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11/21/2014, 03:39 PM | #1 |
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Pest Control in the Fish Room!
No, not your wife and kids!
So for those who have a separate fish room in your basement or garage or separate outdoor structure, what do you do about pest control... spiders, ants and other creepy crawlies? When my exterminator comes to treat the house, I always remind him to steer clear of the display tank. But now that i'm building out a small support room which I would have him stay out of all together, what can I do myself to make it as pest free as possible?
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11/21/2014, 04:07 PM | #2 |
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I make sure nothing is sprayed in that room but I don't really get a lot of critters in there. Occasionally an ant will wonder in but they usually make their way into the refugium and die
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11/22/2014, 05:31 PM | #3 |
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From my pet shop days, bait is the only truly safe answer. Sprays are evil.
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11/22/2014, 07:23 PM | #4 | |
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11/22/2014, 08:06 PM | #5 |
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Bleach mixed with water in a spray bottle should kill anything that crawls as well as eggs. 1:4 ratio should do the trick but you could probably go lower on the bleach.. Find a spider and spray it to see if it dies. Spray in all corners. Ammonia and water should do the same but that is harder on the sinuses.
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11/24/2014, 07:46 AM | #6 | ||
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OK, i guess I'll pick up some bait thingies if it's a problem.
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In my previous "fish room" which was a corner of my garage, i had a lot of webs and stuff up in the top corners of the walls. Probably lots of flying bugs (food) available. Now that I've walled it off and created a room with a door, it shouldn't be as bad. Quote:
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11/24/2014, 07:56 AM | #7 |
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Malathion - spray the outside walls and door of the room, as well as the garage. It is used to rid pests from our fruits and vegetables. It breaks down immediately to a non toxic stated if it comes in contact with water.
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11/24/2014, 10:08 AM | #8 | |
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Bill "LOL, well I have no brain apparently. " - dc (Debi) Current Tank Info: Far too many tanks according to my wife, LOL. |
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11/24/2014, 10:35 AM | #9 |
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You can use diatomaceous earth. It worked great for me when my cats got fleas one time but it works for all insects. It's all natural and non toxic. But be careful not to breath it in when you are spreading it on the floor, and don't put it in high traffic areas where it can get stirred up and become airborne.
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11/24/2014, 10:48 AM | #10 | |
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11/24/2014, 11:48 AM | #11 |
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You may want to use something a bit more surface and people/pet friendly than bleach or ammonia. A 50:50 mix of vinegar and water will kill most insects, as will about an ounce of dish soap (Dawn, for instance) per quart of water. The soap disrupts the cell membranes for most soft-bodied insects, and for those with hard skeletons, it works at blocking pore respiration. For a lot of insects, they perish almost instantly.
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11/24/2014, 12:48 PM | #12 | |
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Here is a good site with some good info on DIY organic solutions. http://eartheasy.com/grow_nat_pest_cntrl.htm And another. http://www.bobvila.com/get-rid-of-fl.../slideshows#!1
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11/27/2014, 08:54 PM | #13 |
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+1 Slief on bleach water. I also shop-vac any webs or spiders up immediately. Bait traps for ants and centipedes. I use sonic repellents for vermin because the gecko's and mole crickets here would also be effected by bait traps and sticky paper. Gecko's and mole crickets are a great pest control as far as insects.
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12/12/2017, 08:11 AM | #14 |
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Is it effective?
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12/12/2017, 10:49 AM | #15 | |
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12/17/2017, 05:18 AM | #16 |
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diatomaceous earth...they eat it -they die
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12/17/2017, 07:36 AM | #17 | |
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12/17/2017, 05:34 PM | #18 |
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DE as stated above works wonders.
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01/09/2018, 08:20 PM | #19 |
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We use glue traps in our basement. They work incredible. Everyone in the family has even been caught once or twice. And no sprays.
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01/10/2018, 05:15 AM | #20 |
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Sprinkle boric acid or diatomaceous earth along the baseboards. Both will cause insects to dehydrate and die.
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01/10/2018, 09:47 AM | #21 |
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Geckos work great.
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01/16/2018, 08:11 PM | #22 |
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Lots of good tips and tricks added so far. Really though. It truly comes down to what your trying to accomplish. Ants, spiders, roaches, etc...
Quick thoughts, Spiders, being arachnid don’t groom themselves. So, no amount of any spray will help against spiders. Unless, they themselves are directly sprayed. The other issue with them is they are built like 4X4’s so they never bump or scrap their exoskeletons. So borax or dieatomasish earth won’t dry them out. Ants IMO are best baited so that it can get back to the queen and kill the colony. I make a mix of boric acid, sugar, and water for ants. You can use peanut butter instead of sugar for protein ants if you’ve got those. Swarming ants are a seasonal pest that just happens. Other options are water activated granules that you can spread in the yard that don’t emit VOCs and can then be activated by a light watering. Of course baits work well but to my knowledge can’t/shouldn’t get wet. One last thought, no pest tech should be inside spraying anything. The days of baseboard spraying belongs in the 70’s. There are plenty of options with baits, granules, inside wall treatments, etc.. a bug indoors that has crossed a proper barrier on the exterior will die shortly or already be dieing when you see it indoors. A twitching bug has had a leathal dose. The cholinesterase inhibitors are in effect. Pest control should be applied according to the pest. A good tech will evaluate and treat accordingly. |
02/03/2018, 12:37 PM | #23 |
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Definitely a fan of using glue traps for finding out what sort of pest you are actually dealing with. It is very easy to see one bug and then panic poison the world.
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02/28/2018, 12:24 PM | #24 |
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Hey,
Those tiny snails that mysteriously appeared in your tank are considered pests by many aquarium owners. They multiply like crazy, and unfortunately, they are a challenge to get rid of. Usually, they or their eggs come in on live plants or on bits of gravel from a fish store, and they are hard to spot. It's a really big problem with anyone, I have too. |
03/16/2018, 05:54 PM | #25 |
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I think he’s talking about pests like ants and rodents lol
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