fire starters, a ziplock of laundry pods, etc. etc. in the spaces between. Also an extra pair of shoes at the end, for going into town etc. Also flipflops for showers.

This leaves room in the Wolfman Expedition side bags for a Jetboil Sumo, the rest of the camp kitchen, about a week of food, and some assorted other stuff — like an REI Flexlite camp chair, which has been really invaluable. Rocks and logs are hard and offer no back support, and that matters a lot around day 3-5. Also chain lube and cleaner.

I have an older design of the Wolfman Rainier tank bag that carries all the stuff I might through various stops — the first aid kit (I put my own together), a Luci solar powered inflatable lamp (seriously, buy this), some no-shit 100 DEET Bug Spray (even works on Maritime Canada levels of bugs!), a bag of 80 disposable ear plugs (seriously cuts fatigue, and there's enough of them that you can use a new pair every day), wet wipes, sunscreen, ibuprofen, and a super cheap battery pack for the cell phone that I got from Target.

I keep thinking that I want to carry my Osprey Stratos 34 with 3 liters of water in it. With the exception of one day, when the heat index was 125F and constant hydration was essential, I keep being wrong about this. It's just too damn bulky and awkward. I keep stuffing it in the duffel. (Yes, with all the other stuff. It's a good bag.) Maybe get a camelbak or similar though, because I always miss the constant hydration (just not the back pain).

Here's a photo. And here's how it all looks on the bike.

This is all pretty heavy if you're going to be doing anything more intense than fire roads, but anything up to that and I've been fine. Just throttle up and keep your momentum going and it's fine. You can cut weight largely in the pans and the food, if you can stop every 2-3 days for food instead of once a week.

EDIT: Camp towel. I forget which brand I have, but this one should work okay. The medium is fine. Also I have a Petzl headlamp that lives in the Rainier bag.

the ph pen i use is a bluelab although ive used an oakton both are good. You'll want calibration solution for it as well.

other gadgets? I like to use a paint stirrer on a portable drill to mix ferts. a couple of quality spray bottles and a pump sprayer is nice to have on hand.

Treat for common pests systemically don't wait for that oh shit moment. I treat all my young healthy plants (before they go into bud) with a combination of OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) approved products: Azamax (neem extract for mites),Serenade (powdery mildew and mold) and Monterey Garden Spray (leaf miners and budworms). I use each of these at least once each, often if you wait to treat until you notice problems, it's too late to get optimum results.

Thanks for sharing your story. I need to hear stories like this one.

I think my first step is getting a "monitor" for them. You can make a homemade one with dry ice (carbon dioxide) and a few other cheap materials. If this "monitor" (which is more like a trap) catches some, I think that will be the evidence I can use to present to the management of my new apartment.

Since I'm pretty sure that monitor will find the evidence I fear, in the mean time I will purchase a duster and a whole bunch of Cimexa and treat every nook and cranny of every visible surface in side my apartment.

When I let my management know, and just how truly awful and shameful that conversation will be, I know that at least they have to choose which pest control company and method will be used to treat my unit. I am hoping they opt for heat treatment of some kind.

Ultimately, I'm hoping that by escalating it within the next month and the following treatment outlined, I can be over this in about 4-6 months.

But I don't know. I just hope it doesn't take my relationship from me...

1. Electric tennis racket bug zapper. The zap/sizzle is very satisfying. About $10usd. Also at Harbor Freight.
   
2. Pocket flask.
   
3. Really good insulated thermos, like Stanley brand. I like cold drinks in the summer.
   
4. Ostrim ostrich jerky from Amazon. Because "Arr Arr Arr!"
   
5. I fix things myself around the house. My cordless Ryobi 18v drill with lithium batteries is great. I think I use that tool the most. After owning it for 5 years, it broke. They replaced it for free.
   
6. LED headlamp leaves your hands free for fixing stuff around the house and for camping.
   

>If I place the dust everywhere, should I try to refrain from vacuuming? Or just reapply after vacuuming?

I'd vacuum, then apply, then re-apply after any future vacuuming.

>Can you possibly link me to the pump/sprayer?

Here's 2 options, we used this one ourselves, but this one seems to be promoted by Amazon right now. Looking at that yellow one... eh, I'd personally recommend going with the first one. THe extra $6 is worth it for higher quality.

>How much is needed for a ~800 sq. Ft. Apartment?

Per their Amazon link, 2 ounces covers 100 ft^2, large bottles are 4 ounce, so you'd want 4 large bottles

Oh, and as a safety given the high chance other apartments are infested, you probably want this XFasten double sided tape, you will want to make squares around every power/cable/telephone/airvent/etc. outlet, and a large square above your bed, slightly larger than your bed. Yes, they are known to crawl along the ceiling then drop down onto beds.

Mosquitos are the worst! I really feel for you: I have tried everything I've ever heard of to keep them away, because bites swell up on me like crazy. I don't know if there is such a thing as being "allergic" to mosquito bites, but I am one of those individuals that reacts noticeably worse than most.

It's so bad that when my husband and I were on our honeymoon, we stayed on a tropical island and I got absolutely covered in bites including one on my eyelid!! When we went scuba diving, apparently the bites covering my legs looked even creepier underwater and fellow divers were asking me if I bumped into coral or had contracted some strange island disease.

The best I have come up with is to rub lavender essential oil on my body (literally slather it on exposed skin) at least it is the least objectionable of all the mosquito repellent "scents" and it's the most effective for keeping them off anytime I need to go outdoors for a dog walk/errand, anytime I'll be moving around but sharing mosquito airspace. Additionally, if I'm gonna be sitting out in their world, the Thermacell Mosquito Repellent device actually does work. I was given one as a gift, thought it was a gag; tried it for giggles, and: I bought refills and always bring that thing when I know I'll be hanging out in mosquito territory.

One last piece of advice: apply rubbing alcohol to heal your bites- instant relief!! Purell hand gel does the same thing: aaaaahhhhhh. Apply early and often and you'll ease the discomfort and swelling.

Edit: fixed link

Are you sure your pets are the only ones suffering, or is part of the issue the other humans in the house? Advantage can protect animals much of the time, but if fleas get in, sometimes it's on humans, sometimes other yard and garden visitors, and on it's own will provide only moderate protection for the animal, not the humans, and doesn't do a very good job of dealing with the potential for fleas to find temporary food on humans and lay some new eggs.

I wouldn't want to use either of those and feeding your cat/dog insecticides if you weren't already targeting every possible not-inside-your-cat aspects of flea control first. Are you vacuuming every inch of the floor weekly or more frequently (and if you don't have a bagless vacuum, have you put a chopped up flea collar in it to make sure fleas/eggs vacuumed up stay dead)? Are you washing your bedding weekly in hot water? Have you treated the yard and parts of the house off-limits to pets with diatomaceous earth? Advantage might actually have worked for the animals, but then the fleas find a new target (maybe you or someone in your family) and and as long as they can find a little something to feed on, keep on laying eggs. If it seems constant, sometimes animals don't bring them in, but people do, from parks or other outdoor areas or someone else's house or yard where fleas were present, so make sure you don't have another source of "re-infestation."

Lufenuron in Program is pretty toxic and won't help adult fleas, so you still have to use Advantage, it will just prevent some of the female's eggs from hatching if she bites the animal first. (Won't help much at all if the animal is not suffering from fleas but the house is). It's an active ingredient in Sentinel which has been on the market for a long time.

