| Subject | Date Asked |
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| worms in the shower | 11/10/2009 |
Q: I was in the shower when I found some worms, wriggling around on the shower floor. The worms are ... A: Sounds like some kind of larvae (immature life stage of certain insects.) A good idea would be to ...
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| Wasps entering apartment | 11/7/2009 |
Q: I have a bit of a problem with wasps. For the past few months I have been seeing A TON of wasps ... A: If you think they are getting in through an air vent - then tape some paper over the vent to see if ...
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| Indian Meal Moths are Persistant | 10/11/2009 |
Q: Two weeks ago, when I saw a larvae in the crease of the living room wall and ceiling, I decided the ... A: Since each female lays between 100-400 eggs, and it takes the larvae anywhere from about 2 weeks to ...
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| Do I have termites? | 9/19/2009 |
Q: I found about a dozen termites flying around a lamp. I called a pest control company and they ... A: I'd tell them what I found and where. Then mention that the attic access is from that room also. ...
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| moths | 9/18/2009 |
Q: In the Fall of 2008 I discovered my first ever pantry moths infestation. There were moths, larvae, ... A: The thing about Indianmeal moths is that adults lay their eggs in/on the larval food material. When ...
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| Do I have termites? | 9/16/2009 |
Q: I found about a dozen termites flying around a lamp. I called a pest control company and they ... A: There are two major types of termites - subterranean and drywood. The more common is the ...
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| WASPS. | 9/14/2009 |
Q: ) so my problem is that theres this crack in my brick wall out side my house just by the door and ... A: I'm all for live and let live as long as no human gets hurt or sick because of an insect pest. ...
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| mice in van | 9/11/2009 |
Q: I discovered mice in my van last week. We set snap traps baited with peanut butter and caught two ... A: A week to 10 day without any signs of activity suggests that the original problem is likely ...
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| moths | 9/11/2009 |
Q: In the Fall of 2008 I discovered my first ever pantry moths infestation. There were moths, larvae, ... A: It's imperative that we know what species of moth is in your home. There can be several other types ...
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| mice | 9/9/2009 |
Q: We live in an old (1855) house in the suburbs of STL and have been dealing with mice on and off for ... A: With what you've already done (sanitation, access points sealed, etc.), I can't think of any other ...
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| fleas | 9/3/2009 |
Q: We have been trying to get of fleas in a vacant apartment. There is no carpet inside its all ... A: Fleas often are difficult to eradicate for a couple of reasons. They go through a complete ...
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| follow up | 8/31/2009 |
Q: I recently wrote to you about some issues I was having with lizards around my property. I tried ... A: I'm sorry. I've gone through all my responses and do not find anything from you in the past. Perhaps ...
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| Tiny caterpillars in my house | 8/30/2009 |
Q: Primarily on my kitchen walls, we have found these tiny caterpillars, a dozen of them in the last ... A: The caterpillar-like critters are most likely the immature larval stage of some type of fly, moth or ...
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| rodent droppings | 8/20/2009 |
Q: I recently bought a house that had been infested by rats while empty. The rodents were eliminated ... A: You are correct in that the virus is only viable for a few days - so if you are absolutely sure you ...
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| flying ants | 8/18/2009 |
Q: I live in the White Mtns. of NE AZ. About 6 weeks ago I encountered a "swarm" of flying ants on my ... A: I'm not sure who you directed your question to originally, but I retrieved it from a pool of ...
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| Housefly infestation but no logical source! | 8/17/2009 |
Q: I sincerely hope you can help me. Here's the situation: My husband and I live in a relatively old ... A: The faint odor some time ago, along with the current fly infestation, tells us that something died - ...
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| Dust Mites | 8/11/2009 |
Q: We have dust mites problems my mother wants to use a bug fogger or bug bomb will this work or is ... A: Bug bombs, foggers, etc. will harm your pets. Mites are oftentimes associated with birds and the ...
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| insects | 8/5/2009 |
Q: I just moved into a new development 3 months ago, all of a sudden I start seeing these brownish-red ... A: There are several species of insects that breed in drains. The entire group is referred to as "drain ...
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| Question on mouse or spider or maybe even roach dropping | 8/4/2009 |
Q: We never saw any signs of a rodent except seeing him run across the kitchen. We also seem to have a ... A: Sorry it's taken me so long to get back with you. Had some issues with my E-mail - resolved now... ...
