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Pest Control

Pest Control

304 Followers | 1293 Posts

If you've had a pest infestation, you know the value of pest control. Pest control isn't just about pesticides - it can be pest prevention, too. There are many proven non-toxic pest control tips that have been discussed on Hometalk. From preventing spring time ants to tips for getting rid of fruit flies, you'll find some great pest control tips right here. You can also search Hometalk for ideas on ways to make your pest control maintenance effective and healthiest for you and your family.



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  • Ants lying in Windex. 1

ANTS? Easy, Safe Solution!

An exterminator told my friend that when you begin to see ants, they are the scouts. Stop these and you won't have ants. My son discovered that if you spray them with Windex (or any other glass cleaner), they are exterminated. Keep after it for a while and you won't have ants. We have used this for years. 2 days ago our humming bird feeder leaked onto the concrete front porch...the liquid got down in the crack between brick and concrete so there was not way to flush it out. Ants ...»
appeared quickly, I sprayed them with Windex. Watched through the day and kept spraying them. Now ant free! Safe for kids, pets and environment! It is worth a try before you spend hundreds.

Jeanette S
Jeanette S Atlanta, GA 6 days ago
104 Comments | Post Comment | 39297 Views
  • Karen McBride
    Karen McBride 5 minutes ago
    I've used Terro for years because I have a parrot and can't use any sprays. I've recently been ...»
    getting 'ghost' ants - and they don't seem to go for it. May try the glass cleaner. There's always tidbits of food around the bird cage!

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  • Photo of cinnamon by Adam Verwymeren courtesy of Networx.com. http://www.networx.com/article/8-household-uses-for-cinnamon

4 Household Uses for Cinnamon

Did you know that cinnamon can be used as an air freshener, a bug repellant, and a mouth wash?

Moth Repellent: Replace foul-smelling mothballs with cinnamon-stuffed sachets. Combine the cinnamon with a handful of other spices, like cloves and bay leaves, and you'll have a moth-free house that smells great.

Ant Repellant: Has an army of ants invaded your home? Apartment Therapy suggests using cinnamon to keep the little critters at bay. Sprinkle the powdered ...»

version of the spice around any openings or crevices that give insects entrance to your home and they will steer clear, perhaps heading for the more welcoming environs of a neighbor's home instead.

Air Freshener: Combine water and a few drops of cinnamon oil in a spray bottle and you've got an instant air freshener that's both economical and all-natural.

Mouthwash: Mouthwash is one of those products that's so easy to make, it's a wonder we ever buy it. For an effective cinnamon-flavored mouthwash, simply add nine tablespoons of cinnamon to a cup of vodka. Let the mixture sit for two weeks and then strain through a coffee filter.

Chaya K
Chaya K New York, NY on Nov 12, 2012
13 Comments | Post Comment | 9373 Views
  • Marie S
    Marie S 3 hours ago
    I am diabetic type 2 and it does work for me also.
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  • are this ones good or bad for your garden? 1

new visitors ughhh..

i find this ones on the ground ...
Maria C
Maria C Las Vegas, NV on Jul 31, 2012
8 Comments | Post Comment | 227 Views
  • Wendy M
    Wendy M 5 days ago
    We have a lot of grubs up our way in Vermont. For the past few summers my husband and I have ...»
    been adding new gardens and adding better soil since we are all sand here. We have what we think is the same Robin that follows my husband around the yard and when he finds a grub he throws it on the land near her and she eats it right up. Best fed bird we know!