Spinosad is a valuable insecticide in the garden, and you could choose to spray it (http://www.amazon.com/Monterey-LG6135-Contains-Spinosad-32-Ounce/dp/B002BP12LI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404433582&sr=8-1&keywords=%22monterey+garden+insect+spray%22) in your yard now and see if it has an effect (right up the doors). It would need to be repeated once in a 30-day period. It is considered relatively safe for this kind of application (but recommendations for limited application of to avoid insect resistance is a big deal in the garden world), and you could do it tomorrow (OSH and Home Depot sell it, Lowes does not). Side effects for Comfortis is most often vomiting, and if there is anything most pet owners need less of, it's pet vomit, plus that means they are clearly suffering if temporarily, and you might be forgiven for the dreaded vacuum running more easily.

Just trying to provide some alternatives, I know I am tasty as heck to fleas and cannot stand them, and despite indoor-only cats, I have dealt with many infestations. Sometimes by the time you see them, you're already lunch.

Best item on amazon is obviously 1500 live ladybugs, but as for practicality, I'd go with this. It's a single-serve teapot that nests in a perfectly sized teacup. Very cute and easy.

If you have seen a couple, there's an infestation. It may not be bad, but if you're seeing a few roaches during the day, there are going to be many more coming out at night.

Cimexa is generally better than boric acid. It lasts longer, naturally dries itself out, and is less toxic to pets than boric acid. Spray it in the cracks of your walls, baseboards, and under large appliances.

Advion gel bait is highly cited around here to be a godsend in culling live nymphs and adults. Cockroaches are opportunistic eaters; it's better to place several small dots around common walkways (along baseboards & sources of water) than larger, but fewer dollops.

An IGR, like Gentrol, will help with long-term prevention. It prevents nymphs from reaching sexual maturity and can stop eggs from hatching. It doesn't do anything for adults though, so you'll need the Advion to knock those fuckers out.

The most important thing is to change your behaviors. Don't leave trash in the apartment overnight, dry out sinks/sources of water overnight, keep food sealed, etc...

do it yourself , i had a big problem a few years back and havent seen a roach since .. here's a list of stuff i used and had plenty left over but never needed it.. 1st i cleaned everything and everywhere , i removed light switch cover and took pretty much everything out of my kitchen .i used the stuff below and just cleaned everyday.






Gentrol Point Source IGR Insect Growth Regulator , IGR is one thing you will want , it stops growth & causes females to abort eggs . you can get it in a bottle /traps , i bought a small bottle and have some leftlink




Maxforce FC Magnum Roach Bait 1.16 oz BA1029 , this is a bait that kills on contact they dont have to eat this stuff ... when the roach dies any other roach that comes along and eats them will die as well ..link





Harris Boric Acid Roach Powder With Lure, 16 oz. i used this stuff behind light covers & places i couldn't reach with a puffer bottle , . i made roach cookies too using peanut butter & boric acid into little clumps and removed it after a few days .. ..link




CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN , roaches will eat just about anything and can go a long time without eating so only leave baits and stuff for them to consume ! i used bleach in drains & antiseptic cleaners

1500 Lady Bugs! Guaranteed LIVE delivery.

http://www.amazon.com/1500-Live-Ladybugs-Guaranteed-Delivery/dp/B00533KOIC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1416211211&sr=8-2&keywords=live+ladybugs

Lady Bugs are lucky, right? Maybe I'll win this contest! :)
Hope you had a great Dang Cake Day!! ;)

This stuff is great -

https://www.amazon.com/CimeXa-Insecticide-ounces-bottle-Rockwell/dp/B0085HRWI8/ref=sr_1_2?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1503065033&sr=1-2&keywords=cimexa

Bed bugs can be managed without an exterminator, but you do need to do research. Cimexa is definitely vegan and extremely effective, you just have to be okay with a fine layer of dust on the floor for a few months. It doesn't kill the eggs, but when they hatch, they'll crawl over it to feed on you and then die.

Godspeed, OP, you can win this. I found a few two months ago and now they're all gone. Still dusting with Cimexa for a few more months, to keep them gone.

I use these with great success in my garage:

Catcha 2 Piece Humane Smart Mouse Trap Live Catch and Release Rodents, Safe Around Children and Pets https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XKZMWF4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_nhO1Ab976JEHN

Pro tip: just use dry unsalted raw cashews. Much easier to clean up.

Can you clarify if you're looking for gear for your own tripping in the BWCA? Or for your work as a tow boat driver?
Either way, this will be a good start:

https://smile.amazon.com/Mosquito-Repellent-Protection-Fragrance-Approved/dp/B00TV2J5IG

This and a head net for mosquitoes. You can try Picaridin too. Head net is a MUST for portages.

If you're doing your own tripping, a carbon paddle is fantastic. As much as I wish I could like a beautifully bonded and carved wood paddle, after using a 13.75oz carbon paddle, 20oz is way too heavy. J-stroking with a carbon paddle is so easy and light. I have an older Barton Paddle (not made anymore AFAIK). The Wenonah Black Lite is reasonably priced, though I've never handled it.

I've always been fine with an old pair of running shoes for summer tripping, so I'm not much help there. If you want more suggestions, you should be more specific.

Well, it is a hassle, sort of, but covering up also prevents skin issues from the sun. I allow some sun to get vitamin D but both of my parents have had several skin cancers and I am high risk.

If you work outdoors you can get acclimated to the weather if you are healthy, although I see people doing construction work and riding motorcycles wearing shorts. Nope, not me, clothes are protection. 90° weather is not that bad if you are used to it.

As for the bug zappers, they attract with light and can get moths, which are not a pest. They do make CO2 bug catchers which may attract mammal biting bugs (the theory is that is how they find you, through exhalations and also scents) such as [this monstrosity] (https://www.amazon.com/Mega-Catch-MCU-900-ULTRA-Mosquito-Trap/dp/B0051C0J7G/ref=cm_rdp_product) as well as [hand held repellers] (https://www.amazon.com/Thermacell-MR-LJ-Portable-Mosquito-Repeller-Black/dp/B01BGHU7R6/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1501416022&sr=8-3-fkmr2&keywords=handheld+butane+insect+repellent#customerReviews) which I recently learned about.

There was a time when it seemed everybody had a bug zapper, years ago, but apparently they are no longer the thing to have.

I wanted one of these originally but decided against it. I don't find myself needing a lockring tool except with new instillation. I don't plan on mounting it on my bike because I have no bottle cage mounts on my bike, plus there is the worry of theft, or aiding to theft. The additional socket sizes and the box 15 were the main things I was after. After some careful consideration I opted for these two tools. I like the grip on the park tools 15 much better.

The trixie is a pretty tool, and I love Pedro's selections of lubricants (wink) but I prefer to have two tools that cover almost every section of my bike.

Definitely agree. I've traveled everywhere with this, including staying in remote areas of the Amazon and it's been a great lifesaver.

I have no advice or help for you. I'm so sorry your family is going through this!

We recently bought one of https://www.amazon.com/ThermaCell-Mosquito-Repellent-Outdoor-Repeller/dp/B01BGHU7R6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464831898&sr=8-1&keywords=thermacell for mosquitoes...haven't tried it out yet but I've heard that they work really well. Good luck!

Get insect growth regulator. It renders them infertile and stops the cycle. Roach bait/gels don’t address the babies that pop up every 30 days and the cycle just repeats itself. Roaches are tenacious jerks that can survive on just a smidge of grease and a drop of water. You could be clean but if your neighbors aren’t and there’s a small gap between the wall and floor/cabinet or in my case a gap where the water pipe comes in through the wall they will make there way through the gap.

I recommend the following product because there’s no messy spray and it’s easy to install, get some bait gel like the one the other commenter mentioned and put a few dabs onto this device to ensure that the roaches come near the station.

Please note that this device does not kill roaches and should used in conjunction with bait.

Gentrol Point Source IGR ZOE1007 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049EKEEK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ZMBuDbB09DEC0

They look like aphids to me.

Looks like you've got a great excuse to buy yourself 1,000 or so ladybugs. They'll take care of those aphids in no time. Home improvement places often sell ladybugs or you can get them from Amazon.