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| Rodents in the attic | 8/3/2009 |
Q: How do I go about getting rid of rodents in my attic. My daughter hears them at night above her ... A: First step is to be certain of what kind of critter is up there. Someone needs to go up to the attic ...
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| Identification of feces | 7/31/2009 |
Q: I have been having an issue with some sort of pest that lives in or around my lower cabinets. All I ... A: Most of time, mouse droppings are tapered on one end, but not always. Gnawed foodstuff and droppings ...
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| Dead squirrel in wall/maggots in home | 7/29/2009 |
Q: I live in the top story of an apartment and had a squirrel problem in the beginning of the summer, ... A: Ask maintenance to seal up the crack under the mouldings. If the maggots can't get into your unit, ...
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| bugs in window screen guides | 7/26/2009 |
Q: I have bugs that gestate in the guides for my window screens every year. They grow inside cocoon ... A: I would like to help you, but the first step is to determine what critter is bothering you. ...
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| confused | 7/18/2009 |
Q: ok so here is what happened. i am staying with my mom in florida and my worst fear came true, ... A: There are two major issues here: (1) the erroneous information you have received about boric acid; ...
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| Brown House Moth | 7/9/2009 |
Q: For many months now, maybe since around Christmas, I have had a problem with what I think are brown ... A: Help is here... Your problem is a common one, involving some type of "stored product pest". Likely ...
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| Single Cockroach? | 7/9/2009 |
Q: It's 2:14am where I am and it just took me 30 minutes to kill a 2-inch long cockroach (not including ... A: The saying about seeing one and having hundreds refers to german roaches. They are much smaller than ...
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| Noises in the wall | 7/7/2009 |
Q: I have a four year old new construction home. About 6-8 months after we first moved in I had to ... A: Noises in the walls can be lots of things, from pests such as ants and rodents, to simply a tree ...
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| mice | 6/25/2009 |
Q: I have a mice problem in my wall/attic. Is it to have metal flashing put along the roof gutter ... A: I don't know exactly what you are talking about when you say ..."all of the other things". But I ...
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| mouse | 5/27/2009 |
Q: about 2 years ago I caught several mice in my house. I searched the entire perimeter of my house ... A: That gap between slabs is a definite suspect. Try loosely packing it with newspaper - loose enough ...
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| mouse | 5/26/2009 |
Q: about 2 years ago I caught several mice in my house. I searched the entire perimeter of my house ... A: As to your concern about an electrical fire - Although it's very rare, there is a small chance that ...
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| Bird Mites Infestation! | 5/23/2009 |
Q: I have an infestation of bird mites in my bedroom - they've been in evidence everywhere - walls, ... A: Well, they could be living on the parrot as their host, but why then would they leave it? I'd say ...
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| i.d. of feces | 5/21/2009 |
Q: cannot i.d. feces in basement of lakeside home. 3 inches long, as narrow as a pencil lead. Black, ... A: I do not recognize the material you are describing, but I can tell you that it is not the fecal ...
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| black widow | 5/17/2009 |
Q: ok, i know i'm going to sound paranoid, but when i went down to my basement today i swear to god i ... A: You don't sound paranoid at all. Black widows are indeed poisonous, and their neurotoxic venom is ...
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| Carpenter Ants | 5/14/2009 |
Q: I followed one under the wood paneling on the side of the garage. When I pulled off the panel I saw ... A: A grand a year seems high to me. In the old days we had to do a lot of intensive and invasive work ...
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| Carpenter Ants | 5/12/2009 |
Q: I followed one under the wood paneling on the side of the garage. When I pulled off the panel I saw ... A: A dust insecticide will destroy ants for sure, but the key to totally ridding yourself of this ...
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| roaches | 5/7/2009 |
Q: IF you look at animals such as shrimp, lobsters, crayfish, crabs, scorpions, cockroaches, etc they ... A: In Florida where I live, we have about 55 different species of roaches. All but one of them lives ...
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| wood damaging insects | 4/29/2009 |
Q: I plan on using logs (2ft.-6ft.) placed on top of or burried just in the ground, in my yard and ... A: OK, your follow-up clarifies the situation somewhat. You might try treating the wood with a borate ...
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| wood damaging insects | 4/25/2009 |
Q: I plan on using logs (2ft.-6ft.) placed on top of or burried just in the ground, in my yard and ... A: Sorry for the late response, apparently never got the Email notification of your question... The ...
