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#1
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Safe bug spray?
I've got a problem in my new apartment (which is in an old building)
with respect to bugs and am looking for some way of eliminating them that won't harm my two senior cats. I don't know much about bugs and don't know what these particular critters are. They are very small and never seem to get much larger. They seem to both hop and fly and they seem to like my cats' litter box and places with a bit of water. Is there any chance that they might have arrived in the litter itself? I changed to a cheaper gravel litter when I moved in and the first place I noticed them was in the litter. But I've also mistakenly received an Orkin bill that should have gone to the property management company so it's very possible that bugs have been present for a while. Please note that I'm open to anything that might chase these bugs out as long as it is safe for the cats so it could be a spray or a solid or anything else as far as I'm concerned. Am I going to need to catch one of these things and take it to a bug scientist (entomologist) to get its species determined? Or is there only a very narrow list of things it can be that all respond to the same deterrent? -- Rhino |
#2
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Safe bug spray?
Rhino no_offline_contact_please example.com wrote:
I've got a problem in my new apartment (which is in an old building) with respect to bugs and am looking for some way of eliminating them that won't harm my two senior cats. I use bugs as an indicator where cleaning is needed. Once it's clean, they don't come back. Not for argument with me. Good luck. |
#3
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Safe bug spray?
On 10/26/2013 3:11 PM, Rhino wrote:
I don't know much about bugs and don't know what these particular critters are. They are very small and never seem to get much larger. They seem to both hop and fly and they seem to like my cats' litter box and places with a bit of water. .............Do they look like little bitty flies with big wings? Or are they transparent and very very small and hop around? .........First one is drain flies, second is springtails. Drain flies can look like they're hopping because their flight is very short. Springtails do sort of hop, using a pogo stick on their butts. http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2071.html .........Potted plants can sometimes produce fungus gnats if the soil's wet all the time, but I can't figure out what they'd be doing around dry litter and they don't hop. Really, all these critters seem to rise out of damp conditions. Could be it is the location of the litter box, not the litter that makes you notice them. But I've also mistakenly received an Orkin bill that should have gone to the property management company .............You should ask them what they treated the building for. Am I going to need to catch one of these things and take it to a bug scientist (entomologist) to get its species determined? ....................That would be the best route to go! If in US. your local extension agent may be able to help you. buglady take out the dog before replying |
#4
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Safe bug spray?
Rhino wrote:
I've got a problem in my new apartment (which is in an old building) with respect to bugs and am looking for some way of eliminating them that won't harm my two senior cats. I don't know much about bugs and don't know what these particular critters are. They are very small and never seem to get much larger. They seem to both hop and fly and they seem to like my cats' litter box and places with a bit of water. Is there any chance that they might have arrived in the litter itself? I changed to a cheaper gravel litter when I moved in and the first place I noticed them was in the litter. But I've also mistakenly received an Orkin bill that should have gone to the property management company so it's very possible that bugs have been present for a while. Please note that I'm open to anything that might chase these bugs out as long as it is safe for the cats so it could be a spray or a solid or anything else as far as I'm concerned. Am I going to need to catch one of these things and take it to a bug scientist (entomologist) to get its species determined? Or is there only a very narrow list of things it can be that all respond to the same deterrent? My wife uses vinegar to get rid of our aqnts, but I don't know if it would annoy other insects or not. It is safe, and she puts it in a a spray bottle and sprays under the sink and other places where the ants get in. Bugs usually get through holes where the water pipes go through the wall, so if you can seal off these places, you might be able to prevent them from entering your apartment. |
#5
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Safe bug spray?