Thanks for the advice! That is very helpful. I'm planning on getting this from amazon, it's cheap enough that it looks like I'll be able to spray the entire lawn with it and have enough left over for the entire summer since it's supposed to be diluted 2 tsp/gal.

​

For the Nitrogen would you recommend going with something that is pure nitrogen like this (46-0-0), or some other type of mix like a 10-10-10?

​

Hey there! I am in the same zone as you up in Maryland. :)

1. Start hordes of seedlings. Much more than you need. Choose the most healthy ones and pot some extras in case things go bad.
   
   
2. Use a free tool like this to plan your garden out. Spacing is very important.
   
   
3. Consider inviting some garden bros to your garden. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00533KOIC/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687782&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B004LTFMAY&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1KRAMJR0WPKHVC6HX105 and http://www.amazon.com/Praying-Mantis-Egg-Cases-100/dp/B000MR7B26/ref=sr_1_4?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1426810151&sr=1-4&keywords=praying+mantises will do nicely.
   
   
4. Do seedlings now. Make sure you harden them off over 10 days before transplant or the shock kills them.
   
   
5. Use bagged soil and begin composting on the side. :) Great gardeners don't grow good plants - they grow good soil and that does the work for them.
   
   
6. Does your area not drain?
   
   Final tip: You will learn more from your mistakes than successes. I know it hurts to see root rot kill some seedlings. It just happens. Learn from it.

Thanks /u/Ed-k! Is there a brand/type/specific something or other that people recommend for Prodiamine? I just searched for it on Amazon and this came up: https://www.amazon.com/Prodiamine-Generic-Barricade-5lbs-ali8056/dp/B004GTQBEK/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=prodiamine&qid=1549916972&s=gateway&sr=8-1

Do I just order this and spray the whole yard with it? Is there somewhere/something better to get? Appreciate the insight.

Looks too big to be a bedbug... but it's hard to judge scale in that pic. Best bet (cheapest thing to do) would be to tear the bedframe apart yourself or just check in the screw holes that hold it together and around the mattress and box-spring trim as they like to huddle together in tight places and don't usually travel far for a feed.

edit: checked out your other pics on imgur, it kind of looks about the right size/shape for a bedbug. Sometimes you just find one and its a freak thing, but you may still want to check in the cracks of the bed - extermination is not usually cheap either but is easier/faster taken care of when you call early on.

Company I worked for used Bedlam along with a few other things to get rid of bedbugs Tempo 1% dust,Bifenthrin (I think) - they also sold Climb up interceptors to check for possible activity. If the search shows nothing, getting some of these may be an option if your paranoid. Bed Bug covers couldn't hurt either. Make sure to get them for both your box spring and mattress if you do.

You could get a bug vacuum like this one. That one has a pretty long arm so you wouldn't have to get too close. I use an electric flyswatter (I found one at a hardware store for like $5 and it works perfectly, you can actually smell the bugs burning when you zap them) in my house for any and all creatures with more than 4 limbs.

My daughter had pet dumbo rats that got loose in her room and it took 3 weeks to catch them. They pooped and peed everywhere and it made her quite sick with a respiratory infection!

We put out humane traps that we got from Amazon to catch them with banana and peanut butter in them for bait. It took about 3 tries to get themrat trap both.

We then used this cleaner to get rid of the left over feces and urine smell. enzyme cleaner

And the fruit fly infestation needs addressed ASAP! Make sure there is no standing water in the kitchen or other sinks, food left out, fruit left out uncovered, and you hang up multiple strips and change them often and move them around so they don’t start avoiding them. We used this kind over our rabbit cage and sink. fruit fly trap

All you can do is disinfect, deep clean, air the place out and really focus on humanely catching the pet rat and rehoming it or getting it a safe cage/aquarium home with lid.

Good luck and I hope you can get things improved for you and everyone. ❤️

There’s a lot of good advice in here but one thing I don’t see mentioned is this:

bed bug traps

These things aren’t preventative, all they do is indicate if any bugs are trying to climb up your bed frame. You put them under each foot of your bed. The bugs crawl in but aren’t able to crawl out, you can check them for bugs as often as necessary to make you feel comfortable.

I had bugs several years ago and when i moved into my current place i got these so I’d know if any caught a ride with me. To this day i check them about once a month or so and breathe a sigh of relief.

>\>That link is for carry-on where the 3 oz limit is going to prevent taking much of a liquid solution of permethrin.

Directly below "Carry on" it has it's guidance for "Checked" as well. Right below that line that says "Carry On".

\> "Aerosol" is NOT the way permethrin for clothes treatment is sold.

Sure it is. Maybe it's not the way you've been buying it, but it's definitely sold as an aerosol. In fact, did you know that permethrin is actually a very common chemical used for more than just outdoor recreation ? When you buy Sawyer, Bens or Reppel you're probably paying a lot of extra money for their specialty-marketing. If you use a lot of it you can save a good amount of money by simply buying concentrated permethrin and dilute it to the appropriate concentration youself.

Yea, I feel bad for you. Here is a pretty good resource to get you started on inspecting for bugs. Also, if you are really paranoid consider the use of climb up monitors on the legs of beds, couches, etc. It is unlikely that you would infest your house if you are taking these kind of precautions, but passive monitors can help you keep a long term strategy in place (and may help you sleep better at night depending on how paranoid you are).

https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/vector/bed-bug-guide.pdf

https://www.amazon.com/ClimbUp-Interceptors-pack-passive-traps/dp/B0028Z0LDQ

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I can't do much about your ant problem (although this helped with ants in my kitchen), one of the things that gave me confidence to try my first kettle sour was the recent Milk the Funk podcast on kettle souring. They discussed oxygen exposure during souring and said it isn't an issue. Their recommendation is that no steps need to be taken to seal up the wort during the souring phase other than covering it someway to keep critters out of it. Brulosophy also had a recent podcast on kettle souring and they came to the same conclusion. Definitely worth a listen if you're interested in the topic.

I don't think it's possible to be absolutely sure. But you can look for signs. You could justify this by saying a friend of yours had an issue with bugs and you've heard it's a problem in the area. If I were the landlord, I'd be glad to rent to a tenant who shows diligence in preventing infestations. You'd be surprised how many people are willing to ignore the bug problem.

As for treatment/prevention, as I said it's impossible to be sure, so you should be very cautions when moving just in case. All it takes is one bug. If you've had a bed bug problem in the past, you may already know how seriously you should take this. Don't fuck around.

When looking at the apartment, examine cabinets below sinks--are there little black specks? They could be pest poop or other detritus indicative of a roach infestation. Use Google images to identify signs. Bed bugs are harder to identify if the furniture is gone, but look in the bedroom (or wherever previous tenants slept) around carpet edges and in crevices. This is hard and not your fault if you missed it.

Ask if the landlord's pest control service can give the unit an extra once-over before you move in. Examine and clean all of your furniture. Get a strong, foaming pest spray.

In order to prevent bringing them with you, put all possible items in the dryer on high heat for a full cycle. If they are machine washable, wash them first. If not, just do the dryer. For un-tumblable items, put them in plastic tubs and spray them/the lid of the tub with poison and let it sit for at least a day so the fumes can circulate. This is for like books, knick knacks jewelry, etc.

Keep ALL TREATED ITEMS separate from untreated. Moving is good, you can keep treated stuff at the new place.

This may seem like overkill but it is actually the bare minimum you should do for bed bugs. I'm sure I'm forgetting something because it's late. I got carried away because bed bugs traumatized me twice and I want to prevent that from ever happening to anyone else.