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| unknown insect | 4/10/2009 |
Q: what kind of bug looks like a caterpillar with legs like a spider about 15 per side and has antennas ... A: I can't be certain without seeing the critter, but your description sounds like a house centipede. ...
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| Rid of Water bugs | 4/5/2009 |
Q: I think they are water bugs, they look like very large roaches. They come through the sinks in my ... A: If they are coming up from the drains, they are probably American roaches that live in the sewer ...
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| Weird Bug? | 3/12/2009 |
Q: We have this bug that we always find these small little bugs hanging from our walls. We first ... A: Unfortunately I'd need more data to identify the critter. It may be the immature stage of life of ...
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| tunnels | 3/4/2009 |
Q: We just bought a 30 year old house in phoenix az and we did have the termite inspection done by ... A: Absolutely have it checked out by a couple of other companies. It costs you nothing, and you should ...
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| tunnels | 3/4/2009 |
Q: We just bought a 30 year old house in phoenix az and we did have the termite inspection done by ... A: Very wise move on your part to be concerned about this. Termites can be a very insidious threat to ...
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| Termite Bond | 2/25/2009 |
Q: I live in far west Florida on the AL boarder. My wood frame home over slab with brick vener was ... A: There's a couple of things in your message that stand out. First, what are they doing when they ...
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| Can roaches spread from Grandmas apartment to our house from her dog? | 1/14/2009 |
Q: My mother is having a roach problem in her apartment. She is having it sprayed today and she and ... A: Yes, roaches can hitchhike into your home via your Mother's purse, clothing, etc. I doubt the dog ...
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| gnats in the house | 12/29/2008 |
Q: I live in Las Vegas, where its damn cold right now. However I notice tiny gnats flying about as ... A: In order to get rid of them, we need to find the area in the house in which they are breeding. ...
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| Termite bait station vs chemical barriers | 12/16/2008 |
Q: Mr. Serdes, I bought a new (construction) house last December. On my agent's assistance, the ... A: There are several different bait systems on the market and a wide variety of different types of ...
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| Termites and Ants | 11/18/2008 |
Q: I am in Michigan and wondering if you can help us educate ourselves on the best approach to treating ... A: .. 1) The company disparaging "chemicals" gets low marks in my book because their baits are also ...
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| what climate are the german cockroaches found in | 11/15/2008 |
Q: My family moved up to Oregon in the beginning of June from Arizona. While we lived in Arizona we ... A: When you stop and think about it, the roaches haven't really changed their environment all that ...
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| Phorid flies | 11/13/2008 |
Q: We have an invasion of phorid flies in a commercial strip center. Pest control people immediately ... A: Phorid flies breed in rotting materials. So, although they could be breeding in the dirt ...
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| flys (massive) on one bedroom window | 11/5/2008 |
Q: I can sweep up the window sill of all flies (almost black with that many filling it) and the next ... A: The actions of this pest suggest cluster flies, but your description of them being smaller than ...
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| "UFIs" | 10/16/2008 |
Q: Hey George, I live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and ever since the hurricane (Gustav) I have had these ... A: The secret to getting rid of UFIs is to make them IFIs (Identified flying insects). A couple of ...
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| Phorid Flies | 10/13/2008 |
Q: Florida and moved into a condo about 3 years ago. Each summer, our condo is infested with phorid ... A: Phorid flies breed anywhere moisture and organic material are allowed to stay in contact long enough ...
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| wasps in return air vent | 10/12/2008 |
Q: We live in Western PA. We have just obseved several wasps come out of our return air vent which runs ... A: Getting rid of them is going to depend on a couple of things. First thing is what kind of wasps are ...
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| Insects ?in log house walls | 10/10/2008 |
Q: We hear bug chewing sounds in the logs of our log cabin. We hear this at night and can identify the ... A: There are several species of wood destroying insects (the larval stage of old house borers and ...
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| Fruit flies | 10/9/2008 |
Q: I wrote you last night with a fruit fly problem but...we finally found our source this morning!!!! ... A: Super news Jennifer, The biggest part of solving a flying insect problem is identifying the ...
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| killing rats | 10/6/2008 |
Q: I live in landers, ca and have a bad rat problem. I have tried snap traps but our rats seem to be ... A: As long as your "other animals" don't eat the poisoned rats you needn't fear secondary poisoning. ...
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| new pest..... | 9/26/2008 |
Q: I contacted you before about a lovely gnat problem. Well.. now I have moths. Before I moved, we ... A: The critters definitely sound like stored product pests - might be either Indianmeal moths or ...