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  • Head Lice

Head Lice

A very common problem, especially for school-aged children ages 3-12 years old (girls more often than boys). Head Lice are tiny, wingless parasitic insects that live among human hairs and feed on extremely small amounts of blood drawn from the scalp. Their bites cause extreme itching of the scalp, leading to skin irritation and even infection in some cases. Although they don't spread disease, Lice are very contagious and and just downright annoying. They can quickly spread from person ...»
to person, especially in group settings (schools, childcare centers, slumber parties, etc.), through head-to-head contact, sharing clothes, bed linens, combs, brushes and hats (FYI: Lice are not spread through pets). Lice can't jump or fly, they have specially adapted claws that allow them to crawl and cling firmly to hair. They lay eggs (nits) on hair shafts close to the scalp, where the temperature is perfect for keeping them warm until they hatch in 1-2 weeks. Early treatment is extremely important to prevent further spreading. Over-the-counter medications or prescription medications are available to kill Lice. These medications are insecticides and it is crutial to follow the directions as indicated on the product label to ensure a successful treatment and to avoid the risk of causing harm. After treatment, you must comb out the eggs (nits) using a fine-tooth comb (usually comes with the product, but can be bought seperatly at a drug store). Seperate hairs into sections and comb one section at a time (works best on wet hair). Repeat complete treatment in 7-10 days to kill any new hatched nits. If your child is under 2 years of age, you should not use medicated treatments. You will need to remove nits and lice by hand, be patient, this can be very time-consuming. Purchase the fine-tooth comb, wet and condition hair, seperate into sections, comb one section at a time. Repeat every 2-3 days for 2 weeks. In addition, wash all bed linens and clothing that has recently been used by anyone in your home who's infested, in very hot water and dry on high for at least 20 minutes (Anything that can't be washed should be dry cleaned). Vacuum carpets & upholstered furniture in your home & car (Medicated spray is available, but use with caution, especially around small children). Soak hair-care items (comb, brush, hair ties, band, etc... in medicated shampoo or very hot water for at least 30 minutes or just throw them away & purchase new ones. Since Lice are easily passed from person-to-person in the same house, it is highly recommended to treat all family members to prevent re-infestation (Call your doctor is problems persist after treatment). It is also important to talk to your kids about Lice & how they are spread (School nurses can provide information as well). Emphasize that although having Lice can certainly be very embarrassing for them, anyone can get them and that they are not a sign of uncleanliness or poor hygiene. Kids need to understand that they have not done anything wrong and reassure them that as aggravating as getting rid of these annoying insects can be, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

A-1 Watkins Pest & Termite Control
A-1 Watkins Pest & Termit... Long Beach, CA on Nov 19, 2012
3 Comments | Post Comment | 531 Views
  • Eulenspiegel
    Eulenspiegel 7 days ago
    Our whole family went through several bouts, as well!! ...»

    We bought the over the counter R.I.D. Head Lice Treatment. And one of those metal fine-tooth combs, especially made for nit removal.

    We had the devil of a time getting rid of them, in spite of following all instructions to the letter.

    I was getting worried about having to repeatedly apply such a 'toxic' active ingredient, too.

    Then the school nurse gave us the best advice we ever got!!!

    After treating the hair, rinse well with a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water.

    The nits are 'glued' to the hair shaft and washing does NOT get rid of them. The nits are pretty darn waterproof!

    And while there's a certain amount of stigma associated with having head lice -- some think it's a sign of poor hygiene -- in reality, the cleaner and less 'greasy' the hair is, the easier it is for the nits to become firmly attached to the shaft.

    The vinegar/water rinse dissolves what holds the nits to the hair shaft and they're rinsed away.

    That takes care of new ones coming along, but it doesn't hurt the lice that already have taken up residence.

    While the OTC poison will take care of that, I opted for what I hope is a safer method (although a bit of a pain in the behind.)

    I just kept rinsing well with vinegar/water. Every day for 40 days.

    The lifespan of a louse is 3 to 4 weeks.

    If you can just keep getting rid of the nits (which hatch within 12 days), the already hatched lice will eventually die off.

    Like I say, within 3 to 4 weeks. I just kept it up for 40 days to make sure.

    That worked in our household but even if you want to go with the 'once and you're done' OTC medication, I STILL recommend following it up with a thorough vinegar/water rinsing!!!

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  • The two ingredients needed to get rid of fruit flies. 3
  • Results in 24 hours.