The bed bug things will also help with roaches, but get this bait and follow the instructions to kill roaches in your new place and keep new ones from setting up ahop.: Invict Gold Cockroach German Roach Control Gel Bait https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049I6CT2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6I55Cb839EPJE

It was the only thing that cleared my roach infested shithole apartment, and now I seen zero roaches in a year.

While you're still looking for a place, just say that a friend of yours had a lot of trouble with bugs. But be very thorough in checking for bugs, and if you see them, look for a new place or insist the landlord pay for a full treatment. There may be a clause in the lease saying that bed bug infestations are the responsibility of the tenant--once you move in it's your problem.

Best of luck, and fuck bed bugs--fuck them so hard. FUCK.

My landlord's exterminator uses this stuff, it's amazing; you apply it every 3-6 months, dab it in corners of cabinets and rooms but it works within a week or so and you won't see roaches for a long time:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004GESOI6/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1413543143&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40

Good luck!

Hi there! Former Terminix route manager for Louisville's west end here.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004GESOI6/

this is the most effective legal way of controlling a roach infestation, from severe to minor. Please do not use repellant based sprays like black flag, ortho home defense etc. Infact, if it uses bifenthrin, deltamethrin, or cyfluthrin, you are wasting your time when it comes to controlling roaches.

Do not boric acid either, messy and useless. Do not "bug bomb" or fogger. If that stuff worked, pest control would not be an industry. Fipronil based bait is the way to go, and there are a number of good tutorials for effective bait application techniques and guidelines on YouTube.

As for pest control services in area, IMO Terminix charges waaaay too much now, and are pretty much the Comcast of pest control. Orkin is the Time Warner. OPC barely trains their techs, and certainly doesn't pay them well, so you can expect that in your service. Smaller outfits can deliver service on par with what you pay, but there is no way to generalize them.

Hope that helps, pm me if you have any questions!

You can srnd 1000 ladybugs as a gift. My friend bought it off of Amazon and did that once a few years ago. Not sure if they still sell it

Edit: yup, you still can. It's super cheap too https://www.amazon.com/1500-Live-Ladybugs-Guaranteed-Delivery/dp/B00533KOIC/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=ladybugs&qid=1555564122&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Hello,

I am a pest control technician (exterminator) in south Texas. On a daily basis, I battle German roaches and they are tough to get rid of if you don't know how get rid of them properly. Although it's not the fast way, baiting and growth regulators are key to defeating the roach menace. This method takes roughly two weeks, depending on the size of the infestation.

Using a growth regulator will screw up the roaches reproduction organs and cycle, this keeps them from making and having babies. I highly recommend this product. http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/nyguard-igr-p-423.html

I found baiting a few days after applying the growth regulator works extremely well. The bait I have found to work the best is Invict Roach Gel. You can find it here http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0049I6CT2?pc_redir=1398597049&robot_redir=1

Good luck on your battle against those bloody creatures. :)

They're not hard to care for, but they do have some specific needs. You'll probably need to buy distilled water for it, as most tap water has too many minerals for them (and most other carnivores). They also won't thrive indoors, generally. They love full, direct sun. Being outdoors also allows them to catch their own food. They also go dormant in the winter when temperatures get cooler, and grow again in the spring. It's common for people to think they're sick or dead when they're really just dormant.

Sometimes home improvement stores will have them in small plastic domes near the tropical plants section (although flytraps aren't tropical plants). If not there, this is a highly recommended seller on Amazon.

Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions. :)

hm, i haven't heard the term palmetto bugs before. I think the ones i see are american/german. They all look so similar, and usually are pretty big.

dumb question, but do you think there are any negatives to IGR, if I do in fact have the palmetto bugs? Is there such a thing as overkill? Also, do you have any experience with these types of IGR? Seems easier than spraying everywhere. Thanks for your tips!
https://www.amazon.com/Gentrol-Point-Source-IGR-ZOE1007/dp/B0049EKEEK/ref=pd_bxgy_328_3/133-9187373-1194855?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0049EKEEK&pd_rd_r=b4efdfa4-84c4-4265-bb95-d9720e8cb5aa&pd_rd_w=DqA1v&pd_rd_wg=y6dno&pf_rd_p=a2006322-0bc0-4db9-a08e-d168c18ce6f0&pf_rd_r=ME4CWSXK7MDE7H6C5TPT&psc=1&refRID=ME4CWSXK7MDE7H6C5TPT

We too use products like these. The trick is to apply the product where you are seeing the roaches. Nooks and crannies, dark places where they hide. I usually use some form of Maxforce. A little bit goes a long way, its safe enough for pets since they shouldnt get to it anyways and the active indgredient is only .05% of the product. You'll see more roaches than ever at first, but pretty soon you'll only see dead ones. Good Luck!

I've used lady bugs with success in my garden beds and herb containers. Last year I used them for aphids my tomatoes and peppers and this year I used them on my chives for aphids and whiteflies on my rosemary. Worked well for both aphids and whiteflies. I suggest watering before releasing them, I have noticed they stick around longer this way. I've seen some people make little water feeders for them out of a bowl with pebbles, I'm going to try that next time. My only concern for you getting them in FL is how they will hold up to transportation in the heat. Also be sure to check your mail box constantly you don't want them roasting in there. Last summer I had them delivered in 80 degree weather and they were fine. I get them on Amazon, about $10 with shipping there are different sizes from multiple sellers. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00533KOIC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_ixvKXplSmVp5v

Might want to take more of a tool set? The Crank brothers multitool is the best compromise between tools you will likely need and weight in my opinion. Being able to tighten a loose spoke or fix the chain if it breaks is pretty damn useful. I nailed a curb pretty good on a tour and had to tighten a couple spokes, didn't have a spoke tool and was screwed for a while.

Yes. In fact, many people buy them by the thousand and put them in their own, personal gardens. Just search Amazon for ladybugs and you'll see collections of them for sale at around $3-5 plus shipping. For example, here's a pretty popular one selling 1,500 ladybugs for $3.75 + $5.65 shipping.

No! Get some good bugs that eat other bugs. [Preying Mantis.](http://www.amazon.com/Praying-Mantis-Case-Hatching-Habitat/product-reviews/B004LTFMAY

Ladybugs! They'll eat your bugs and birds will eat them.

I had chiggers, fleas and ticks. I put out 25 million beneficial nematodes. They cost $50 and ate the chiggers and everything. Cheaper than pesticide and I can plant whatever I want.

I don't recognize your little black pests, but something benign eats them.

Try putting rosemary, mint, or sage next to your basil. Companion plants can protect others.

Be clean, don't leave food out, take trash out immediately and cover sink drains at night.

Then you only have to seal your apartment so that no outside intruders enter.

Find any gaps at the baseboards and close them with caulk. Ace has some rope caulk which is easy to remove when you move out.

Buy this

https://www.amazon.com/Bayer-502798A-Advanced-Ready-Control/dp/B01CI338V4/ref=sr_1_15?keywords=bayer+roach&qid=1565905581&s=gateway

and spray under the sink, at the door and obvious places where roaches might enter your apartment.

Buy this and spot place this poison where you have seen them.

https://www.amazon.com/Bayer-Maxforce-Magnum-Roach-Killer/dp/B004GESOI6/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=bayer+roach&qid=1565905581&s=gateway&sr=8-3

This will help.

if your hand eye coordination is good, hold this with the other hand.

http://www.amazon.com/Charcoal-Companion-Amazing-Bug-Zapper/dp/B00008GS96/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321050313&sr=8-1

Thermocell was recommended to me by a Southerner and it works pretty well. Can enjoy my back yard again.
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01BGHU7R6

Just to add, in addition to the chain tool, make sure you bring compatible link replacements.

I have one of these which should cover pretty much any allen you would need and a chain tool in a small compact package. I got mine from a local bike shop and it has held up pretty well for my past couple bikes. I have a recumbent currently, which takes 2 1/2 bikes worth of chains... you can imagine how much potential trouble there is there!