On 2013-10-26 8:20 PM, buglady wrote:
On 10/26/2013 3:11 PM, Rhino wrote: I don't know much about bugs and don't know what these particular critters are. They are very small and never seem to get much larger. They seem to both hop and fly and they seem to like my cats' litter box and places with a bit of water. ............Do they look like little bitty flies with big wings? Or are they transparent and very very small and hop around? They don't look like they have big wings to me and they don't look transparent either. I have really poor eyesight even with my very strong glasses and just can't make out that kind of detail. If I can catch one, I'll use one of my magnifiers and then maybe I can figure it out. ........First one is drain flies, second is springtails. Drain flies can look like they're hopping because their flight is very short. Springtails do sort of hop, using a pogo stick on their butts. http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2071.html ........Potted plants can sometimes produce fungus gnats if the soil's wet all the time, but I can't figure out what they'd be doing around dry litter and they don't hop. Really, all these critters seem to rise out of damp conditions. Could be it is the location of the litter box, not the litter that makes you notice them. I don't have any plants at all. My windows have been closed for a couple of weeks now since it's noticeably chilly a lot of the time now but these bugs appeared when it was still very warm out and they have probably established themselves now without any need for them to leave the apartment. But I've also mistakenly received an Orkin bill that should have gone to the property management company ............You should ask them what they treated the building for. Good idea. Am I going to need to catch one of these things and take it to a bug scientist (entomologist) to get its species determined? ...................That would be the best route to go! If in US. your local extension agent may be able to help you. I'm not sure what an extension agent is. I'm in Canada, Southwestern Ontario to be more precise. I'm not sure if the bugs you describe are common here. I'll have to see if the local university has an entomologist. I'm not sure how reliable pest control companies are in determining what species are involved. I guess I'm a little skeptical about them and suspect that they just come and spray with strong pesticides that kill just about everything so that they don't have to worry about dealing with a specific insect. But maybe that's not fair to them.... Thanks for the suggestions. -- Rhino -- Rhino |
#6
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Safe bug spray?
On 2013-10-26 10:04 PM, Bill Graham wrote:
Rhino wrote: I've got a problem in my new apartment (which is in an old building) with respect to bugs and am looking for some way of eliminating them that won't harm my two senior cats. I don't know much about bugs and don't know what these particular critters are. They are very small and never seem to get much larger. They seem to both hop and fly and they seem to like my cats' litter box and places with a bit of water. Is there any chance that they might have arrived in the litter itself? I changed to a cheaper gravel litter when I moved in and the first place I noticed them was in the litter. But I've also mistakenly received an Orkin bill that should have gone to the property management company so it's very possible that bugs have been present for a while. Please note that I'm open to anything that might chase these bugs out as long as it is safe for the cats so it could be a spray or a solid or anything else as far as I'm concerned. Am I going to need to catch one of these things and take it to a bug scientist (entomologist) to get its species determined? Or is there only a very narrow list of things it can be that all respond to the same deterrent? My wife uses vinegar to get rid of our aqnts, but I don't know if it would annoy other insects or not. It is safe, and she puts it in a a spray bottle and sprays under the sink and other places where the ants get in. Bugs usually get through holes where the water pipes go through the wall, so if you can seal off these places, you might be able to prevent them from entering your apartment. Thanks for the suggestions. -- Rhino -- Rhino |
#7
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Safe bug spray?
On 10/28/2013 2:13 PM, Rhino wrote:
I'll have to see if the local university has an entomologist. I'm not sure how reliable pest control companies are in determining what species are involved. ....................Depends on the company and the person. And you're right, they'd probably use a Kill Them All! approach. .............Check online Googling household pests Ontario to get a list of possible pest species. These may be doing nothing after all, just hanging around. buglady take out the dog before replying |
#8
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Safe bug spray?
buglady wrote:
On 10/28/2013 2:13 PM, Rhino wrote: I'll have to see if the local university has an entomologist. I'm not sure how reliable pest control companies are in determining what species are involved. ...................Depends on the company and the person. And you're right, they'd probably use a Kill Them All! approach. Along these lines (as long as we are on the subject) I have always wondered why, when they tent a building, they don't just fill it with dry nitrogen. It woulod suffocate everything that is living, and leave no poisonous residue to adversely affect those who must reenter and live there. |
#9
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Safe bug spray?
On 10/29/2013 2:48 PM, Bill Graham wrote:
buglady wrote: On 10/28/2013 2:13 PM, Rhino wrote: I'll have to see if the local university has an entomologist. I'm not sure how reliable pest control companies are in determining what species are involved. ...................Depends on the company and the person. And you're right, they'd probably use a Kill Them All! approach. Along these lines (as long as we are on the subject) I have always wondered why, when they tent a building, they don't just fill it with dry nitrogen. It woulod suffocate everything that is living, and leave no poisonous residue to adversely affect those who must reenter and live there. tenting is not air tight. |
#10
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Safe bug spray?
In article , weg9
@comcast.net says... buglady wrote: On 10/28/2013 2:13 PM, Rhino wrote: I'll have to see if the local university has an entomologist. I'm not sure how reliable pest control companies are in determining what species are involved. ...................Depends on the company and the person. And you're right, they'd probably use a Kill Them All! approach. Along these lines (as long as we are on the subject) I have always wondered why, when they tent a building, they don't just fill it with dry nitrogen. It woulod suffocate everything that is living, and leave no poisonous residue to adversely affect those who must reenter and live there. Good idea. Get some funding and startup a chain. |
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