How to Kill Fruit Flies w/2 Ingredients

You can quickly, easily and inexpensively get rid of fruit flies without using harsh chemicals by making your own mixture with apple cider vinegar and dishwashing liquid. Find out how here:
Mary Beth
Mary Beth Coraopolis, PA on Oct 02, 2012
14 Comments | Post Comment | 17066 Views
  • Marg C
    Marg C on May 11, 2013
    This works wonders...and yes it has to be the Apple Cider Vinegar because of 'fruit' base of ...»
    this vinegar but the main reason that the dishwashing liquid (any will do) has to be added is because it makes it slippery so they can't just land on top of the vinegar and then fly off...they have no choice but to drown in the slippery stuff and drop to the bottom

    But first and foremost...find the source and throw it out!!

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  • place twigs in flower beds to keep cats away from doing their business there!

Keeping Cats out of flower beds

Here's an interesting idea for keeping cats out of flower beds by placing twigs- will have to try it! Link to information is http://betteroutdoorlivingathome.com/outdoor...
Easy
Irma
Irma Trenton, MI on May 09, 2013
1 Comment | Post Comment | 308 Views
  • Jeanette S
    Jeanette S on May 11, 2013
    I don't have this problem but find this amazing!
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  • this is what is happening to the shrubs.. I still see some green growing toward the inside of branches.

Gardening: Help with male dogs peeing on shrubs.

Last fall my awesome husband put a dozen little shrubs in the ground, it seems my two male dogs and a friends male dog like to mark them. I am wondering what I could do if anything to prevent them from doing this. The areas where they mark are brown and black. I am worried they are going to kill the shurbs before they get a chance to grow up and give us the privacy I am hoping to get between us and our neighbors. I recall reading online that I could mix jalapeno peppers with water in a ...»
mixer and spray it on the shrubs, that once the dogs smell it they will stop marking them. Any help or ideas are very gratefull. Thank you all. I can try to post pics if needed.

Shelly
Shelly Eliot, ME on May 07, 2013
7 Comments | Post Comment | 252 Views
  • Tony
    Tony on May 09, 2013
    My suggestion would be to apply a little garden lime. It will nutralize the odor. be careful ...»
    not to over apply and change the PH of the soil which may effect the shrub. Then apply the cayenne pepper to prevent future pitstops.

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Pest Control: Can I fight subterranean termites by myself?

I found termites when demoing our front porch. It doesn't look like they're into the main structure yet, but I'm afraid they'll migrate now that I've taken a good source of munchies away ...»
from them. Here's the blog post where I found them: http://www.azdiyguy.com/2013/05/tearing-it-a...

AZ DIY Guy
AZ DIY Guy Phoenix, AZ on May 07, 2013
2 Comments | Post Comment | 137 Views

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Pest Control: Intruder alert!!!

in my backyard, I need some help what can I do?
Ligia Bello Dall'Occhio
Ligia Bello Dall'Occhio Palm Harbor, FL on May 07, 2013
5 Comments | Post Comment | 126 Views
  • Ligia Bello Dall'Occhio
    Ligia Bello Dall'Occhio on May 08, 2013
    Thanks I will call the animal control because he appear at day and looks sick
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  • Two chewed holes in brick mortar
  • Top brick above the basement window.
  • Brick hole filled with spray foam pest block

Pest Control: Honey bee problems already

Last year, I had to deal with yellow jackets. This year, it's honey bees. I've been wondering why so many were checking out my brick home and now I know why. I discovered at least 3 holes ...»
chewed through the mortar. I also discovered one main hole which was one of the holes inside of the brick near the basement window. I've used concrete caulk to fill in the holes with the bees inside of them and today, used pest block expanding foam for the brick. I'm trying to buy time as I called today to have the house sprayed for bees. I also found a hole they chewed in a 2x4 in my garage. Gods little creatures are really starting to piss me off.

Jeff C
Jeff C Broadview Heights, OH on May 01, 2013
5 Comments | Post Comment | 209 Views
  • Jeff C
    Jeff C on May 03, 2013
    This is the best picture I have of the bees I'm battling. I can say that the bees are not ...»
    nearly as aggressive as yellow jackets. I've been filling up all the holes I find both in wood and mortar until they spray the house. The holes are about pencil eraser size. After looking on YouTube, I see there are mason bees but those are native to France.


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