> Get ladybird nymphs from the Internet to control them biologically.

Great suggestion! I've done this, and am a huge fan!

If you're concerned about roaches then I suggest treating your home with Advion Cockroach Gel Bait. This will kill them.

Also, use an IGR (insect growth regulator). You will spray (or place disks) around your home and the product will last for a few months. The chemicals will disrupt their ability to breed by rendering them sterile.

I've used both Martin's IGR and Gentrol Disks successfully. The disks are more expensive and I prefer the concentrated liquid but either should work.



I suggest using both products at the same time. If you choose another IGR just double check that the chemical is intended for the pest you're treating - some only treat fleas, some treat lots of pests, etc.

Yea, it's a mess. My parents spent tens of thousands heat treating their house multiple times. They tore down things like wallpaper and picture frames. There are also things like this that can help the spread of the little buggers. It is possible to get target treatments and figure out the worst infested areas through the use of a bedbug-sniffing dog. Other important things to remember are keep laundry off the floor (line hampers with black plastic trash bags) and that the dryer is successful at killing all stages of the bedbug life cycle, so wash stuffed animals and pillows and things. I hope that the "starving them" solution works, it might not be a bad idea to supplement this with a "killing them" solution.

The process is so expensive and time consuming, good luck.

Since I haven't seen it here yet, a good way to kill any roaches and prevent reinfestation is by using Cimexa dust. Buy a duster and some Cimexa and lightly dust the interior of the ps4 through the air vents. Bonus points if you open it up and dust the inside too. Watch some videos on dusting appliances so you get a feel for how little you need to use to be effective. This Cimexa is not a poison but rather it dehydrates the insects and doesn't harm electronics. Best part is you can use it in other areas of infestation as well.

If you decide to go this route make sure you use a dust mask when applying and read the label on the Cimexa bottle before you use it. It's not poison but I'm you still don't want to put it somewhere where someone could breathe it in so make sure you know how to apply it before you so.

She definitely overpaid. =}

https://www.amazon.com/1500-Live-Ladybugs-Guaranteed-Delivery/dp/B00533KOIC

I think it is better to encourage the locals to populate though, however in Germany, Netherlands and presumedly Switzerland there are already huge populations of the Asian Multicolor that I do not know if it can get any worse for the natives.

This one is a different species though:

https://www.planetnatural.com/product/live-ladybugs/

2000 beetles for $25. And some of the related products include ladybug food to keep them from straying so quickly.

But you are correct! Crazy expensive in the UK (which is like Switzerland in being outrageous price-wise, or unwise maybe):

http://www.greengardener.co.uk/product.asp?id_pc=34&cat=75

Germany though has German eBay and its own Amazon and prices can be super reasonable there.

Another strategy is to not release all of them at once which would cause an over-population almost guaranteed to make them disperse.

Ladybugs can be safely kept in the refrigerator produce drawers which stimulates winter for them. But they are hungry when released so hence the ladybug food to keep them from straying.

And it is a good idea to familiarize oneself with what the larvae of all of them look like because they scare most people who do not know and think they are monsters (so often sadly kill them).

Anyway, there are a lot of other organic and inexpensive strategies such as neem oil, insecticidal soap, and even nicotine (not a lot).

Your landlord may not have been aware of an infestation. They could have been deep within the box spring, he could have been immune to their bites.

Have you CONFIRMED that these bugs are bedbugs, by visual comparison?

Follow this protocol:

• Use a minimal frame that has little to no spots for bedbugs to hide in, such as a lightweight metal frame
  
  
• Purchase interceptors to put under the legs of the bed frame
  
  
• Move the bed away from the wall, and away from other furniture (isolate it)
  
  
• Wrap both box spring and top mattress in bedbug-proof mattress encasements - the zippered kind that SEAL/ZIP CLOSE.
  
  
• Purchase CimeXa dust and a handheld bellows for application of the CimeXa. Dust this LIGHTLY (do NOT make piles of it) around the baseboards of the rooms in the house, in/on window sills, on the bed frame, inside of dressers/desks/bookshelves, around the bed itself, on the mattress and box spring (before you put on the encasements), and behind/inside of electrical outlets/faceplates. This will dry your skin out so be careful not to touch it a lot, or breathe it in - use gloves/a mask when applying. Your goal is to "puff" it where you're applying it and let it settle in a fine layer. If you vacuum after application, you will need to reapply it
  
  
• You can use Diatomaceous earth too, but CimeXa is much more effective, it lasts much longer, and it's safer to use as DE is harmful if it is breathed in.
  
  
• Wash all clothing and linens on HOT and dry on HIGH HEAT for at least 60 minutes. Store in AIRTIGHT plastic containers or plastic bags that SEAL to prevent hitchhikers and re-infestation. Store away from the bedroom if possible.
  
  
• Look into buying Nuvan ProStrips for items that cannot be laundered - including books, records, shoes, sensitive clothing, etc.
  
  
• All other items that you do not readily need can be stored in AIRTIGHT plastic containers, preferably in a garage or away from the possible infested areas. Adult bedbugs can survive for almost a year without food, so "starving" them is not a reliable method of eradication on its own.
  
  
• Treat the WHOLE HOUSE - NOT just your bedroom, as bedbugs will absolutely move from room to room. Couches and chairs can be treated with CimeXa too.
  
  
• Have diligence and patience - worst case scenario, contact an exterminator, but you can eradicate the bedbugs (if this is what you're dealing with for sure) through DIY methods as long as you are thorough.
  
  

I bought this package on amazon for $7.31. If you need ladybugs, I definitely recommend it. Every bug arrived alive!

OK. I think I can help you a bit.

We are pretty convinced that one of my daughters brought bed bugs home from preschool (all childrens' school bags hang on the same adjacent hooks, on top of each other). I was almost literally going insane trying to combat the issue. We caught it early and took steps quickly, and now we are going on 2 months with no bites.

1. Get the bug interceptors and put them under your bedroom furniture, especially beds and couches. Make sure there is no path between you and the ground that does not require the interceptor to be crossed. Maybe you will catch a bug.
   
   http://www.amazon.com/ClimbUp%C2%AE-Interceptors-pack-passive-traps/dp/B0028Z0LDQ
   
   
2. If you can't find any bugs with that method, go and find a Carbon Dioxide supplier in your area. Purchase a few pounds of dry ice (super cold, solid CO2). That evening, fill up an insulated coffee mug with dry ice, put the top on, and set it in the center of a bug interceptor. Bed bugs are attracted to CO2, so the gas CO2 that comes off the dry ice all night will draw out bed bugs. We did this twice, with two mugs each time and were able to catch a couple of nymphs.
   
   
3. If you caught bed bugs (or if you didn't but don't want to take any chances), my #1 tip is this: GO BUY CIMEXA! It is a safe, super fine dust that you VERRRRRY LIGHTLY apply to any non-disturbable surface (baseboards, carpet edges, under couch cushions, on top of your box spring, etc. This stuff freaking WORKS. It is 100% amorphous (NOT crystalline) silica, which is a dessicant, so it has no significant health effects, other than drying out tissue that it comes in direct contact with (what a dessicant is supposed to do). Bed bugs walk across even a miniscule dusting of this stuff, and the dust ionically attaches to their bodies and kills them within 2 days. Go read the study on this stuff. It blows Diatomaceous Earth out of the water, along with most nasty pesticides. Also, it remains effective for 10 years, so it is preventative. Plus DE and pesticides have bad health effects. Do be sure to wear a particulate respirator when you apply it, though, as it will cause minor lung irritation. Cimexa seriously kicked ass and obliterated the problem. PLUS it's inexpensive. That small 4 ounce bottle is enough for a floor of a normal house, if you apply it suuuuper sparingly, as intended. I bought a blow duster applicator, which applied way too much, so I switched to a cosmetic brush and dabbing.
   
   http://www.amazon.com/CimeXa-Insecticide-Dust-4-oz/dp/B008B0ONHC/
   
   Good luck. These little bastards mess with your head in a way I had no appreciation for previously. Hang in there, do the traps, do the Cimexa (lightly!!), and then watch them work.
   