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| Termite problem? | 9/24/2008 |
Q: I found some 3 winged termites in and around the house in the last week or so. Don't recall having ... A: First, are you sure they are termites and not winged ants? If possible, keep specimens in some ...
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| GNATS! GNATS! GNAAAAAATS! | 9/20/2008 |
Q: I have GNATS. IN MY HOUSE. EVERYWHERE. *scream* Mostly around the cat's litter box and mostly ... A: Here's the thing, in order to get rid of the critters, we MUST find out what they are - exactly... ...
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| GNATS! GNATS! GNAAAAAATS! | 9/18/2008 |
Q: I have GNATS. IN MY HOUSE. EVERYWHERE. *scream* Mostly around the cat's litter box and mostly ... A: Where did they come from? Mother Nature...obviously a pregnant one got in the house, found a spot ...
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| tiny reddish brown gnat like things | 9/16/2008 |
Q: My bathroom was all of a sudden full of very tiny reddish brown gnat or fruit fly like things. They ... A: The first step in getting rid of them is determining what they are... I would need more details to ...
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| noisey vibration in wall | 9/13/2008 |
Q: George. After a good deal of renovation, I moved into a small home in Dallas. I immediately noticed ... A: I've investigated a number of cases of "noises in walls". The solutions have ranged from rodents to ...
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| bee nest | 9/9/2008 |
Q: is there a bomb that wont put off heat (I don't want to start a fire). Or what else can you ... A: "Bombs" simply release a non-residual insecticide into the air. As it floats back to the ground it ...
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| ants in my attic | 9/1/2008 |
Q: Crawling up the block side, under the aluminum facia siding and into the attic and back out again ... A: Simply because of their vast numbers they just keep coming and coming and we always found that baits ...
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| bedbugs | 8/31/2008 |
Q: can vinager kill bedbugs? A: If you submerged a bedbug in vinegar, it would drown. But as far as spraying vinegar on them, there ...
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| ants in my attic | 8/30/2008 |
Q: Crawling up the block side, under the aluminum facia siding and into the attic and back out again ... A: Carpenter ants will indeed appropriate termite galleries for their own use. And they will enlarge ...
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| pesticide as a suspension in air | 8/29/2008 |
Q: i am from ontario canada.my questions is this,when anyone who does a pesticide as a suspension in ... A: You will need to speak with a local authority in Ontario about the pesticide laws in your area. I ...
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| mice | 8/28/2008 |
Q: i have no problem with mice in the basement in winter. i know that it's the common problem in New ... A: I'm sorry, but the first few sentences of your inquiry are confusing. Are you saying you do not mind ...
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| Cockroaches | 8/25/2008 |
Q: Serdes! I have a question about how to stop cockroaches. There are hundreds of cockroaches in our ... A: My dear Sunagn, First, stop spraying. It appears you are dealing with a German roach problem, and ...
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| Lyctus Powderpost Beetles | 8/23/2008 |
Q: I have Lyctus Powderpost beetles eating my hardwood floors ( oak ) These have been positively ... A: Before I get to your questions, here's some general info about your problem. Lyctids attack the ...
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| learning the trade | 8/23/2008 |
Q: is there a book that i can buy,that will show me what the pest look like and there name?i do not ... A: There are tons of books available about the subject of entomology, but since you entitled the ...
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| Roaches near the tub | 8/22/2008 |
Q: I live in NYC in a brownstone apartment. I recently moved in and found 2 large dead cockroaches ... A: Sorry for the delay John, Been busy with tropical storm Fay-related issues down here in Florida. ...
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| Termites Behind Fireplace | 8/12/2008 |
Q: Hey, We have termite tunnels coming out from behind the mantel of our fireplace. We have a wood ... A: Here's the thing Andrew, those termite tubes you're seeing are the tip of an iceberg. Why the ...
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| flying ants in house | 8/9/2008 |
Q: house was tented with vikane gas for drywood termites a week ago. i am now noticing more and more ... A: Absolutely the Vikane would have killed ANYTHING - so not sure what's up with these critters. Here's ...
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| Ant Spray | 8/1/2008 |
Q: indoor ant spray. The ingredients are Tetramethrin, Permethrin, and Piperonyl Buitoxide. ... A: No solvent is necessary. Soap (detergent)and water and a bit of elbow grease is all you need. The ...
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| mice in house | 7/28/2008 |
Q: One of the other experts answered my original post, and his response was helpful;however, he is no ... A: Mice only need a 1/4" opening to get into your home, and with a crawl space, it can be difficult to ...