   This is a throwaway, by the way, because we have friends on Reddit and are neat freaks who live in an upper-middle-class suburb. Our friends would be even more shocked than we were that we had an issue with bed bugs, as I always just thought they were a problem if you didn't keep your house clean. Not so. Anyone and everyone who goes to a school/church/office/gathering place is at risk. But this Cimexa is an awesome new development that can really help you feel at ease in your own home again.

Do all those things you plan to do, also consult the exterminators about what further steps you can take. Don't forget to use intercepting devices on each foot of your bed, with the bed pulled away from the wall so there's no alternate access. The traps can be as simple as cups with talcum powder (which makes their feet slip), or little glue traps.

Let me emphasize that the silica gel I referenced above is cheap, available (on Amazon as Cimexa), and effective as treatment as well as prevention, possibly for a decade, if applied properly.

The important thing is to stay sane. Be proactive, do all the things you're supposed to, and then trust that they're working. Don't let paranoia turn every little itch into a panic. Scorch the earth but stay cool.

Terro Ant Baits, Work like a dream!

Someone else asked if they were pet safe and I can almost guarantee they are not.

This:

The Amazing Handheld Bug Zapper

They're fun, if nothing else!

They look like German roaches. You can get Gentrol which is a hormone regulator for them. It’s safe in areas in which people inhabit and food stuff is kept. There may be a living population in another unit or in the walls of the building. These work and keep them from reproducing. I have used this treatment and worked in the industry where I was introduced to the product. There is also gel bait if you are seeing a lot of them. Hope this helps.

Yeah, SF is great. I miss it. Good luck with fixing your problem! The dryer is a good method for getting them off cloths, blankets, etc. You can also buy a bedbug cover to reduce their hiding places. Then you can get a trap filled with cornmeal and place that around the base of the bed (assuming it's lifted). As long as you pull your bed from the wall, that should help. The traps will also let you know how many bedbugs there are and you can give the info to an exterminator. Keep in mind that probably no matter what you do you'll eventually have to call a professional.

Bedbug trap: http://www.amazon.com/ClimbUp%C2%AE-Interceptors-pack-passive-traps/dp/B0028Z0LDQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380818397&sr=8-1&keywords=bed+bug+trap

Bedbug cover: http://www.amazon.com/SafeRest-Waterproof-Certified-Zippered-Encasement/dp/B004BAPK8C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380818468&sr=8-1&keywords=bed+bug+cover

You can get live ladybugs on Amazon

I bought some praying mantis eggs on Amazon for my garden and they have done well, but I can't seem to find them on Amazon anymore. Would recommend though!

These ladybugs . It seems cruel, you know? Like “release the bugs!”

the gift of nothing here you go, enjoy nothing in a package!

embarrassing boxes this one seems a little cruel. But it’s weird, none the less.

The under $20 thing is this . Also weird, but oddly charming.

Just got back from a week of camping in 110 degree (f) weather and I wish I had a stash of those. We did have some of these which are fun but rely on human accuracy to be effective.

Poppy seeds

A jeweler's loupe for admiring your dank weed

There are some videos on r/lsd, I think, of someone who combined these two trip toys. It ends up looking pretty cool. http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Motion-12665-1-Laser-Sphere/dp/B003150CFO // https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009S3IBI8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_jq4xwbNWTAEY9

1500 lady bugs

Edit: here's a video of those two projectors together https://youtu.be/1LSuhEAC3u0

RaylanGivens29 is right. I would for sure use a permethrin treatment on your clothes to help with the bugs. It is especially helpful for dealing with ticks.

https://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Products-Permethrin-Clothing-Repellent/dp/B01M4KFZME

I have this one, that comes in a multi-purpose tool set. I really like it, have used it four or five times and it works great. I has lots of leverage because the tool serves as a handle.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000S6HZCC/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Haha the irony!

My personal favorite is that you can buy live animals on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/1500-Live-Ladybugs-Guaranteed-Delivery/dp/B00533KOIC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409338127&sr=8-1&keywords=Lady+Bugs

Update: when I first saw your comment, I ordered terro as per the suggestion. The first 2-3 days the ants swarmed toward it (I found one of their entrances by a floor heat vent where hot air comes out), then eventually they stopped coming. I thought they all died but after about a week another swarm came and now at present it's looking like they're appearing less. It's been a month since I initially posted/bought this I'm hoping they're getting closer to completely dying.

The box says to replace very 3 months though. I don't think the boxes attract other colonies as well as the smell (pheromones) that comes from the ants when they find food does so shouldn't the boxes be left incase more ants come?

I'd say Aphids. You could try to get a close-up, for a better ID.

Most of my advice for aphids (soapy water in a squirt bottle, etc.) is more suited to gardens, not trees. Maybe hit up r/arborists?

Probably couldn't go wrong by hiring some ladybugs. Always make sure insect imports are legal in your area, since interstate delivery could be considered "importing"! Sometimes laws vary from state to state, maybe try a local source.

https://www.amazon.com/1500-Live-Ladybugs-Guaranteed-Delivery/dp/B00533KOIC/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1466052736&sr=1-1&keywords=ladybugs

I have no need for for that many ladybugs, but it seemed like such a good deal so I got two orders.

Why not get a Terro ant killer and enjoy ant free wood 48 later.

Wooo you are amazing for doing this :D My choice Reylight Ti Lan Special Edition.

To others who think Fakeshdow is just being funny - these really do exist and are quite fun:

http://www.amazon.com/Charcoal-Companion-Amazing-Bug-Zapper/dp/B00008GS96

Usually you order ladybugs because you have an infestation of some kind. If you release them near it, they'll hang out until its controlled and even when they do start to move along you've increased their population in the area which will help prevent future infestations.

You can get 1,500 of them for like $12 shipped. https://www.amazon.com/1500-Live-Ladybugs-Guaranteed-Delivery/dp/B00533KOIC

yep works awesome.

https://www.amazon.com/TERRO-T300B-2-Pack-Liquid-Baits/dp/B00E4GACB8/

Just picked this up, haven't used it yet but feels well made and doesn't take much room in my saddle bag Crank Brothers F-15

The other I was considering Crank Brothers Multi 17

Also highly recommend picking up spare tubes/tire levers.

That's an awesome setup. Just a suggestion for something simpler, though maybe not as effective, is using copper tape. https://www.amazon.com/Corrys-Slug-Snail-Copper-Barrier/dp/B000QD3BPW

Could at least be a helpful backup for when the battery dies.

NTA The guy was a jerk, and he's probably that defensive because he knows he's in the wrong. FYI, our current rental had cockroaches when we moved in. There's this stuff called MaxForce gel that you spread under counters and in corners that took care of them right away. Good luck.

It's so your hands are free for better multitasking. You can file taxes, include a TPS report, stick a finger in their anus, or order 1500 live ladybugs on amazon.

I bought these off Amazon some months back and they work great with Peanut butter.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XKZMWF4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Permethrin is very effective. If you're just using it for your clothes, a can will last you for a very long time as it works for six weeks. Just be careful not to spray it around cats, as it is harmful to them (it's fine when it dries).

https://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Products-Permethrin-Clothing-Repellent/dp/B01M4KFZME

Before you resort to glue traps I'd give these mechanical traps one more shot.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004B9XPOO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_xhA0BbK1ZJ744

The key is to lay down all 6 and not just a couple. I used them last year and it solved all of my mouse issues. They're more more effective than the standard mouse traps you buy on the corner.