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| killer cicada wasps | 7/25/2008 |
Q: I see that you have said not to kill these wasps. we have small children as well as I am highly ... A: I fully understand your concern about stings. However, you have little chance of being stung by ...
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| Ants in the fireplace | 7/23/2008 |
Q: I have ants coming into my living room from behind my gas fire, i have had the council in but he ... A: The key is to figure out why the ants are coming into your home. The way ants work is that they send ...
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| bee's on my wood privacy fence | 7/21/2008 |
Q: I have a patio 4 foot wide by 20 foot long next to my brick house,it is surrounded by 6 foot privacy ... A: Sorry to hear you and your dog have been stung. Never a pleasant thing, so hope it doesn't happen ...
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| german roaches | 7/7/2008 |
Q: I just bought 2 acres and under each large oak tree (9) there is an infestation of roaches. I have ... A: Hey Chuck, You've entitled this query as "geman roaches" - but that's probably NOT the issue. More ...
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| wages | 7/5/2008 |
Q: what kind of wages can a person make doing pest control/ greg A: Hey Greg, A few companies - mostly the small sole proprietors - pay hourly rates. These rates are ...
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| Termite treatment | 6/23/2008 |
Q: I live in a 1400 square foot cedar siding home on a monolithic concrete slab. (whew) I have evidence ... A: If I were doing it myself, and only had the two choices you are considering, I'd go with the ...
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| Termite Bond | 6/4/2008 |
Q: I live in Cent Fla, we have had a annual bond with Massey for 5 years (2003 home was built) single ... A: Hey Mike, Short answer is... Keep the Bond active. It may even cost you more than $200.00 - but my ...
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| Mice | 5/30/2008 |
Q: I am wondering if there is some type of a pesticide we can spray or sprinkle around the outside of ... A: Sorry, but there isn't any repellent material available to keep mice away. But, in most cases, it ...
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| Apartment building mice | 5/27/2008 |
Q: I live in an 80-year old apartment building in New York City. While the building has regular ... A: There isn't any natural solution to excluding mice. The only way to keep them out is to seal up or ...
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| do rats come back? | 5/24/2008 |
Q: my question concerns why/how rats will re-infest an area that had been priorly cleaned and/or ridded ... A: Yes, it often happens that rats come back into areas of prior infestation. Sometimes it's not even a ...
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| Wood bore issues | 5/20/2008 |
Q: I have a 4-stall, 2-story garage built in the 70's. The central squareish support beam was taken ... A: Boy, I wish we had something like what you describe - but unfortunately... We ARE seeing some ...
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| Little clear wings on the ground? | 5/19/2008 |
Q: I just walked into my basement and noticed that there are hundreds of little clear wings on the ... A: John, This sounds like a typical sign of a termite swarm. A termite swarm is a sign of termite ...
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| Major Fruit Fly/Drain Fly problem | 5/16/2008 |
Q: We have a serious fruit fly and drain fly problem. We live outside of Boston, MA. This had been ... A: Hey Alex, Sorry for such a disjointed answer - but just can't sit still very long at a time - do ...
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| Rat sighting in the daylight hours | 5/14/2008 |
Q: I have lived in an apartment complex fro almost 4 years now and for the first time I saw a large rat ... A: Virgil, I thought I had gotten back to you on this, but it is showing up as an "unanswered ...
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| Major Fruit Fly/Drain Fly problem | 5/14/2008 |
Q: We have a serious fruit fly and drain fly problem. We live outside of Boston, MA. This had been ... A: I'm recovering from a pulled muscle so I can't sit at my computer very long. Let me give you a ...
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| Rat sighting in the daylight hours | 5/13/2008 |
Q: I have lived in an apartment complex fro almost 4 years now and for the first time I saw a large rat ... A: Both of our major rat species (roof rats and Norway rats) tend to have nocturnal habits - so it's ...
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| Pin holes in sheetrock and wood shavings on the floor | 5/4/2008 |
Q: In a corner of the house I found a inch high pile of wood shavings and a dozen pinholes in the ... A: Dick, There are several possibilities, ranging from carpenter ants, through wood boring beetle ...
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| centipede invasion | 4/23/2008 |
Q: We moved into a house that has been vacant for several years. We have part crawl space and part ... A: Gloria, Centipedes feed on critters that are often found in damp places, so centipedes themselves ...
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