Came here to suggest those! The best. TERRO T300B 2-Pack Liquid Ant Baits https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E4GACB8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_5.MvCbPNX3TKA

Thank you so much for the giveaways!


Reylight Ti Lan Special Edition. Smooth Battery Tube version https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0767NFCGC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_8TEhAbYH61N8A

I hear ya. I'm an ant lover obviously, but I totally understand not wanting them in your home.

The TERRO Liquid bait traps work extremely well.

I agree. Get mountaineering out of your head.
You won't need the day pack or any of the emergency stuff you have packed.
As for bugs, yes, the trail is full of bugs. I can't say for sure whether or not the face net would do any good. The AT is known for Lymes disease and deer ticks. You may want to look into permethrin. It is guaranteed to keep the deer ticks away.

https://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Products-Permethrin-Clothing-Repellent/dp/B01M4KFZME

Yeah it's these traps. The first one I put in looks pretty full and I've added two more since then.

I've used the terro ant bait stuff in the past in the different places i lived in. They always seem to work well and after a week or so I never see ants again. Worth giving a shot.

Spinosad was an effective solution in my experience.

https://smile.amazon.com/Monterey-Garden-Insect-Spinosad-Concentrate/dp/B002BP12LI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499917467&sr=8-1&keywords=monterey+garden+spray

I'm just going to go ahead and say 1500 ladybugs. I mean, I don't know what most people would need them for, but the idea is pretty wild. :P

It helps a lot to treat your shoes and pants with permethrin. One application should last you all summer. Only apply it to clothes, not skin.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Products-Permethrin-Clothing-Repellent/dp/B01M4KFZME

Cimexa is cheap and works wonderfully in my experience. https://www.amazon.com/CimeXa-Insecticide-ounces-bottle-Rockwell/dp/B0085HRWI8/ref=sxin_3_ac_d_rm?ac_md=0-0-Y2ltZXhh-ac_d_rm&keywords=cimexa&pd_rd_i=B0085HRWI8&pd_rd_r=c89aaaf1-719b-4de0-93ca-9bf321243418&pd_rd_w=eEVP3&pd_rd_wg=3e1lb&pf_rd_p=ed481207-4bea-4e19-bbad-73ed40fdc292&pf_rd_r=PT9FPWKGF1QAFMG0NRW5&psc=1&qid=1572508437

ok so it's probably not really effective at stopping very many of them.. and our entomologist from elsewhere in the thread would be angry... but these http://www.amazon.com/The-Amazing-Handheld-Bug-Zapper/dp/B00008GS96 are alot of morbid fun. bzzt bzzt.

would love steam key for Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes.

Here is what you need in your life:
1500 Live ladybugs. Go wild.

https://www.amazon.com/TERRO-T300B-2-Pack-Liquid-Baits/dp/B00E4GACB8 Best ant traps NA

Just gotta say, as a gastropod fan I appreciate you not wanting to hurt the slugs. Most people don't give a crap and it makes me sad.


That said I've heard that they don't like crawling over copper, so maybe you could try encircling the garden with copper tape? edit - Like this

You can get it from tick's in the south eastern part of the USA.


I use Permitherin sprat treatment on all my hunting clothes. Boots, pants, shirts, any jackets, and gloves.


It work extremely well for keeping ticks off. It's a potent insecticide, but won't harm a human if it touches your skin.



I've been out in the heat every weekend for the last month, and have not found a single tick on me at all. 100% worth the money to keep ticks at bay.

A ton isn't enough, you need a fuckton. Seriously. I had a pretty bad case myself despite having ladybugs already in my garden. I ordered these guys and they took care of it in 3 days:

1500 Live Ladybugs - Good Bugs - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B5BBNPS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_yqxCDbWB66XAP

Operation: Hulk Smash until you get them. Don't spray.

These things are awesome

https://www.amazon.com/TERRO-T300B-2-Pack-Liquid-Baits/dp/B00E4GACB8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493917923&sr=8-1&keywords=ant+poison

If you are looking for an alternative in the future, I used these last fall and they worked great without needing to make any adjustments.

Spinosad works great to control Thrips.

Hey, so I accidentally bought this brand.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0085HRWI8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

92.1% silica gel and 7.9 %

I sprayed my bedroom two days ago, and besides going in for a minute or two to grab something I haven't gone back. So what should I do? Should I vacuum the floor?

How effective do you think it'll be?

Two links for you:

Invict Gold. Has like four attractants in it that makes the bugs love the stuff. As soon as I put a dot of it down and in several places the roaches came out to eat up. I had to clean periodically because I had dead roaches everywhere.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049I6CT2/ref=oh_o03_s00_i00_details

Gentrol. Growth Regulator, just put it in the room and walk away. Lasts up to 3 months and if you still have any live roaches around with crinkled wings you know the Gentrol is working (crinkled wings = unable to reproduce)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049EKEEK/ref=oh_o04_s00_i00_details

The items are pricey compared to going to the story and getting the cheap bait, but this stuff has worked wonders for me.

Amazon link for the Puritans. Lot of good reviews there as well.

If you like live protein, I recommend getting 1500 live ladybugs: http://www.amazon.com/1500-Live-Ladybugs-Guaranteed-Delivery/dp/B00533KOIC.

It works out to less than 1% of a penny for each ladybug. Now that's frugal.

Ladybugs.

Ladybug the SHIT out of his car.

They're super cheap too.

$9 for 1500 of them.

Prodiamine 65 WDG seems to be popular here and it is what I used this year. The jug is full of little granules that are intended to be dissolved in water and sprayed with a tank sprayer. It's cheap and the common 5 lb jug will last many years for a typical property. Because it's dry you don't have to protect it from freezing over winter. The label says it can be safe to use on Zoysiagrass.

I do not know about their effectiveness for spiders.

They operate based on a particular coefficient of friction. Bed bugs have hook like feet. So with a sufficiently "slippery" surface bed bugs can't actually grab hold and climb.

I don't know if that translates to spiders.

Either way here's a link to the original climb-up interceptors: https://www.amazon.com/ClimbUp-Interceptors-pack-passive-traps/dp/B0028Z0LDQ

Live Ladybugs

Live Hissing Cockroach. Only 3 left, so act now!

Cow eyeballs in bulk!

Liquid Ass. You can always hope it leaks!

Friend of mine got a bug zapper racquet while in Uganda - found them in Niger, then on Amazon. Got a couple in Wal-mart for my in-laws.

They won't attract the mosquitos, but if you find that YOU attract mosquitos, these things kill them and give you a feeling of smug satisfaction.

For ants inside the house, I use Tarro Ant Baits. This stuff is awesome and works great.

As for the outside, you can have someone come and spray your yard. I've never used it, but my neighbor has used Mosquito Authority. Maybe try Gannons??? I have no clue what it costs though.

Also use an IGR if possible here's what I use with a lot of success https://www.amazon.com/Gentrol-Point-Source-IGR-ZOE1007/dp/B0049EKEEK/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?adgrpid=57600465498&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzunmBRDsARIsAGrt4mueCckbC88nTMwGNk5ntSjCyWgu-waQ8KyrSzfiVwEPFqxTWlS66QwaAvvBEALw_wcB&hvadid=274731156904&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=1028087&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=b&hvrand=231306937934641446&hvtargid=kwd-298157712944&hydadcr=4310_9618126&keywords=gentrol+point+source+igr&qid=1557882279&s=gateway&sr=8-3

And they sell them on Amazon.

If you want to prank someone and make their garden fabulous as the same time, unleash a box of 1,500 live ladybugs when they're not home.

Amazon link - you're welcome -
https://www.amazon.com/TERRO-T300B-2-Pack-Liquid-Baits/dp/B00E4GACB8

Awareness is most effective. People are often so much in their heads that they don't notice what's crawling on them. But if you brush or wash a crawling tick off before it bites, that's safest. Once it bites, it releases a chemical that can inhibit your perception of it.

After awareness, self-inspection is important. Lyme disease is not transmitted until the tick has been attached for 24 - 36 hours, so thorough daily inspection should prevent infection.

• Long pants
  
  
• Long-sleeved shirts
  
  
• Tie-down cuffs
  
  
• Hat
  
  
• Permethrin on cuffs, collar, boot tops (keep Permethrin away from cats; it's very toxic to them)
  
  
• Other repellents can deter ticks, but Permethrin deters and kills them if they contact it
  
  
• Daily self-inspection; you usually have some minutes or hours before a tick attaches and begins to feed (inspection is more effective with a willing companion; use a mirror if you don't have a partner)
  
  
• Carry a tick key or other removal device
  
  
• Learn proper and improper methods of removal, because if the mouth parts are left embedded in the skin they can transmit disease
  
  
• Be attentive and check more frequently in areas known for harboring ticks
  
  
• Use a screened shelter when sitting for long periods: shelter 1 | shelter 2 | shelter 3

Or better yet, Cimexa. Amazon link here.

Absolutely.

Check the reviews on Amazon. It has a 4.4. All good stories too.

TERRO T300B 2-Pack Liquid Ant Baits https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E4GACB8/

For thirps use spinosad as a spray, two times three days apart. It will kill them. Spray every leaf underside and top. Use a good sprayer, it will save your hand. Preventative measure sprays are neem and Azamax. I know we all want to learn about the best nutes and how to maximize our yield, but we need to learn about the pests that want to kill out plants. Thrips, mites, and root aphids. Root aphids are interesting as the fliers might look like simple fungus gnats.

pickleweasel. nice.

weirdest thing on amazon in my opinion would be 1500 live ladybugs for only $4 here

why would anyone need this? ludicrous!!

This is a roach control device. It's releases a growth hormone regulator that's supposed to prevent roaches from reproducing. It's the same one as this listing on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Gentrol-Point-Source-IGR-ZOE1007/dp/B0049EKEEK/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=IGR+Insect+Growth+Regulator+Discs&qid=1569973226&s=gateway&sr=8-4

I don't know the terms of your lease (you said apartment, so I'm assuming you're renting), but it might be worth at least contacting your landlord to see if they'll do something about patching up the cracks.

In the meantime, I live in the country and get ants like crazy. I use these ant traps, just be careful with them if you have pets.

There is a better product than DE

Also bug interceptors

I find these to be pretty handy: http://www.amazon.com/The-Amazing-Handheld-Bug-Zapper/dp/B00008GS96

Looks like someone went overboard with amazon ordering these:
https://www.amazon.com/1500-Live-Ladybugs-Guaranteed-Delivery/dp/B00533KOIC

1500 Live Ladybugs - Good Bugs - Ladybugs - Guaranteed Live Delivery! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00533KOIC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_uagoDbC32G7G1

You can get some here 1500 Live Ladybugs - Good Bugs - Ladybugs - Guaranteed Live Delivery! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00533KOIC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_CBb7CbFFBA1FJ

Cheers mate

https://www.amazon.com/Reylight-Ti-Lan-Special-Battery/dp/B0767NFCGC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1511891800&sr=8-4&keywords=ReyLight

These!

And they're only like $12 including shipping!

Came here to say "aphids" as well. Can I reccomend the world's finest aphid "insecticide"? ;)

https://www.amazon.com/1500-Live-Ladybugs-Guaranteed-Delivery/dp/B00533KOIC

Sweet giveaway - https://www.amazon.com/Reylight-Ti-Lan-Special-Battery/dp/B0767NFCGC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1511891800&sr=8-4&keywords=ReyLight

These are the other product I was telling you about. These pucks stop the current roaches from reproducing. They're not necessary but they'll help wipe them out a little quicker.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049EKEEK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_sOpsDbV1RSQWD

Do you still have a mealy bug problem? If not, what worked for you?

1500 Live Ladybugs - Good Bugs - Ladybugs - Guaranteed Live Delivery! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B5BBNPS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_yqxCDbWB66XAP

I can confirm the link I shared above is a solid choice. If you're able to, i would recommend also keeping a ladybug hotel around and other food sources (I think nectar?) So they have reasons to stay. I failed to do that so once the aphids were gone, so were the ladybugs.

Which I'm fine with but now I have mealy bugs 🥺

Better yet, get the snap traps that travel half the distance.

http://www.amazon.com/Kness-102-0-019-Snap-E-Mouse-Trap-6/dp/B004B9XPOO

We use these and they work much better that the traditional wooden spring traps

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004B9XPOO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I think 30,000 ladybugs is too good an offer to turn down

Edit: JESUS CHRIST YOU CAN GET 45,000 LADYBUGS FOR $100

i have good news:

​

https://www.amazon.com/Adult-Sized-Venus-Flytrap-Carnivorous/dp/B005L9YN6M

Terro makes a good product

I found one on amazon but couldn't find the one pictured, that's one 8 years old

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00008GS96/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

with a little research, I'm sure you could find one that's less expensive

Shipping will eliminate most "comically big" items. You get get things like this bag of cereal marshmallows or this box of 1500 live ladybugs under your price limit.

These work amazingly. I had tried using the Raid brand ones before and they didn't work at all. Just keep them WELL out of reach of the little guy. Doesn't really matter where you put them the ants will smell em and home in on them

You want to use something with Spinosad like Monterey garden insect spray. I would also use a pyrthrin and neem oil you can get in

Bing, Bang, Boom.
I've had good luck with these. Shipping these poor things in the Summer is kind of a gamble depending on your location, so ymmv.

here is a guide that will help tell you where to check for bedbugs

this is what your looking for

you can buy bedbug intercepters to place under your bedframe, if you have bedbugs, they will fall into these and wont be able to get out

The trick is actually to make sure your bed legs are not touching the floor and are instead sitting in the middle of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0028Z0LDQ?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title

Then you put DE inside the interceptors also as well as circling your bed with it, putting it inside outlet boxes etc. When I gut my house I'm going to line the walls with DE and rat poison all along the perimeter also before we put the drywall up. I honestly don't know why this isn't standard practice.

This should help

Ant traps: https://www.amazon.com/TERRO-T300B-2-Pack-Liquid-Baits/dp/B00E4GACB8

And for a friendly tip, if you have an ant problem, just store your snacks in plastic containers with lids that seal. Yeah, I've been there before.

Apparently they're sold everywhere, Walmart, CVS, etc. I just ordered this http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00008GS96

I'm fucking excited. I might order a second one and tie them together to make nun chucks.

Use a coil and use higher voltage, something like 20000 volts.

They sell this "tennis racket bug zapper" which could give you hints:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Amazing-Handheld-Bug-Zapper/dp/B00008GS96

or thru the mail like this

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0767NFCGC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_8TEhAbYH61N8A

Thank you

Thank you for this giveaway...
Reylight Ti Lan
https://www.amazon.com/Reylight-Ti-Lan-Special-Battery/dp/B0767NFCGC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1511891800&sr=8-4&keywords=ReyLight

These are the bugs I got. This company also sells praying mantis larvae so I think I’ll try those a little later in the summer. It took about a week for them to get here and I’d say maybe 100-200 were dead but I noticed them mating immediately when I released them so here’s hoping they’ll just continue to increase!

This is the solution

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0049I6CT2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494377016&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=invicta+gold+roach+gel&dpPl=1&dpID=31P51PwDjpL&ref=plSrch